Connecticut State Council on Environmental Quality

2022 CEQ Annual Report


About the Council


Council Duties               Council Members               Acknowledgments

Activities of the Council in 2022

Research and Reports

The Council published the 2021 Environmental Quality in Connecticut annual report in April 2022. In this year’s annual report, the Council included new data and charts on greenhouse gas emissions by economic sector, forest birds, forest acreage, and environmental enforcement actions. The Council also notes that there was no new data for wetlands, bats and turtles. The inclusion of biological indicators requires considerable care in the selection of appropriate species, and the Council is grateful for the advice it received from experts.

In 2022, the Council developed a special report on invasive species in Connecticut, Invasives: Previously Described and Newly Arrived, which is an update to the 2002 special report by the Council, Great Infestations. It has been 20 years since the Council released Great Infestations and in the intervening years, those that were identified in that initial report have prospered and many new invasive species, both animal and plant, have taken up residence in our state. None have been extirpated and it is not realistic to expect that they will be. In fact, it is to be expected that more will arrive as a consequence of the warming climate that is gradually making Connecticut more hospitable to species that do not tolerate cold weather. The 2022 report examined the adverse impacts of invasives on all the state’s land forms and ecosystems, from its waterways to its natural lands and also its working lands and developed landscapes. The 2022 report also included recommendations, including actions to improve how the state addresses the control of invasive species; the restoration of the position of invasive plants coordinator; establishment of a repository for data on invasive species within the state; and an expansion of the state’s education efforts about invasive species. Public Act 22-118 established the Office of Aquatic Invasive Species, within the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, with certain responsibilities, including: coordinating research efforts for aquatic invasive species control and eradication; serve as a repository for state-wide data on the health of rivers, lakes and ponds in relation to the presence of aquatic invasive species; perform regular surveys on the health and ecological viability of waterways in the state in relation to the presence and threat of aquatic invasive species; educate the public and advise municipalities on management of aquatic invasive species; and serve as a liaison with state agencies, including the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP). 

Advice to Other Agencies

Council staff reviewed proposals to the Connecticut Siting Council; Environmental Impact Evaluations and notices prepared by other agencies, consistent with the requirements of the Connecticut Environmental Policy Act; proposed transfers of state-owned land; and proposed projects funded through the Local Bridge Program and submitted comments when deemed appropriate. The Council provided training to several state agencies and updated some of the templates to assist state agencies to develop notices for publication in the Environmental Monitor.

The Council commented on several state activities and plans, including the following:

The Council also commented on four applications for a Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and Public Need and 23 Petitions for Declaratory Ruling to the Connecticut Siting Council. 

Public Act 20-9, An Act Revising Provisions of the Transfer Act and Authorizing the Development and Implementation of a Release-Based Remediation Program, stipulated that the Council would be a member of a working group to develop regulations to implement a Release-Based Remediation Program. The Council has participated in the working group through the subcommittees and group meetings. 

Citizen Concerns and Complaints

State law directs the Council to investigate citizen complaints alleging violation of any statute or regulation in respect to environmental quality. In 2022, staff investigated numerous complaints, including noise; wetland impacts; potential impacts of a telecommunications facility; solid waste; invasive species; property remediation; and water quality. The Council also addressed questions regarding the applicability of the Connecticut Environmental Policy Act to certain proposed state actions. Routine matters are usually addressed by providing the person who inquired/complained with the correct person or agency to handle the matter. The Council is appreciative of the assistance provided by the Departments of Energy and Environmental Protection, Public Health, and Transportation; the Office of Policy and Management; and others to answer citizen inquiries and resolve complaints. 

Every month the Council discusses the inquiries and complaints of environmental consequence that were presented to the Council by individuals and groups. In 2022, the Council held 12 regular meetings and two special meetings. Many times, citizen complaints and inquiries lead to special reports, such as the Council’s 2020 special report Low Deposit, Low Return, on the problem with the State’s beverage container redemption program. 

In December 2021 and early 2022, the Council was also made aware of DEEP’s tree removal activities at Housatonic Meadows State Park from citizens concerned about the removal of certain trees at the Park. The Council encouraged DEEP to develop a comprehensive tree policy that would provide for public safety while increasing opportunities for the conservation of trees, public notice and transparency. Public Act 22-143 (17) required DEEP to develop, finalize and publish on DEEP's Internet web site a hazardous tree mitigation policy that would apply to the designation, removal and mitigation of trees located in state parks and campgrounds. On August 1, 2022, DEEP issued its final Hazard Tree Mitigation Policy. The Public Act also required DEEP to implement a tree replanting demonstration project at Housatonic Meadows State Park, in consultation with state park or forest advocacy groups or organizations.