News Releases - 2020

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• 7/17/2020 DEEP Opening Eight Inland Swim Areas and Seaside State Park

  (HARTFORD, CT) – Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) will open inland swimming areas at eight state parks and will also re-open Seaside State Park and the marsh boardwalk at Silver Sands State Park tomorrow.

• 7/17/2020 TODAY AT 1 PM - DEEP ANNOUNCES OPENING OF SOME INLAND SWIM AREAS AND OTHER RECREATIONAL AREAS

  (HARTFORD, CT) – Today at 1:00 p.m., Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Commissioner Katie Dykes will hold a news briefing at Stratton Brook State Park in Simsbury to announce the opening of some inland swim areas and other state recreational areas previously closed in response to COVID-19 heath concerns.

• 7/14/2020 Connecticut Joins Bi-Partisan Multi-State Effort to Green Truck Fleets

  Connecticut took another significant step forward in its effort to address the climate crisis and the health impacts of air pollution today as it joined 14 other states and the District of Columbia in signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to work collaboratively to advance and accelerate the market for electric medium- and heavy-duty vehicles.

• 7/14/2020 State Rejects MIRA Plea for Hundreds of Millions in Subsidies for Hartford Waste Incinerator

  In a letter Tuesday, DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes rejected a plan submitted by the Materials Innovation and Recycling Authority (MIRA) for presenting a “false choice, and a bad deal” for taxpayers across the state, Hartford residents, and the environment.

• 7/14/2020 Interactions with Black Bears on the Rise in Connecticut

  Interactions between black bears and people are continuing their year-to-year rise, resulting in unprecedented numbers of complaints and requests for assistance, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) announced today.

• 7/10/2020 DEEP and DOAG Seek Feedback on Draft Spend Plan for CARES Act Assistance to Fisheries Participants

  The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) and the Connecticut Department of Agriculture (DOAG) are currently soliciting public feedback until July 19, 2020, on a draft spending plan that details proposed disbursement guidelines for $1.8 million in federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funds for marine fishery participants impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

• 7/3/2020 DEEP Issues Updated State Park Operations Plan Heading into July 4th

  As we approach July 4th weekend, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) has released an updated operational plan that outlines for DEEP staff and visitors current guidelines around the operation and use of Connecticut state park grounds, trails, beaches, campgrounds, picnic areas and pavilions, boat launches and other areas as we continue to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic.

• 6/30/2020 DEEP Announces Operation Dry Water 2020

  As boaters begin to prepare for the July 4th holiday weekend, law enforcement officers across Connecticut will be on heightened alert looking for those violating boating under the influence laws.

• 6/24/2020 DEEP Issues Third Quarterly Update on 20BY20 Initiative

  The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) recently released the third quarterly update for its 20BY20 initiative, a set of 20 goals that focus on improving the predictability, efficiency, and transparency of DEEP’s regulatory processes by the end of the year.

• 6/8/2020 DEEP to Open State Park, Forest Campgrounds for Summer Season on July 8

  The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) announced today that camping will open for the summer recreation season beginning July 8.

• 6/8/2020 DEEP Press Release

• 6/2/2020 DEEP Analysis of Air Quality During First Month of Pandemic Shows Significant Drop

  A preliminary analysis of air quality data gathered during the COVID-19 pandemic by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP)’s Bureau of Air Management has found that monitored levels for many air pollutants dropped significantly from mid-March to mid-April 2020.

• 5/21/2020 DEEP-Selected Power Purchase Agreement for 804 MW Offshore Wind Project Filed with PURA

  Today, the state’s two regulated electric utilities, Eversource Energy and United Illuminating, filed with the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) executed power purchase agreements for the 804 MW Park City Wind Project developed by Vineyard Wind. The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) selected the Park City Wind project in December 2019 to advance to contract negotiations with the two utilities. The filing of these contracts marks another forward step for this offshore wind project. If approved by PURA, the Park City Wind project will provide the equivalent of 14% of the state’s electricity supply when it comes online in 2025, and represents the largest purchase of renewable energy in Connecticut’s history.

• 5/20/2020 DEEP Issues State Park Operations Plan Heading into Summer Season

  As we approach Memorial Day weekend, the traditional launch of the summer season, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) has released an operational plan that outlines for DEEP staff and visitors current guidelines around the operation and use of Connecticut state park grounds, trails, beaches, boat launches and other areas as we continue to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic.

• 5/13/2020 DEEP Offering Online Training for Municipal Inland Wetlands Agencies

  The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) recently launched a new, free, online training program for municipal inland wetlands agencies. The program, “The Municipal Inland Wetlands Agency Comprehensive Training Program,” was custom built to allow agencies and their staff to carry out the regulatory and training requirements of the Connecticut Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Act (IWWA).