Press Releases
09/02/2022
Governor Lamont and Congressman Courtney Applaud Second Circuit Decision in Case Involving Long Island Sound and Connecticut’s Maritime Industry
(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont and Congressman Joe Courtney are applauding today’s decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in the case of Rosado v. Pruitt, saying that it marks a significant victory for Connecticut’s vitally important maritime industry, marine trades, and national security infrastructure.
The case was a dispute brought by the New York Department of State challenging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) designation of the Eastern Long Island Sound Disposal Site for dredged materials from Connecticut’s ports and harbors. Connecticut intervened in the case, defending the site selection made by the EPA. The federal trial court upheld the selection site in July 2020. New York subsequently appealed the decision. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit now affirmed the District Court decision.
“This is a strong statement from the federal appellate court supporting Connecticut’s coastal management program and policies,” Governor Lamont said. “The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have worked for over ten years to evaluate and select an environmentally-protective and effective solution to the dredging needs of the state’s ports and harbors. Connecticut’s ports and harbors are vital to the state’s economy, adding billions of dollars and providing valuable products and services to the state every year from waterfront businesses, including marinas, marine terminals, and ferries. Connecticut stands by its marine and coastal management programs. We have worked hard to keep our ports and harbors open to commercial and recreational vessels and this decision will help us to continue to do so and allow Connecticut to build the nation’s submarines and expand the state’s offshore wind opportunities.”
“Today’s decisive ruling is the fair outcome for eastern Connecticut’s maritime economy and the Long Island Sound region,” Congressman Courtney said. “The eastern Long Island Sound site was designated by EPA and the Army Corps after years of painstaking work by scientists and local stakeholders, including New York, to design a long-term plan to responsibly and safely manage dredged materials while balancing environmental, economic, and national security concerns. The prolonged legal fight over its execution has created costly uncertainty for our ports, harbors, and marinas, and has undermined the collaborative approach to managing the Long Island Sound that Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New York had previously engaged in for years. With the court’s powerful ruling upholding the plan’s legality, it is time for all parties to get out of the courthouse and work together to implement the disposal plan.”
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