News Releases

Page 1 of 73

• 6/5/2026 Governor Lamont Announces Commissioner Katie Dykes Leaving the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, Names Emma Cimino as Acting Commissioner

  (HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) Commissioner Katie Dykes will be leaving her position with the state in July after nearly 14 years of state service to explore new professional opportunities.

• 6/4/2026 DEEP Forecasts Elevated Levels of Ozone For Thursday, June 4, 2026 - Saturday, June 6, 2026

  (HARTFORD)— The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) forecasts that air quality for coastal areas in Fairfield, New Haven, Middlesex and New London counties will reach or exceed levels that are high Moderate on Thursday, June 4th and Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (USG) on Friday, June 5th and Saturday, June 6th due to ozone levels in the outdoor air we breathe. Tolland county is also included on Saturday, June 6th. Residents may also observe hazy skies today through Saturday due to smoke from wildfires in Canada.

• 6/2/2026 Connecticut Greenways Council to Hold 27th Annual Greenway Awards June 5th, Kicking Off Connecticut Trails Day Events

  (HARTFORD) — The Connecticut Greenways Council (CGC) will host its 27th Annual Connecticut Greenway Awards at Charter Oak Park in Manchester on Friday, June 5, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. Awards will be presented to six individuals and organizations who have made significant contributions to the promotion, development, and enhancement of greenways in Connecticut. Members of the media are welcome to cover this event. The event will be held, per tradition, on the Friday before Connecticut Trails Day, which occurs this year on the weekend of June 6 and 7, 2026.

• 5/29/2026 DEEP Applauds Bond Commission Funding For Infrastructure Improvements to State Parks, Trails, Dams; Remediation of Contaminated Sites

  (HARTFORD)—The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) applauded the State Bond Commission’s passage today of more than $45 million in funding that will support improvements to the network of hiking and walking trails in our state, infrastructure improvements in State Parks, repairs to municipal and state-owned dams and other flood control improvements, various municipal infrastructure repairs, and remediation of two contaminated sites in Waterbury.

• 5/26/2026 DEEP Announces Winner of 2026 Connecticut Junior Duck Stamp Art Competition

  (HARTFORD) — The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) announced today that an acrylic painting of a common goldeneye taking flight, created by Mansfield resident Megan Song (grade 8), will be featured on the 2027 Connecticut Migratory Bird Conservation (Duck) Stamp. Megan’s painting, titled “Taking Off from Water,” was selected as “Best of Show” in the 2026 Connecticut Junior Duck Stamp Art Competition and also earned first place in the 7th–9th grade category. Her artwork will go on to represent Connecticut in the Federal Junior Duck Stamp Contest.

• 5/21/2026 Governor Lamont and DEEP Kick off Summer Activity Season and America’s 250th at Connecticut State Parks

  (HARTFORD, CT) – As Memorial Day Weekend marks the unofficial start of summer and the United States prepares to celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary, Governor Ned Lamont and the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) are inviting residents and visitors to explore Connecticut’s state parks, beaches, forests, trails, waterways, and historic sites that connect outdoor recreation with the state’s role in the American story.

• 5/20/2026 Share the Shore with Nesting Birds

  (HARTFORD) — As the summer beach season approaches, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) reminds beachgoers and others recreating along the shoreline to share the shore with nesting birds.

• 5/19/2026 DEEP Announces Alcohol Ban for Ten Recreation Areas

  (HARTFORD) — The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) has imposed a temporary alcohol ban for ten state recreation areas. This ban is in effect from Wednesday, May 20, through Monday, August 17, at the following locations:

• 5/19/2026 DEEP Forecasts Elevated Levels of Ozone For Tuesday, May 19th

  (HARTFORD)— The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) forecasts that air quality in Fairfield, New Haven, Middlesex, New London, Windham and Tolland counties will reach or exceed levels that are Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (USG) on Tuesday, May 19th due to ozone levels in the outdoor air we breathe.

• 5/18/2026 Body found in Connecticut River positively identified as 63-year-old man from Holyoke, MA

  (HARTFORD)- The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s (DEEP) Environmental Conservation Police (EnCon) have positively identified a body recently located in the Connecticut River as a missing Massachusetts man.

• 5/18/2026 DEEP Issues Request for Proposals for Concession Operation and Management Services at Bantam Lake State Boat Launch and Marina

  (HARTFORD) — The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for concession operation/management services at the Bantam Lake State Boat Launch and Marina for recreational uses that include boating, fishing, boat launching and retrieval, and car-top/trailer parking. The concessionaire also will be responsible for managing the approximately sixty-slip, on-site marina.

• 5/15/2026 DEEP Celebrates Modernized State Sawmill, CT Grown Forest Products

  (HARTFORD) — The Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP) unveiled Friday the newly upgraded State Sawmill in Portland. This multi-year modernization project strengthens Connecticut’s commitment to local wood products, innovative technology, and responsible forest stewardship. The investment will help ensure that materials used for state projects – including trail bridges, picnic tables in State Parks, facility signage, and building components – can be sourced locally.

• 5/14/2026 DEEP Celebrates National Safe Boating Week May 16-22

  (HARTFORD) – The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) joins partners across the country to remind boaters of the importance of safe and responsible boating during National Safe Boating Week. The seven-day campaign will occur May 16 to May 22, the week preceding Memorial Day weekend, which is the unofficial kickoff to the summer boating season in Connecticut.

• 5/13/2026 DEEP Highlights City of Groton Green Infrastructure Project That Will Reduce Flooding and Stormwater Pollution

  (HARTFORD, CT) – On Thursday, May 14, the City of Groton will show off its newly installed porous concrete at Washington Park, utilizing federal Clean Water Act Section 319 Grant funds the Eastern Connecticut Conservation District (ECCD) received through the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) to improve water quality of Birch Plain Creek.

• 5/12/2026 DEEP Urges Drivers to Use Caution to Avoid Turtles in Roads During Nesting Season

  (HARTFORD) — The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) reminds residents to be on the lookout for turtles crossing roads from May through July, which is nesting season for many turtle species. During this time, egg-bearing females travel across land, often crossing roads, in search of suitable locations to dig nests and lay eggs. Aquatic turtles also leave the water to find nesting sites on land.