Connecticut is deeply committed to environmental justice. Everything we do is guided by the principle that all people should be treated fairly by — and benefit equitably from — the state’s environmental laws. Yet research shows that low-income and minority groups often are exposed to higher amounts of environmental pollution and experience poor health outcomes.
You can join the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) in its commitment to addressing those and other inequities and ensuring that our state is safe, clean, and healthy for all residents.
Get a more detailed overview of what the environmental justice program does statewide.
Join us in this commitment to environmental justice.
Learn About the Connecticut Equity and Environmental Justice Advisory Council
CEEJAC advises DEEP on current and historic environmental injustice, pollution reduction, energy equity, climate change mitigation and resiliency, health disparities, racial inequity, community engagement, stakeholder outreach, and relationships with other governmental entities.
Environmental Justice Law Regulations Development
Learn about how Connecticut's Environmental Justice Law requires permit applicants of “affecting facilities” to conduct meaningful public participation in “environmental justice communities” about their intentions to construct, expand, or site.
Community Resource Hubs
Learn about DEEP's Community Resource Hubs, an initiative to help connect DEEP programs and opportunities with communities that experience disproportionate environmental harms.
Report an Environmental Concern
Learn what types of concerns to report and which groups are best equipped to address them. Here you’ll also find information on our 24/7 Emergency Response Unit for environmental emergencies.
Participate in the Permitting/Policy Process
DEEP takes a transparent approach to granting environmental permits and crafting environmental policies. We encourage you to learn more about this process — and how you can participate.
Environmental Justice Communities
We are particularly committed to protecting distressed communities with low-income populations from environmental inequities. Learn how these Environmental Justice Communities are defined.
Tap into Our Education & Outreach Programs
DEEP offers year-round programs and educational offerings to ensure all our residents have equitable access to the state’s many natural resources — and to information critical to safeguarding those assets.
Help Address Climate Change
See how the state is a national leader in addressing climate change — and what resources are available to those who want to learn more about the issues and join in this mission.
Explore Environmental Grant Opportunities
We’ve assembled links to a number of state and federal grants available to help address environmental concerns and advance environmental justice.
Access Health Information
To facilitate greater public access to the kind of information that drives better public policy, we’ve gathered some helpful data on a number of health issues related to the environment.
Contact
- For environmental justice administrative inquiries, please contact Edith Pestana (Program Administrator) at (860) 424-3044 or edith.pestana@ct.gov.
- For community and education coordination inquiries, please contact Doris Johnson at (860) 424-3053 or doris.johnson@ct.gov.