About Environment Connecticut
Environment Connecticut is a statewide, citizen-based environmental advocacy organization. Our professional staff combines independent research, practical ideas and tough-minded advocacy to overcome the opposition of powerful special interests and win real results for Connecticut's environment. Environment Connecticut draws on 30 years of success in tackling our state's top environmental problems.
Preserve and Protect Our Land and Natural Resources
Connecticut’s woodlands, beaches, parks, and open spaces are an irreplaceable part of our state’s heritage.
Unfortunately, Connecticut is rapidly losing farmland and open space to development. Our parks and beaches suffer from years of budget cuts and neglect. Environment Connecticut urges the legislature to:
- Create a “Face of Connecticut” fund to provide dedicated annual funding to the preservation of Connecticut’s natural resources, including:
- $25 million to protect open spaces.
- $20 million to preserve farmland.
- Begin restoring Connecticut’s state parks by restoring previous funding cuts.
- Protect Connecticut’s urban and rural landscapes by phasing out billboards along Connecticut’s roadways.
- Fight litter and promote recycling by updating the Bottle Bill to include bottled water and other non-carbonated beverages.
- Strengthen Connecticut’s recycling programs by using unclaimed Bottle Bill deposits to fund state and municipal recycling programs.
Stop Global Warming
The science is clear, avoiding the worst effects of global warming means beginning to cut emissions now to reach an 80% or greater reduction by 2050.
Environment Connecticut urges the legislature to continue our state’s leadership in the fight against global warming by:
- Establish mandatory limits on global warming pollution that require emissions reductions to 10% below 1990 levels by 2020 and an 80% reduction by 2050.
- Oppose efforts to allow subsidies for dirty power plants as part of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative implementation.
Clean Water for Connecticut’s Communities
By cleaning up and protecting our waterways, we can ensure that Connecticut’s communities are beautiful, safe, and healthy places in which to live.
Environment Connecticut urges the legislature to:
- Hold polluters accountable by increasing funding for DEP enforcement efforts.
- Require DEP to provide annual public reports on clean water enforcement, including the number of violations, enforcement actions taken against polluters, and penalties assessed.
- Protect Clean Water Funding restored in 2007.
Reduce Unnecessary Toxic Hazards
Cancer-causing toxic chemicals in our water, air and food threaten our health. Toxic discharges into our waterways pollute rivers, lakes and groundwater supplies.
Reducing the use and discharge of toxic chemicals protects public health and reduces health care costs. Environment Connecticut urges the legislature to:
- Protect Children’s health by banning the use of toxic chemicals, such as pthalates, in toys and other children’s products.
- Require reporting of hazardous toxic chemical use and emissions, mandate reductions in the use of the most hazardous toxic chemicals, and establish a program to assist industry in reducing toxic chemical use.
Create a New Energy Future
The legislature’s 2007 energy bill is an important step towards a cleaner energy future for Connecticut.
That bill’s investments in energy efficiency and requirement that we get 20% of our electricity from clean energy sources by 2020 will strengthen Connecticut’s economy and protect our environment.
Environment Connecticut urges the legislature to continue it’s support a new energy future by:
- Opposing efforts to weaken Connecticut’s Renewable Portfolio Standard by including polluting energy sources in the definition of “Class I” renewable energy.
- Require Class I renewable biomass generators to meet sustainable, renewable standards to prevent burning of contaminated, polluting waste woods.
- Create permanent sales tax exemptions for purchase of energy efficient products.