Transformation Materials

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 a 'very high' or 'extreme' level. More information about the current fire danger, burn ban and recommended safety measures can be found here

Comprehensive Evaluation and Transformation of Connecticut’s Cleanup Laws

The Stakeholder Process and Transformation Materials (2011-present)

Former New London Mills - now Electric Boat

Photo of Former New London Mills - now Electric Boat

Outcomes to Date

Draft Proposal for a Transformed Cleanup Program (February 2013) - The February 7, 2013 Draft Proposal for a Transformed Cleanup Program, a detailed report on the Cleanup Transformation, was posted for further stakeholder comment.
RSR and ELUR Amendments (Effective June 27, 2013) - The amendments to the Remediation Standard Regulations (RSRs) R.C.S.A. Sections 22a-133k-1 through -3 and the Environmental Land Use Restrictions regulations (ELURs) R.C.S.A. Section 22a-133q-1 became effective on June 27, 2013.
Significant Environmental Hazard Statutory Amendments (Effective July 1, 2015)
Discussion Documents for Remediation Regulation Amendments (August 2013 – Present) - The Department has posted discussion drafts on certain RSR topics for potential future improvements to the remediation regulations (“Wave 2” RSRs) to obtain public feedback. Please review the discussion documents and send your thoughts to the Department via e-mail.
Risk-Based Decision-Making Evaluation (On-going) - Documents related to the evaluation of risk-based decision-making

The on-going Transformation Process is illustrated in the spoke diagram. Proposals in green have been completed. Proposals in orange are underway. Proposals in yellow are in progress but may require a longer time-frame. Proposals in blue are subjects on which the Department will make further proposals after completion of some of the actions already underway.

Chart showing steps in the transformation process

Timeline of Events

Comprehensive Evaluation White Paper (January 2011)

In January 2011, the Department released the Comprehensive Evaluation White Paper that provided baseline information on Connecticut’s site cleanup programs and the underlying laws that effect pollution cleanup. The white paper offered a summary of the current cleanup construct, past evaluations and changes to the program, and started the discussion on the opportunities for future improvement.

Public Act No. 11-141

Public Act No. 11-141. AN ACT CONCERNING BROWNFIELD REMEDIATION AND DEVELOPMENT AS AN ECONOMIC DRIVER - Section 6 of this Public Act requires the Department to conduct this evaluation and issue a report.

Public Visioning (June - December 2011)

The Department conducted a public visioning session to kick-off the Comprehensive Evaluation and Transformation. Almost one hundred stakeholders attended, including responsible parties, brownfield redevelopers, property owners, environmental constituents, licensed environmental professionals, and environmental attorneys. PowerPoint presentation from June 27, 2011 Visioning Session

The Final Visioning Summary Report dated December 15, 2011, summarizes the visioning session, the guided questions utilized during the session, and public comments provided as part of that process.

Evaluation Workgroups (August – September 2011)

The Department held a public meeting to solicit ideas for workgroup topics as part of the evaluation and transformation of Connecticut’s cleanup laws on August 9, 2011 at DEEP Headquarters in Hartford. Twenty-nine workgroup topic ideas were captured during this meeting, including four topics offered by the Department that were required by Public Act No. 11-141. PowerPoint presentation from the August 9, 2011 Workgroup Discussion Session

Meeting participants identified their five top priorities through a vote, and the Department used this information to provide six workgroups with a specific charge. More information on this process can be found in the Evaluation Workgroups Summary Report. Each workgroup consisted of sixteen, randomly selected people, with a Department co-lead and a workgroup-selected, non-Department co-lead. List of Evaluation Workgroups and Participants

Six Evaluation Workgroups prepared draft reports (September 30, 2011) for consideration by the Department, which in turn were posted on-line for public comment. After consideration of specific comments on the draft reports by the co-leads for each workgroup, the Final Workgroup Reports are presented below:

Final Report to the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection on Evaluation of Connecticut's Cleanup Programs - Current State

Final Report to the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection on Evaluation of Finish Lines and How Risk and Other Factors Influence Closure

Final Report to the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection on Entry Points and Triggers into the Current Connecticut Cleanup Programs

Final Report to the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection on Evaluation of LEP Program Performance and Utilization

Final Report to the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection on Evaluation of Pollution Responsibility and Liability Relief Provisions

Final Report to the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection on Evaluation of Best Practices of Various State Cleanup Programs

Report to the Governor and General Assembly (December 2011)

As required by Public Act No. 11-141, the Department submitted a report to the Governor and General assembly that summarized the evaluation conducted and proposed a draft vision and conceptual design for a transformed cleanup program. Report to the Governor and the Joint Standing Committees on Environment and Commerce on the Comprehensive Evaluation of the Connecticut Cleanup Program and Proposal for Transformation

The Department held a public meeting on January 10, 2012 [PowerPoint Presentation from January 10, 2012 Public Feedback Meeting] to summarize the evaluation process, and the draft conceptual design presented in this report. In addition, the Department explained the next steps of the transformation process and received comments and input from the stakeholders present.

Public Act No. 12-196

Public Act No. 12-196. AN ACT CONCERNING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THROUGH STREAMLINED AND IMPROVED BROWNFIELD REMEDIATION PROGRAMS - Section 1 of this Public Act requires the Department to report to the Governor and General Assembly the results of the on-going evaluation of the State’s cleanup programs.

Draft Proposed Program Outline for a Transformed Clean-up Program (September 2012)

The Department issued the Draft Proposed Program Outline for a Transformed Cleanup Program on September 27, 2012 and requested public feedback through December 2012. The Department held a public meeting on November 7, 2012 to summarize this proposal and to receive stakeholder feedback. In addition, the six Transformation Workgroups presented a summary of their preliminary discussions, recommendations, and comments:

Breakout Sessions at the Remediation Roundtable (November 2012)

During the Remediation Roundtable, the Department described the Draft Proposed Program Outline for a Transformed Cleanup Program and summarized the recommendations of the six Transformation Workgroups (DEEP Presentation at Remediation Roundtable on November 13, 2012).

Roundtable attendees participated in a breakout session to provide the Department with feedback on the following four topics: LEP Board, Verifications and Milestones, Audit Program and Cleanup Program Metrics [Transformation Breakout Session: Topics and Questions]

Transformation Workgroup Reports (November 2012)

Six Transformation Workgroups [Transformation Workgroup Membership] provided Reports to the Department, summarizing their workgroup discussions and recommendations:

Content Last Updated January 29, 2016