News Releases - 2024

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• 9/5/2024 DEEP Conducting Community Engagement to Promote Nearly $3M in Funding for Increased Urban Tree Cover

  (HARTFORD)- The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) announced today that starting this week, in partnership with UConn, DEEP is hosting a series of community and stakeholder workshops through November intended to increase access to historic funding opportunities for urban forestry.

• 9/3/2024 DEEP Requesting Applications for $15M in Available Materials Management Infrastructure Grant Funding

  (HARTFORD, CT) —The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is pleased to announce $15 million dollars in grant funds available to Connecticut municipalities, councils of government, and regional waste authorities to support the development of materials management infrastructure (MMI) at the local and regional level in direct response to the solid waste disposal crisis that Connecticut municipalities are facing.

• 8/30/2024 DEEP Urges Caution as State Park Lifeguard Presence Reduced on Labor Day Weekend

  (HARTFORD, CT) – The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) today reminded State Park visitors that the number of lifeguards at State Park swimming areas will be reduced over Labor Day weekend, and that Monday, September 2nd, will be the last day for lifeguard coverage in the State Park swimming areas.

• 8/30/2024 Migratory Bird Hunting Seasons Starting Soon

  (HARTFORD)- Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) today announced the dates for 2024-2025 migratory bird hunting seasons, which include seasons for ducks, geese, woodcock, snipe, rails, and crows.

• 8/28/2024 DEEP Mosquito Management Program to Spray for Mosquitoes in Mt. Misery Area of Pachaug State Forest

  (HARTFORD)— While there have been no cases of eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEE) in humans in Connecticut so far this season, the risk-level in the eastern part of the state for EEE remains elevated. The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) Mosquito Management Program will conduct insecticide spraying on the evening of Thursday, August 29 (weather permitting) in an area of eastern Connecticut where mammal-biting mosquitoes carrying EEE have been consistently detected. This step is being taken out of an abundance of caution to minimize the potential for spread of the virus to humans.

• 8/21/2024 DEEP Announces New Open Space and Urban Green Grant Round

  (HARTFORD) – The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) encourages municipalities, land trusts, and water companies to apply for funding to aid in the purchase and protection of open space through the Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition Grant Program (OSWA). In addition, DEEP welcomes municipalities and land trusts to apply for funding through the Urban Green and Community Garden Program (UGCG). Both programs are accepting applications now through December 2, 2024.

• 8/21/2024 DEEP Reports Case of EEE in White-tailed Deer in Connecticut

  (HARTFORD)—The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) today announced that a white-tailed deer that exhibited neurologic symptoms and died on August 12, 2024, in Lisbon, Connecticut, was infected with the eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) virus.

• 8/15/2024 DEEP Reissues Alcohol Ban for Seven State Recreation Areas

  (HARTFORD) — The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) has reissued a temporary alcohol ban for seven state recreation areas. This ban is in effect from Tuesday, August 13, 2024, through Sunday, November 10, 2024, at the following locations:

• 8/9/2024 DEEP Announces Connecticut Interstate Fire Crew's Return from Oregon Deployment

  (HARTFORD)— The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is thrilled to announce the safe return of the Connecticut Interstate Fire Crew (CIFC) following their recent deployment to Washington and Oregon. The CIFC members who deployed include 15 people from Connecticut, among them six full-time DEEP staff members. The remainder of the crew was composed of individuals from Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

• 8/9/2024 DEEP Releases First 20BY26 Progress Report

  (HARTFORD, CT) – Today, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) released the first report on the progress of DEEP’s 20BY26 initiative. This initiative, launched in February, builds on the foundation of DEEP’s highly successful 20BY20 initiative by setting 20 new targets to meet by the end of 2026 to make DEEP’s processes even more predictable, transparent, and efficient. These ongoing improvements will, in turn, benefit our state’s municipalities, businesses, other regulated entities, and residents.

• 8/8/2024 12th Annual Saltwater Fishing Day Happening August 10th

  (HARTFORD, CT)- The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP)’s No Child Left Inside ® program, in partnership with DEEP’s Fish with CARE program, is hosting the 12th annual Saltwater Fishing Day on August 10th from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. on the fishing pier at Fort Trumbull State Park in New London.

• 8/6/2024 Governor Lamont Hails $389 Million Federal Grant for Connecticut and New England States to Fund Transformational Transmission and Energy Storage Infrastructure

  (HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont is applauding the announcement made today by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) that it has selected the Power Up New England proposal submitted by Connecticut and its neighboring New England states to receive an award of up to $389 million through the second round of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s competitive Grid Innovation Program (GIP).

• 8/2/2024 DEEP and DPH Advise Precautions to Avoid Mosquitoes

  (HARTFORD)—Due to recent Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES) reports of eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) in mosquitoes in Canterbury and Voluntown, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) and the Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) advise taking extra precautions to protect against mosquitoes when recreating outdoors.

• 7/29/2024 DEEP Launches the Draft 2024 Connecticut Clean Hydrogen Roadmap

  (HARTFORD)--The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) held a public meeting today to discuss the findings of the Draft 2024 Connecticut Clean Hydrogen Roadmap. Pursuant to Public Act No. 23-156, and consistent with Connecticut’s greenhouse gas reduction goals as well as DEEP’s Integrated Resource Planning and Comprehensive Energy Strategy that examine the state’s future energy needs and ways to meet those needs, the Draft Roadmap seeks to achieve the following objectives:

• 7/26/2024 MEDIA ADVISORY: DEEP to Hold Public Meeting on Draft Connecticut Clean Hydrogen Roadmap

  (HARTFORD)--The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) will hold a public meeting on Monday, July 29, to present and discuss the main findings of its Draft 2024 Connecticut Clean Hydrogen Roadmap.