News Releases - 2023

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• 9/1/2023 State Emergency Response Commission to Conduct Interagency Emergency Preparedness Training Exercise Sept. 7

  (HARTFORD) – The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) announced today that several emergency preparedness and response agencies will gather on September 7 in Bridgeport and Fairfield to conduct a full-scale field training emergency preparedness exercise.

• 2/2/2023 DEEP Reminds Residents of “Best Burn” Practices to Limit Exposure to Air Pollution Caused by Residential Wood Smoke

  (HARTFORD, CT) – With the arrival of seasonable winter temperatures across Connecticut, many residents are burning wood as an economical option to heat their homes. Depending on the source of the wood, it can be a cost-effective alternative to using fossil fuels. The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is urging residents to protect their health and that of their family, friends, and neighbors by employing “best burn” practices to limit exposure to wood smoke, which is a hazardous air pollutant.

• 5/15/2023 DEEP Officially Launches the Residential Energy Preparation Services (REPS) Program to Address Barriers to Weatherization

  (HARTFORD, CT) – The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) has announced the official launch of the Residential Energy Preparation Services (REPS) program, which will help income-eligible homes remove health hazards and access energy efficiency upgrades to save money on energy costs.

• 7/21/2023 DEEP’s Next No Child Left Inside® Families in the Parks Program is Saturday

  (HARTFORD) — The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) presents its next 2023 No Child Left Inside® (NCLI) Families in the Parks Program at Hopeville Pond State Park in Griswold on Saturday, July 22, 2023, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Registration for NCLI is now open at: www.NoChildLeftInside.org.

• 6/7/2023 DEEP Forecasts Unhealthy Levels of PM2.5 Wednesday for the Entire State from Canadian Wildfire Smoke

  (HARTFORD)—Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is expecting smoke from wildfires over Quebec to elevate fine particulate matter (PM2.5) levels on Wednesday, June 7th. These levels are expected to exceed Unhealthy levels for the entire state.

• 8/24/2023 DEEP Announces Connecticut Interstate Fire Crew's Return from Montana Deployment

  [HARTFORD, CT] – The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is thrilled to announce the safe return of the Connecticut Interstate Fire Crew (CIFC) following their recent deployment to Montana. Having deployed on August 8th, 2023, to the Colt fire a few miles northwest of Seely Lake, the crew of 16 battled fires in near red flag conditions.

• 9/12/2023 Bat Appreciation Day to Be Held at Old New-Gate Prison and Copper Mine on Sunday, Sept. 17

  (HARTFORD) — Join the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) Wildlife Division and the Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) for a celebration of bat conservation at the Old New-Gate Prison and Copper Mine in East Granby on Sunday, September 17, 2023, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. To raise awareness of the plight of bats and their importance to our ecosystem and our economy, the DEEP Wildlife Division and DECD Office of Culture and Tourism have joined forces to host the seventh annual Bat Appreciation Day.

• 1/25/2023 Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont Working Together on Multi-State Transmission Infrastructure

  (HARTFORD, CT) - A coalition of New England states today jointly announced steps they are taking to pursue federal funding designed to encourage transmission infrastructure investment.

• 7/19/2023 DEEP Issues Recreation Safety Reminder Regarding High Water and Summer Weather Forecast

  (HARTFORD, CT) – The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (“DEEP”) is reminding residents and visitors to exercise caution when recreating in and on the water considering the recent extreme weather events impacting the state and the region.

• 11/22/2023 Celebrate the Winter Holidays at Two Connecticut State Park Museums - Visit Gillette Castle and Osborne Homestead Museum for Holiday Flair

  (HARTFORD) — The winter holiday season is upon us, and the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is celebrating with the festive transformation of two of its historic buildings: Gillette Castle in East Haddam and Osborne Homestead Museum in Derby. Enjoy the wonderous atmosphere created by special decorations that help set the tone for holiday cheer.

• 9/15/2023 DEEP and City of Stamford Highlight $1.3M in Climate Resilience Grants

  (STAMFORD, CT) — Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) Commissioner Katie Dykes and Stamford Mayor Caroline Simmons held a press conference today to highlight three separate climate resilience planning projects in Stamford that were part of the inaugural round of $8.8M in DEEP Climate Resilience Fund grants announced by Governor Lamont earlier this summer.

• 7/11/2023 Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition and Urban Green and Community Garden Grant Rounds Open Through Oct. 2

  (HARTFORD) — The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is encouraging municipalities, land trusts, and water companies to apply for funding to aid in the purchase and protection of open space through the Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition (OSWA) Grant Program. This round of grants represents the 26th funding round of grants awarded under the program. Additionally, DEEP welcomes municipalities considered distressed or target investments communities to apply for funding through the Urban Green and Community Garden Program (UGCG). Both programs are accepting applications through October 2, 2023.

• 6/1/2023 DEEP Unveils Sign Honoring Legacy of Venture Smith at Venture’s Farm Site in Barn Island Wildlife Management Area

  (HARTFORD)--The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) recently unveiled a newly installed sign to commemorate Venture Smith, a man enslaved in West Africa around the age of 10 and brought to New England, where he worked for 26 years before buying his own freedom and that of his two sons, his wife, his daughter, and several other Africans.

• 10/10/2023 DEEP Begins Fall Atlantic Salmon Stockings

  (HARTFORD) — Connecticut’s Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP) today announced that its 2023 autumn stockings of Atlantic salmon have begun. DEEP’s Fisheries Division last week released 250 salmon into Crystal Lake (Ellington/Stafford – 125 fish), Mount Tom Pond (Morris/Litchfield/Washington – 125 fish) and the Shetucket River. In addition to these two lakes and this river, the Naugatuck River is typically stocked with salmon several times throughout the fall and will begin soon.

• 9/13/2023 Fall Archery Deer and Turkey Seasons Open in September

  (HARTFORD) — Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) reminds hunters that the 2023 fall archery hunting seasons for deer and turkey open on Friday, September 15, on state and private land.