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

Mammography Quality Assurance

In 1992, President George Bush signed the Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA) giving regulatory responsibility for mammography quality assurance activities to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). At the request of the FDA, the Connecticut DEEP entered into a contract to assist in the enforcement of the new requirements by having DEEP perform inspections in Connecticut.

Prior to MQSA being implemented, approximately 300 facilities in Connecticut were performing mammography with limited oversight. The contract to conduct inspections is still in effect and has resulted in the gradual elimination of facilities that were non-compliant with federal standards. Today, approximately 30 facilities are conducting mammography in compliance with federal standards.

These facilities are inspected annually and are held to stringent federal standards. The inspection process consists of monitoring the mammography unit to ensure it is functioning in conformance within its design specifications. Additionally, Quality Assurance and Quality Control records as well as credentialing of Radiologists, Radiologic Technologists, and Radiation Physicists are inspected.

Additional information for mammography facility personnel, inspectors, and consumers about the implementation of the Mammography Quality Standards Act can be found on the FDA website.

Content Last Updated January 2020

Radiation