News Releases - 2021

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• 12/22/2021 DEEP Announces Award of $12.7 Million in Volkswagen Settlement Funds For 43 New Electric School Buses in Environmental Justice Communities

  (HARTFORD)—The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) announced today that the State of Connecticut is making available $12.7 million from the legal settlement in the Volkswagen (VW) Corporation emissions cheating scandal to fund five electric projects in the state, all in environmental justice communities.

• 9/2/2021 DEEP and DPH Advise Against Swimming or Other Water Contact Recreation Over Next 48 Hours Due to Storm Ida's Impact

  (HARTFORD)— Given the significant rainfall that has occurred due to Storm Ida, many areas across the state have experienced discharges of untreated sewage.

• 1/13/2021 Emerald Ash Borer No Longer Regulated by the USDA

  New Haven, CT - The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES) and the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) today announce that the emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) will no longer be regulated by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).

• 8/6/2021 Eighty Eighth Anniversary Celebration of the Civilian Conservation Corps Reunion to be Held August 8

  (STAFFORD SPRINGS)—A reunion of Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) alumni, family, and friends in celebration of the 88th anniversary of the founding of the CCC will be held on Sunday, August 8th, at 1 p.m. at the Connecticut CCC Museum at 166 Chestnut Hill Rd. (Rt. 190) in Stafford Springs.

• 8/4/2021 DEEP Removes Abandoned Barges in New Haven as Risks to Environment and Navigation

  (NEW HAVEN) – This month, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, coordinating with federal, local, and commercial partners, facilitated the removal of two derelict barges posing a navigational and environmental threat to the waters and mariners around New Haven.

• 1/26/2021 CT Compost Alliance to Increase Composting Efforts in Connecticut

  The CT Compost Alliance, a newly formed group of compost enthusiasts representing a variety of stakeholder organizations, has shared a series of resources, including recorded webinars, videos, and a new listserv to ensure that current and future composters have the opportunity to continue to learn, network and engage.

• 7/9/2021 DEEP Forester Holds Public Outreach Walk July 15 to Outline Upcoming Forest Management Work in Great Pond Block of Massacoe State Forest

  (HARTFORD)—Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) Forester Jerry Milne will lead a public outreach walk for local officials and interested members of the public in the Great Pond Block of Massacoe State Forest in Simsbury Thursday, July 15, at 6:30 p.m.

• 10/19/2021 RecycleCT Foundation Awards More than $150,000 in Funding Through Lee Sawyer Community Waste Reduction Grant Program

  (HARTFORD)— The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) and the RecycleCT Foundation are pleased to announce more than $150,000 in grants awarded to local municipalities and organizations in the inaugural grant round of the Lee Sawyer Community Waste Reduction & Recycling Grant program, which supports waste reduction and reuse in addition to recycling and composting efforts.

• 9/21/2021 MEDIA ADVISORY - DEEP To Announce Urban Forestry Grant Program Sept 22

  (HARTFORD)— The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) will announce a new urban forestry grant program Wednesday, Sept. 22, at 1 p.m. in Hartford.

• 1/15/2021 Governor’s Council on Climate Change Finalizes Near-Term Climate Strategies

  (HARTFORD) – The Governor’s Council on Climate Change (GC3) today issued its Phase 1 Report, Taking Action on Climate Change and Building a More Resilient Connecticut for All, which assesses the state’s progress toward mitigating carbon emissions and addressing climate change adaptation and resilience, and outlines 61 near-term strategies to meet these challenges.​

• 3/4/2021 DEEP Announces Final 20BY20 Initiative Results

  (Hartford, CT) – The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) today shared the results of the department’s 20By20 initiative, a process launched in June 2019 to improve the transparency, predictability and efficiency of our regulatory processes across 20 targeted areas by the end of 2020.

• 7/2/2021 Take the Bus, Avoid Traffic and Stress This July 4th Weekend

  (HARTFORD, CT)— The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is reminding residents that fare-free shuttles and enhanced existing transit service to various state parks and beaches are available this Fourth of July weekend via the pilot ParkConneCT program

• 7/2/2021 New Inland Fishing Rules Take Effect to Expand Opportunities

  (HARTFORD, CT) – The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) announces new inland fishing regulations effective immediately that are intended to enhance existing and provide new fishing opportunities.

• 3/1/2021 DEEP Approves $1.59 Million in Pollution-Reducing Grants

  (HARTFORD, CT) – The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) today announced the release of more than $1.59 million in Diesel Emission Reduction Act (DERA) grants to support the state’s efforts to reduce diesel pollution and advance electrification of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. ​​

• 7/19/2021 Search for Missing Teens on Farmington River

  DEEP Environmental Conservation Police (EnCon) are continuing a land-based search for the two Plainville teens who have been missing since Thursday night.