Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection

Emergency Burn Ban In Effect 10/26/24 - An emergency burn ban is now in effect for all Connecticut State Parks, Forests, and Wildlife Management areas, prohibiting the use of all outdoor grills, firepits, and campfires, and the kindling and use of flame outdoors. DEEP and local agencies are working to contain several active fires across the state. Please avoid all affected State Parks and Forests, as well as the blue-blazed Mattabesett Trail. The Enduro Trail in Voluntown and portions of North Stonington within the Pachaug State Forest are closed at this time. Please note that today's forest fire danger report remains at an 'extreme' level. More information about the current fire danger, burn ban and recommended safety measures can be found here

Press Releases

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04/04/2019

Grant Funds Available for Marine Pumpout Programs to Protect Waters of Long Island Sound

Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) today announced that it is seeking grant proposals from owners and operators of public or private marine facilities on Long Island Sound and Candlewood Lake for the installation of a new marine sewage disposal facility (MSDF); facilities with existing MSDFs in need of substantial repairs or upgrades; and from those seeking funding to operate new or existing MSDFs, including pumpout boats and central vacuum pumpout systems which are incorporated within the marina or boatyard dock system.  DEEP has requested and anticipates receiving approximately $1 million in federal funds for this program from the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s Clean Vessel Act Program.  All recreational pumpout facilities in Connecticut offer free service to boaters.
Grant proposals must be received by 4:00 pm. Monday, May 13, 2019, to be considered eligible for this round of grant funding.  Any proposals received after this time will be considered only as funds may be available.  Up to 75 percent of the cost of an approved project may be reimbursed under the program, whose purpose is to increase the availability of proper waste handling facilities for boaters which will reduce the discharge of poorly treated or untreated sanitary waste into the waters of Long Island Sound and its harbors, thereby helping to improve water quality.
Since 1993, in partnership with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, DEEP has awarded more than $17 million in grants to Connecticut small businesses, municipalities and non-profit organizations to fund projects at marinas, yacht clubs, boat yards, municipalities, and non-profit organizations. Projects include more than 98 land-based pumpout facilities, 21 dump stations, and 24 pumpout vessels to accommodate the removal of recreational marine sewage from vessels to preserve and protect water quality in Long Island Sound.

Funding for this program, known as the Clean Vessel Act (CVA) program, comes from the Sport Fishing and Boating Trust Fund, which is supported by excise taxes on certain fishing and boating equipment and boat fuels.  The CVA Grant Program helps keep coastal waters clean and safe for recreation by safely disposing of millions of gallons of boaters’ sewage annually. The Connecticut CVA program and its partners removed more than one million gallons of recreational boat sewage from Long Island Sound and Candlewood Lake in 2018.
For a copy of the Request for Proposals (RFP) click the following link: https://biznet.ct.gov/SCP_Search/BidDetail.aspx?CID=49395 or contact Sara Ganzer, Official Agency Contact, at (860) 424-4070 or by email at sara.ganzer@ct.gov.

Proposals must be received by 4:00 P.M. on Monday, May 13, 2019 and must be submitted to: Sara Ganzer, Bureau of Outdoor Recreation, Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, 79 Elm Street, 6th floor, Hartford CT  06106.

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