Waste Management
Northeast Utilities (NU) is working to reduce its waste streams on a number of fronts. There is a program under way to accelerate the replacement of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) transformers with those using environmentally safe dielectric fluids. In addition, NU has initiated a minimum order volume with its office supplies provider that saves packaging and transportation-related costs.
In 2012, NU's service territory experienced another severe weather year, with two major storms causing significant damage to our system. Super Storm Sandy resulted in the greatest number of transformer oil spills in the company's history. As a result, the volume of spill debris generated and sent to landfills exceeded the number from prior years.
| Total weight of waste by type and disposal method (Tons) – 2012 | ||||||
| Incinerated | Landfilled | Recycled | Other | Total | % Recycled | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hazardous Waste | 33 | 1,483 | 689 | 17 | 2,222 | 31% |
| PCB Waste | 380 | 952 | 93 | 29 | 1,454 | 6% |
| Non-Hazardous Waste | 1,409 | 20,222 | 1,615 | 1,521 | 24,768 | 7% |
| Universal Waste | 0 | 0 | 33 | 0 | 33 | 100% |
| Municipal Solid Waste* | 4,777 | 1,290 | 2,331 | 0 | 8,398 | 28% |
| Total | 6,600 | 23,947 | 4,761 | 1,567 | 36,875 | 13% |
*Municipal solid waste information excludes NSTAR. We are working to amend contracts with municipalities to enable tracking NSTAR going forward.