Connecticut’s Materials Innovations and Recycling Authority (MIRA) has been accused of violating the state’s freedom of information law. The agency included details in its minutes that were not publicly available on video recordings of its meetings.
MIRA is the state’s trash to energy agency. Its president, Thomas Kirk, told the Hartford Courant that the amendments to the official minutes were a modest change made in an effort to be responsive to the intent of the state’s freedome of information law.
Matthew Hennessey filed the freedom of information complaint. He doesn’t buy Kirk’s explanation.
“MIRA is trying to avoid liability for the freedom of information complaint by going back in time and trying to change what the minutes said. But there’s video of the meeting so that’s their problem,” Hennessey said.
Hennessey’s firm is one of several in litigation with MIRA as it tries to shut down its trash to energy electricity generation plant in Hartford. The plant has been plagued by mechanical problems for decades and has had trouble selling its electricity. Hennessey said millions of taxpayer dollars are at stake.
