Press Releases
12/21/2021
Gov. Lamont, Commissioner Dykes Applaud More Than $77 Million in State Bond Commission funding for DEEP-Related Initiatives
(HARTFORD)— The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) today received more than $77 million from the State Bond Commission that will fund several key environmental initiatives integral to protecting human health and the environment, as well as energy efficient improvements to state buildings.
DEEP-related initiatives that received funding from the State Bond Commission today:
- $60 million for the Clean Water Fund, which assists municipalities in planning, design and construction of wastewater projects to protect human health and the environment.
- $14 million for energy efficient upgrades in 11 state buildings under the state’s “Lead By Example” initiative.
- $2.5 million for state share of Superfund cleanup at Raymark Federal Superfund site in Stratford.
- $1.15 million for ongoing efforts to protect state residents and the environment from the effects of PFAS as directed by Gov. Lamont’s PFAS Action Plan.
“Protecting public health and our environment go hand-in-hand, and the funds we approved today for DEEP-related projects do just that,” Gov. Ned Lamont said. “That starts by ensuring our municipalities have state-of-the-art and resilient infrastructure for wastewater, that we continue to get a handle on the presence of PFAS in our water and protect those impacted, that we chip in our share to remediate Superfund sites, and that we work to be more efficient in our energy use.”
“The funds approved by the State Bond Commission today enable DEEP to facilitate its charge of environmental protection in the state of Connecticut, DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes said. “This funding gets us another step closer to completing remediation of the Raymark site, and another step forward in our effort to grasp and address the complex issue of PFAS contamination. The Clean Water Fund and energy efficiency dollars approved not only help to improve our infrastructure, but also help in our efforts to drive down GHG emissions through green design and less energy usage. We are very grateful for this funding.”
More on the initiatives funded today:
Clean Water Fund- $60 million
Properly functioning wastewater infrastructure for Connecticut municipalities is critical for water quality, public health and economic vitality. The Clean Water Fund (CWF) assists municipalities in planning, designing, and constructing wastewater infrastructure to protect human health and water quality. The General Obligation Bonds (GO) provide grants to municipalities for a portion of project costs as well as State match to satisfy Federal capitalization grant requirements. For projects to be eligible for funding, they must be on the current Priority List.
The CWF Priority List identifies the projects which have been deemed eligible for funding, as well as reserves and set asides, that are required or allowed under Federal and State regulations. This Bond request is for funds for planning and design, as well as construction, of eligible projects on the 2020/2021 Priority List. The projects include, but are not limited to:
- Metropolitan District Commission (MDC) South Hartford Tunnel Contract #3
- MDC Poquonock Water Pollution Control Facility (WPCF) upgrade
- Ridgefield WPCF upgrade
- MDC Hartford WPCF site wrap-up
- MDC WPCF Incinerator upgrade
- New Haven WPCF upgrade
- Planning, Design, Green Infrastructure, Resiliency and Small Community Reserves
Recently completed CWF projects include $49.6 million in upgrades to the City of Meriden’s Wastewater Treatment Plant to improve operations and achieve high levels of phosphorus removal that will improve the quality of the Quinnipiac River. $45 million are CWF-eligible costs (32% grant/68% loan). The Town of Southington also completed a $50 million facility upgrade for phosphorus removal and other treatment enhancements that will also improve the water quality of the Quinnipiac River, funded through a 50% grant/50% loan from the CWF.
Energy Efficiency- $14 million
This funding will be used to fund phase two energy upgrades at 11 state facilities. These projects are ready-to-execute projects that will increase energy efficiency in State facilities, in accordance with Sec. 16a-37u and Gov. Lamont's Executive Order 1 requiring a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and water use across State facilities.
The projects include energy upgrades at three Department of Corrections facilities, four Department of Administrative Services facilities, one Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services facility, two Department of Children and Family Services facilities, and one Office of Policy and Management facility.
The project paybacks range from 6 years to over 27 years, reflecting a "comprehensive" building retrofit approach that includes major equipment upgrades as well as small fixture replacements. Collectively, these projects are projected to avoid and reduce over 1,400 metric tons of carbon dioxide and over $1 million in annual energy and water cost savings.
State Superfund- $2.5 million
This funding is the second installment of state funds necessary to provide the 10% state share of the $81.2 million dollar Superfund cleanup being conducted by the federal Environmental Protection Agency at the Raymark Federal Superfund Site in Stratford.
The ongoing remedial actions will mitigate soil gas vapors from entering structures and prevent potential human health and ecological risks from dermal contact, ingestion and inhalation of soils and sediment contaminated with Raymark waste.
PFAS- $1.15 million
One of the recommended actions of Gov. Lamont’s PFAS Action Plan was the identification, prioritization and testing of private wells that are threatened by real and potential sources of PFAS pollution.
DEEP has completed a preliminary study to identify areas where private drinking water wells may be at risk for PFAS pollution. These funds are requested to continue collection and testing of drinking water samples for PFAS from private wells in prioritized communities, using contractor and commercial laboratory support. Where drinking water is found to exceed the DPH Drinking Water Action Level for PFAS, funding will be used to provide short-term treatment, including bottled water and filtration.
If a responsible party for such pollution is identified, DEEP will look to that party to define the degree and extent of pollution and evaluate remedial options. If funds are available and no responsible party can be identified, this funding may be used to assess the source(s) of PFAS pollution to private wells and to complete other remedial actions to remove or isolate the source of PFAS pollution to private wells.
Past PFAS bond funding: $2 Million was previously provided by the State Bond Commission for DEEP to facilitate a take-back program for PFAS-containing aqueous film forming foam (AFFF), which is used by fire service personnel to suppress liquid fuel fires, and to initiate private well sampling for PFAS and install filters as needed. This funding will not support continuation of phase 2 of the Take-Back program for AFFF, which includes decontamination of fire service equipment used to deploy AFFF.
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Contact
DEEP Communications
DEEP.communications@ct.gov
860-424-3110