Legislature Acts to Protect Communities from Water Pollution and Climate Impacts, Amidst Mixed Results in 2021 Session

There was good news aplenty for Connecticut’s environment as this year’s legislature approved multiple bills protecting communities from water pollution and adverse climate impacts. 

Long-fought efforts from nonprofit Save the Sound, the Long Island Sound community and environmental activists paid off with the approval of the Blue Plan, after 20 years in the making. The Blue Plan provides comprehensive data to help spare Long Island Sound from ill-conceived development, while supporting its marine dependent uses and ecology, explains Bill Lucey, Soundkeeper at Save the Sound.

The Blue Plan, which uses years of research projects, satellite mapping and sensor technology, provides a comprehensive guide for the many uses of Long Island Sound. The Blue Plan will now become part of the Connecticut Coastal Management Program and will officially guide the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environment Protection (DEEP) and the CT Department of Agriculture’s Division of Aquaculture as they review applications for uses of the Sound.  The approval of the Blue Plan means building a better future for the Long Island Sound communities, advocates assert.

Multiple environmental groups adamantly pushed for legislature’s approval of the Blue Plan. Cary Lynch, Climate and Energy Policy Manager at Nature Conservancy stated, “We were especially gratified to see final approval for the Long Island Sound Blue Plan, which will help balance the human uses of nature and the needs of nature itself in the Sound. The Blue Plan will provide a much-needed framework for future development proposals, enabling our state to protect ecologically significant areas and allow human activities like boating and fishing to continue.”

The wins for Connecticut’s environment did not stop there, as the state legislature also voted to strengthen the Sewage Right to Know Act in order to improve notification to local communities of oil spills. Strengthening of this law is designed to ensure real, timely public notice of oil spills in an effort to significantly improve accountability and protect public health, said Kat Fielder, Staff Attorney at Save the Sound.

Additionally, this year’s legislature enacted an energy efficiency retrofit program for the CT Department of Housing; modernized the Bottle Bill, increasing the redemption rate for bottles from a nickel to ten cents; and approved an energy storage bill which advocates say will help bring clean energy to scale.

These new laws are especially good news for beaches and communities across the Sound because they will help to protect clean water and support the public health of Connecticut residents, particularly along Long Island Sound communities. The approved bills have been signed into law by Governor Ned Lamont in the weeks following session’s end.

While multiple bills earned legislative approval, which is seen as reflecting progress in moving Connecticut’s environment in a better direction, there were also numerous missed opportunities. Even while trumpeting victories, environmental activists acknowledge that urgent work still remains.

Among the biggest disappointments of this year’s session was legislature’s failure to include the Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI) in the state budget.

The Transportation and Climate Initiative is defined by DEEP as a historic multi-jurisdiction collaboration to cap and reduce greenhouse gases (GHGs) from the transportation sector and accelerate investments in an equitable, cleaner and more resilient transportation system for Connecticut and the region.

If passed by legislature, TCI would have established a declining cap on carbon dioxide pollution from gasoline and on-road diesel fuel and would have required wholesale fuel suppliers to purchase allowances auctioned by participating jurisdictions to cover the carbon content of that fuel, according to State Senator Christine Cohen of Guilford, Senate Chair of the Environment Committee.

“The climate crisis demands climate leadership, today.  Connecticut has set ambitious climate targets that scientists tell us are required to avert catastrophe, but we will not meet them unless the legislature authorizes TCI-P this year,” said DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes during the legislative session. “The TCI program will catalyze multi-state action to limit greenhouse gas emissions from transportation, improve air quality. It will invest $1 billion in safer, cleaner transportation options, especially in communities that have disproportionately suffered from air pollution and a lack of transportation access. The time to act is now.” 

TCI supports a clean transportation infrastructure and will improve air quality across the state by reducing the harmful air pollutants from transportation. With transportation being one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions in Connecticut, environmental advocates urged the importance of including TCI in the budget. It was also strongly supported by Governor Lamont.

The TCI bill was approved by the Connecticut General Assembly’s Environmental Committee in March but ultimately failed to be approved by the full legislature during the six-month legislative session that concluded last month. At the time of approval by the legislative committee midway through the session, Governor Lamont applauded the vote to approve the implementation of the TCI program.

“The Environment Committee’s leadership in advancing Connecticut’s implementation of TCI is a positive step in our state’s comeback and our commitment to a cleaner environment and modernized transportation system and infrastructure,” Governor Lamont said. “This is really about improving the future for our children and generations to follow through cleaner air, better health, and more equitable quality of life and opportunities.”

Despite Connecticut’s state Senate leadership’s failure to call TCI for a vote during the 2021 session, Save the Sound and various environmental groups throughout Connecticut have signaled their intention to continue a sustained push for the legislation. The organization’s full report on the legislative outcomes during the 2021 General Assembly session can be seen here.   

This article was reported and written by Lauren Malenchini, a CT by the Numbers intern who attends Quinnipiac University. More of her work can be seen at https://malenchinilauren.wixsite.com/my-site