Trump Administration Attacks on the Environment are Hazardous to Americans' Health

The first 170+ days of President Trump's term as President of the United States have been marked with controversy around a plethora of issues affecting the American public -not the least of which being the obvious and unjustifiable attacks on our environment, or the relentless assertion that climate change is a hoax. Since taking office in January, President Trump has wasted little time in waging his assault on our environment.  Early in his term, Trump appointed former Oklahoma AG Scott Pruitt as his Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) chief; a man who sued the EPA more than a dozen times during the course of his career as Attorney General. It's a classic example of 'the fox watching the hen house."

The president's FY2018 budget proposal included a $2.6 billion (31%) cut to the EPA  budget, reducing the agency to funding levels to it's lowest level in 40 years (adjusted for inflation).  The proposal would eliminate more than 3,200 employees, severely diminishing the agency's ability to implement and enforce important environmental standards, review permit applications, and oversee superfund remediation sites and other environmental cleanup projects.

The president's budget also zeroes-out more than 50 geographic EPA programs, including the Long Island Sound, Great Lakes, and Hudson River Estuary programs.  These critical programs monitor water quality and implement on-the-ground projects to restore habitat and improve water quality in our nation's most vital waters.  Not only do these programs help support local economies by maintaining the health of aquatic ecosystems, but they also play an important role in protecting public health.

In addition to his assault on the EPA, the president has already signed a slew of executive orders (EO's) aimed at limiting environmental protections.  These include EO's to expedite the Dakota Access and Keystone XL Pipelines, abandon the Clean Power Plan that would limit greenhouse gas emissions from fossil-fuel burning power plants, eliminate protections for vital waterways under the Obama-era Clean Water Rule, ease restrictions on off-shore drilling including in the Arctic, allow disposal of coal sludge in rivers and streams, and several others.

By taking such aggressive action to eliminate environmental protections (without congressional approval), Trump is sending a clear message that the interests of business and industry are a priority over  public health and our environment.  Nothing embodies this dynamic better than the Trump administration's war on climate science.

Recently, EPA Director Pruitt has announced the establishment of a new task force to review and challenge climate change data at the EPA.  The task force would review inconsistencies or "vulnerabilities" in existing climate data and determine how the agency should vet and apply climate change research moving forward.  This completely undermines the peer reviewed, science-based standard that is traditionally used to weigh and verify scientific research, and it could limit the agency's ability to ensure sound scientific approaches to important environmental policy matters.

Trump ran on a platform of eliminating the EPA and removing what he deems are "unnecessary" regulatory burdens to business and industry, and so far, it seems he intends to deliver.  Unfortunately, the news media has been so focused on the controversy regarding the president's use of Twitter and swirling allegations of collusion with the Russians, that the president's actual policy agenda is sailing past voters without them even knowing it.  During times like these, it's critical that members of the public remain vigilant, they remain informed, and most importantly, they must remain active.  Now more than ever, our environment is under attack, and it's up to you to defend it.

CT Legislative Recap: Areas of Progress and Missed Opportunities in 2017

With the 2017 Connecticut legislative session behind us, it's time to reflect back on what happened this year in the realm of conservation, environmental protection, and public health.  As a whole, this session was marked with some disappointment from environmental groups and consumer advocates across a spectrum of issues, but there were some noteworthy areas of progress as well.  As always, CCE remains committed to advancing unfinished business in the future, and we will continue to advocate for our legislative priorities in 2018 and beyond. Water Protection

VICTORY: CCE worked in conjunction with CT Clean Water Action, Rivers Alliance of Connecticut, Save Our Water, and the CT League of Conservation Voters to successfully advocate for legislation that allows the public greater access to water planning information under the Freedom of Information Act. Additionally, legislation to appoint a consumer advocate to the Metropolitan District Commission (MDC) board.  MDC is a municipal water authority serving 8 municipalities, including Hartford, Bloomfield, East Hartford, West Hartford, Newington, Rocky Hill, Windsor and Wethersfield.  It is critical that the public have increased transparency and greater input into decisions that impact our water supply.

ISSUES FOR 2018: The legislature failed to act on legislation that would protect our water supply from large water users. A proposed bill would have put mandatory restrictions on water withdrawals from large water bottlers during times of drought or other water supply emergencies, and another bill would have prohibited the use of declining block rates for large volume water bottlers and other industrial users.

Toxics 

VICTORY: CCE successfully advocated for legislation that allows retail pharmacies in the state to establish programs for collecting unused and unwanted pharmaceutical drugs.  In addition, CCE supported the passage of a new law that prohibits the use of coal-tar based sealants on state and local highways.  Improperly discarded pharmaceuticals and coal-tar sealants are emerging contaminants that both have devastating impacts on marine ecosystems.

ISSUES FOR 2018: Legislation that would have established a permanent ban on the storage, treatment and disposal of hazardous fracking waste made it through the House with nearly unanimous bipartisan support, but ultimately failed to get called for a vote in the Senate before the midnight end-of-session deadline on the June 7th.  CCE was instrumental in passage of a moratorium on fracking waste in 2014, which spawned a statewide effort resulting in more than 15 local governments in CT passing local ordinances to prohibit the storage, treatment and disposal of fracking waste.

CCE also worked in 2017 to pass a bill that would have prohibited the use of recycled rubber mulch made from shredded car and truck tires on school and public playgrounds across the state.  Despite receiving favorable reports in the Children's and Planning & Development committees, the bill was never brought forward for a vote in the House.

Clean Energy

VICTORY: CCE worked in a coalition with environmental groups and consumer advocates to prevent the passage of ill-conceived legislation that would allow Millstone Nuclear Power Station in Waterford, CT to compete with Class 1 and Class 2 renewable resources for long term power-purchase agreements with the State.  CCE is proud to have defeated this legislation in 2017, which would make our state increasingly reliant on dirty nukes while further delaying progress on meeting Connecticut's clean energy goals.

ISSUES FOR 2018: Environmental advocates were deeply disappointed in the lack of progress made on clean energy policy in 2017.  From legislation that would have expanded our Renewable Portfolio Standard to bring more renewables into Connecticut, to a bill that would have repealed a hidden surcharge levied against electric customers to help subsidize the construction of oil and gas pipelines across New England, the CGA failed to make meaningful progress on a wide range of important energy issues this year.  This is especially concerning in light of Governor Malloy's recent announcement that Connecticut would be joining the U.S. Climate Alliance (a group of 12 states that have agreed to upholding our commitments under the 2015 Paris Climate Accord).

Recycling

VICTORY: CCE worked with ConnPIRG, CT League of Conservation Voters, CT Leage of Women Voters, CT Citizens Action Group, Clean Water Action and many others to successfully defend Connecticut's bottle deposit law (aka the Bottle Bill).  Ill-conceived legislation would have eliminated the 5-cent deposit on carbonated beer and soda containers and bottled water, and replace it with a non-refundable 4-cent tax on every beverage sold in the state.  Thanks to an outpouring of grassroots opposition from all parts of the state, our coalition successfully opposed this shortsighted legislation, thereby preserving one of Connecticut's most effective recycling laws!

ISSUES FOR 2018: CCE will continue to push to modernize Connecticut's Bottle Bill to include juices, teas, and other non-carbonated soft drink containers that are currently not covered by the law. The bill to accomplish this unfortunately died in the House this year, along with a bill to increase the handling fee paid to retailers and redemption center for each container they recycle under the bottle deposit.  The Bottle Bill is a proven, effective system for incentivizing recycling and keeping our beaches, parks and open spaces free of bottles and cans.

Open Space Preservation

VICTORIES: Legislation passed in 2017 to provided added transparency and opportunities to intervene in the trimming and/or removal of trees on municipal property.

ISSUES FOR 2018: Last but not least, many environmental groups are mourning the death of a Constitutional Amendment that would require transparency and public participation for any transfer of protected state lands for development or any other purpose.  An identical bill was passed in 2016, but passage is required two consecutive years in a row in order to approve any changes to our state constitution.  Unfortunately, the bill was never brought out for a vote in the senate, despite widespread bipartisan support for the bill in 2016.

Looking back on the 2017 session, it's clear that while Connecticut has made incremental progress on a number of environmental issues, but there is still much work to be done to preserve public health and the environment, protect our water supplies and open spaces, meaningfully advance our clean energy goals, and end our reliance on dirty fossil fuels.  Unfortunately, there were a number of good bills that never saw the light of day this year- this is no doubt due in part to the looming $3.5 billion dollar deficit lawmakers are grappling with currently.  It's a classic example of how the environment suffers during tough economic times, and policymakers need to understand that these issues are just as important now as they are when the state finds itself in "greener" economic pastures.  Clean air and clean water are not luxury items that can be disregarded in difficult economic times!

The failure of the Connecticut General Assembly to act on many commonsense, bipartisan efforts to protect our environment is troubling, especially when juxtaposed against Governor Malloy's recent announcement that Connecticut must remain a leader on climate change.  What our state needs now more than anything is leadership; the kind of leadership that Malloy is trying to demonstrate.  It's time for our House and Senate representatives to step up to the plate, put politics aside, and make our health and the quality of our environment a priority once again.

Nuclear is NOT Renewable! Connecticut's Lawmakers Taking our State Energy Policy in the Wrong Direction

The CGA Joint Committee on Energy and Technology introduced legislation this week that would allow Dominion (the Virginia based corporation that owns and operates Millstone Nuclear Power Plant in Waterford, CT) to apply for state energy subsidies under the "Class 1 Renewable" category of Connecticut's Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS).  The RPS is a critical program designed to ensure energy providers in our state procure a certain percentage of the electricity they sell through clean, renewable sources and energy efficiency, thereby helping to reduce our state's carbon footprint and create good paying clean energy jobs. The Class 1 tier of the RPS has historically been reserved for true clean energy sources, such as clean wind, solar, hydropower and geothermal.  Connecticut's current RPS standard goal is to derive a minimum of 23% of our total in-state energy supply from renewable sources by the year 2020.  With only three years left to meet that goal, our state remains overly reliant on nuclear power and natural gas, while renewables make up less than 4% of our total energy mix.

SB 106 would allow Dominion to compete directly with true clean energy providers for Renewable Energy Certificates(RECs) under the RPS program.  These RECs are sold on a regional market to states that have less robust renewable programs and rely on those credits to help meet their own clean energy goals.

To be clear, nuclear power is not clean energy. Subsidizing existing nuke plants to compete with new development in clean energy totally defeats the purpose of this important program, and it sets a terrible precedent for other states to follow.

A thorough examination of the nuclear fuel cycle--from mining, enriching and transporting the uranium, to the construction of billion-dollar refineries and nuclear power plants, to the handling, processing and storage of nuclear waste--demonstrates that our dependence on nuclear power is energy intensive and creates signficant amounts of pollution.

It's also important to remember that Millstone causes significant adverse impacts to the health of Long Island Sound. Millstone utilizes an outdated "once-through" cooling system that damages Long Island Sound and its marine ecosystems with deadly thermal pollution.  In fact, CCE and other groups concerned with LIS protection and restoration efforts have been working for almost a decade to see Millstone act as a good neighbor by upgrading to a closed-cycle cooling system, which is something Dominion has refused to do.  In 2012, Millstone was forced to shut down one of its two reactors for 12 days because the ambient water temperature in the Sound was higher than the plant's safety standards would allow for.  This was the first time a U.S. nuclear facility had to halt its operations for such a reason.

Perhaps the most alarming part of this discussion is that Connecticut lawmakers do not seem to be concerned in the least about the fact that nuclear power leaves a legacy  of more than 10,000 years of radioactive waste with no permanent repository.  Spent nuclear fuel rods must remain on site for40-50 years or longer before they can be moved, as the radioactive fuel remains highly unstable for decades after use.  To make matters worse, the industry has a questionable safety record, including thousands of private, public and military accidents leading up to the present day.  Most recently, a tritium leak at New York's Indian Point Nuclear Plant resulted in groundwater contamination problems that NYS DEC is still working to mitigate to this day.    Indian Point acknowledged the elevated risk in preliminary reports, finding "alarming levels of radioactivity" at three monitoring wells, including one where radioactivity levels reportedly increased by more than 65,000%.

The bill to include nuclear power as a renewable energy source under Connecticut's RPS is a dishonest effort to fool Connecticut's ratepayers into thinking we are moving forward on clean energy, when in reality, we would be subsidizing a dirty energy source of the past.  Nuclear power is  a costly, outdated technology that puts Connecticut's residents and their environment at risk.  Allowing nukes to compete with real renewables is a raw deal for Connecticut, one which our lawmakers in Hartford seem all too eager to approve.

Think subsidizing nukes instead of investing in renewables is a bad idea? Contact the members of the CGA Energy and Technology Committee and tell them to Vote "NO" on SB. 106 today! https://www.cga.ct.gov/et/

VICTORY in CT: Town of Hamden Chooses Natural Materials over Crumb Rubber for new High School Athletic Field

Hamden Mayor Curt Balzano Leng announced this week that the new baseball diamond at Hamden High School would be designed using cork, coconut fiber, and rice, instead of the recycled rubber infill originally approved by the Town Council.  The decision came after months of deliberation, in which the Mayor's office consulted with CCE, researchers from Yale University, and industry experts about the potential health hazards associated with children's exposure to crumb rubber. The rubber used in synthetic turf is typically made from recycled car and truck tires, meaning it can contain a variety of hazardous materials, including heavy metals, volatile organic compounds (VOC's), and polyciclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH's).  Researchers have also found as many as 12 known human carcinogens in the rubber, which may actually put certain athletes at an elevated risk of cancer.  Additionally, the surface of these fields can reach as high as 60-70 degrees hotter than ambient temperatures, creating an unsafe playing environment on hot summer days.  Despite this growing body of evidence, the CT Department of Public Health has repeatedly dismissed any data suggesting that artificial fields made with crumb rubber are unsafe for use by children, and has refused to restrict or regulate its use in any way.

The decision to move forward with a non-toxic alternative represents an important victory for Hamden families, and it is one that CCE is proud to endorse.  It's an acknowledgement on the part of town officials that the potential health hazards associated with the chemical constituents in crumb rubber present an unacceptable risk to the health of our children, and it takes a precautionary approach that other communities should follow.  We applaud Mayor Leng for his leadership and commitment to protecting children's health in the Town of Hamden, and urge other communities to err on the side of caution when it comes to using crumb rubber where our children play.

2016 Connecticut Post-Session Legislative Recap

Wednesday, May 4th marked the last day of the 2016 regular legislative session in Connecticut.  It was a difficult year for many in our state, as deep cuts to critical government programs are being implemented across virtually every sector.  Over the last few weeks, we've seen the executive and legislative branches clashing repeatedly over budget negotiations in an effort to mitigate a projected $900 million deficit in FY 2017.  The final budget agreement will be finalized and voted on this coming Thursday, May 12, when the entire CT General Assembly will return for a special budget session. While we will not know the extent of the cuts and how they will impact Connecticut's health and environment for another week, there were some significant legislative victories this year to celebrate!  Victories include:

• Passage of first of its kind legislation to protect pollinator's health by restricting the use of neonicotinoid pesticides that are toxic to bees and other pollinators. The law also establishes a pollinator health task force to study the decline of pollinators in Connecticut and take steps to promote and develop pollinator-friendly habitat.

• Legislation to reduce the amount of unnecessary and wasteful consumer-based packaging used in manufacturing every day consumer goods.

• The legislature approved $6 million in virtual net metering credits for municipalities seeking to increase clean solar development in their communities.

• New legislation to require greater transparency and oversight during the removal of trees on private property.

There were a number of good environmental bills that unfortunately did not get a vote before the midnight end-of-session deadline.  Important legislation that did not pass in 2016 included a bill that would eliminate toxic flame retardants in children's products and household furniture, legislation to reduce pollution from single-use disposable shopping bags, and a resolution to enact a referendum vote on a constitutional amendment to preserve State-owned lands (the resolution passed the Senate and House but unfortunately did not receive the two-thirds vote needed in the House to put the amendment on the ballot for a vote this November).

These losses came as a disappointment to many advocates and members of the public who fought hard for these pro-environment measures in 2016, but the bills also garnered a growing body of bipartisan support that advocates hope to build on in 2017.

CCE would like to extend a special thanks to Rep. James Albis, Sen. Ted Kennedy Jr., Sen. Dante Bartolomeo, Rep. Diana Urban,  Sen. Beth Bye, Rep. Phil Miller, Sen. Bob Duff, Rep. Joe Aresimowicz, Rep. Roberta Willis, Rep. Mary Mushinsky, Sen. Clark Chapin, Rep. John Shaban, Rep. Kim Rose, Rep. Noreen Kokoruda, Rep. Russ Morin, Rep. Michael D'Agostino, Rep. Joe Gresko, Sen. Tony Hwang, Rep. Jon Steinberg, Rep. Fred Camillo, Rep. Roland Lemar, Rep. Matt Lesser, Rep. John Hampton, Sen. Joe Markley, and the countless others who worked tirelessly on these critical environmental issues in 2016.  We appreciate your efforts and look forward to working with you to continue fighting for Connecticut's environment during next year's CT legislative session!

Connecticut is Losing its Leadership Position on Clean Energy

It's no secret that now is a challenging time to live and do business in Connecticut.  Right now, our State is simultaneously planning for its energy future, seeking to improve its business climate, and trying to keep working families from moving out of state, all against the backdrop of an impending $930 million budget crisis.  But in times like these, it's important to keep the big picture in mind.  If CT is ever going to grow jobs and meet its clean energy and climate change goals, we need an aggressive plan to ramp up utility and community scale renewables and energy efficiency, and we can't afford to wait until our financial problems go away. No point in sugar coating it, CT is beginning to lag behind our neighboring states on expanding its clean energy infrastructure.  In response to a growing demand from the public and private sectors, the General Assembly passed legislation in 2015 to establish a shared-solar pilot program.  Unfortunately, the CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection has chosen to delay implementation of the project by asking for changes and clarification.  Now DEEP is supporting legislation that would further delay the shared solar pilot, much to the dismay of installers who are increasingly leaving the state to look for a more "renewable friendly" business climate.

To make matters worse, Connecticut's projected budget deficit is having a disastrous effect on our clean energy and energy efficiency programs.  The proposed Finance committee budget released last week raids $22 million from Connecticut's Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) accounts to help fill holes in the general fund.  RGGI revenues help cities and towns finance clean energy solutions,  provide low cost energy efficiency assessments and weatherization for low-income families, and support the development of clean utility-scale hydropower, and improve the reliability of our state’s energy grid.  Today, more than 6,000 businesses and 55,000 homes in Connecticut benefit from RGGI programs, including more than 20,000 low-income households.

Clearly, these are programs that benefit our state in a number of important ways.  RGGI moneys are leveraged with private capital to spur jobs and innovation and to keep energy costs low; two things that are depserately needed in our state.  But the uncertainty created every time Connecticut changes or delays its clean energy policy is forcing investors to look elsewhere, and it undercuts our ability to keep our commitments on fighting climate change.  Connecticut needs to recognize that clean energy is not a luxury, but a necessity if we are to fully realize the benefits that clean energy carry with them.  It's time to stop gambling with our state's energy future, and that starts with maintaining funding for clean energy programs and moving full speed ahead with renewables.

New Dredged Material Management Plan for LIS Is a Betrayal of Public Trust

In 2005, the Governors of New York and Connecticut signed a bi-state agreement to end the antiquated practice of disposing untreated dredged materials in Long Island Sound.  This was done with an understanding that a healthy Sound is critical to the health of our economy and our maritime culture.  The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Environmental Protection Agency were parties to that agreement, and they put into motion a 10 year, $7 million process to develop a Dredged Materials Management Plan (DMMP) that would phase out open water dumping in favor of environmentally safe and sustainable beneficial reuse practices. Earlier this week the Army Corps released the final DMMP for Long Island Sound, but instead of creating a framework to reuse dredged materials in beneficial ways, the Army Corps delivered a "business as usual" plan to continue using LIS as a landfill for the next 30 years or longer.  Surprisingly, many in Connecticut's State Government endorsed the plan without carefully examining the potential environmental impacts, or demanding more in the way of beneficial use alternatives.  Now there is no way to stop the dumping, unless the State of New York steps in to challenge the plan.

The final DMMP makes no meaningful assessment of beneficial reuse opportunities, nor does it factor in impacts to the environment as part of it's cost-benefit analysis.  The document actually extends the lifespan of the two existing LIS dump sites, while recommending that two previously decommissioned open water dump sites be reopened.  The plan completely fails to meet the mandate laid out by the 2005 agreement and is a massive let-down to many in the Long Island Sound community.

Worst of all, the Army Corps blatantly ignored the voices of thousands of members of the public who attended hearings, signed petitions and wrote letters during the public comment period opposing the plan.  They created the illusion of a transparent process- one with meaningful opportunities for public participation.  Once the comment period was over, the Army Corps disregarded the public comments and went right for the cheapest and easiest way to dispose of these "wastes".

The truth is that the community understands and values the health of Long Island Sound, and most people want the Army Corps of Engineers to find the best and most sustainable use for those sediments.  It's about looking at dredged sediment as a resource and not a waste product, but the Army Corps has shown that they are unwilling to do that.  Unfortunately, the State of Connecticut doesn't seem to mind.  Perhaps they honestly think that they can dump 25 million+ cubic yards of material into the sound without damaging the sensitive ecosystems it supports.  Whatever the case may be, they've broken their promise to the Long Island Sound community and have betrayed the public trust.

Connecticut Legislature Approves Ban on Plastic Microbeads in Personal Care Products, Pesticides on Town Playgrounds

The 2015 Connecticut Legislative Session has officially come to a close, and CCE members in Connecticut are celebrating two important, last-minute victories for clean water and a healthy environment. The first is a bill that phases out and ultimately prohibits the sale of personal care products that contain plastic microbeads.  These are tiny plastic particles that are used as an additive in more than 100 different products on the market today.  These products include facial scrubs, soaps, cosmetics, and even toothpastes.

The bill would require manufacturers to discontinue the use of these microbeads in favor of safe, biodegradable alternatives that are already on the market.  Certain manufacturers of personal care products have already agreed to phase out the use of microbeads over time.  Unfortunately, many more remain unresponsive to the problem.  While other states have passed bans on plastic microbeads, those laws include loopholes that allow the microbead problem to persist.  The new law passed in Connecticut is the strongest in the nation and will help "raise the bar" on this issue nationally, and stands as a model for other states to follow.

CCE generated more than 4,500 letters to key elected officials and collected over 10,500 signatures in support of eliminating plastic microbeads in products that are available for sale in our state.  Ultimately, the bill passed with unanimous bipartisan support in the House of Representatives, and it was included in the budget implementer bill that was passed during the special session held in late June and early July.

Another significant win came in the form of a law that prohibits the non-emergency application of toxic pesticides on town playgrounds.  It also improves the existing parents' notification system to alert families whenever pesticides are scheduled to be applied on school grounds.  The law is the product of ongoing negotiations in the legislature, and it expands upon laws passed in 2005 and 2009 aimed at protecting children's health by eliminating pesticides on K-8 school athletic fields and daycare facilities.

These victories come as a pleasant surprise to environmentalists and public health activists who had all but given up hope on these important issues after the clock ran out on the regular legislative session on June 3.  More importantly, they are a testament to the power of grassroots advocacy and a shining example of what is possible when members of the public are educated and vocal about their concerns.

CCE would like to applaud Sen. Ted Kennedy Jr., Rep. James Albis, Rep. John Shaban, Sen. Dante Bartolomeo, Rep. Diana Urban, Rep. Andy Fleischmann, and Rep. Terry Backer for their leadership and continued commitment to these important issues, and extend a special thanks to Senate President Martin Looney, Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, Speaker of the House Brendan Sharkey and House Majority Leader Joe Aresimowicz for agreeing to address them during the special legislative session.

CT Legislative Update and Perspectives on Environmental Advocacy in the New Year

Connecticut has historically been a nationwide leader on environmental protection and public health issues, and activists in Hartford are working to make this another important year for our state.  The 2015 Connecticut legislative session has been underway for just over a month and state legislators have already raised a over a dozen important pro-environment bills to be debated and considered for passage this year. In addition, legislators now in leadership positions in the House and Senate (as well as in several key committees) have made environmental issues a priority in the past, and many have promised to stay true to their commitments in 2015.  Advocates are encouraged and hopeful to see a strong showing of bi-partisan support for legislation designed to protect public health and enrich our quality of life in the Nutmeg State.

Some highlights of legislation being considered this year include:

• Protecting our waterways by eliminating plastic microbeads from personal care products;

• Expanding Connecticut's Child-Safe Playing fields law to eliminate toxic pesticides on public parks and high school athletic fields;

• Putting a 10-cent fee on single-use paper and plastic shopping bags at the checkout counter;

• Expanding CT's bottle-deposit law to include single serving juices, teas, sports and energy drinks; and

• Lifting the cap on using federal funds to purchase open space.

Another highlight is the recent announcement that Governor Malloy has formally endorsed legislation that would create a Long Island Sound Blue Plan and Inventory.  The Blue Plan would be a master planning document that would allow the state to map out all of the various features and existing infrastructure in the Sound, to ensure that new development proposals are consistent with the values and existing uses of the Sound.  The bill is similar to legislation that was introduced in 2014, but did not pass as time ran out on the session before this bill could be called for a vote in the House of Representatives.  By designating it as a Governor's bill, Gov. Malloy will help elevate the likelihood that this bill will get voted on in a timely manner.  CCE is pleased to see this legislation being re-introduced and applauds Governor Malloy for making it a priority of his administration.

Of course, not all of these forward-thinking environmental and public health initiatives will pass this year.  Many will face vigorous opposition from industry groups that  view these proposals merely as burdensome and unnecessary regulations that will cut into corporate profits, despite the fact that they will provide significant environmental, health, and economic benefits to Connecticut.

In addition, environmental groups frequently find themselves working to advance legislation aimed at protecting the environment, while simultaneously having to remain on guard for legislative proposals that would be decidedly less "eco-friendly."  Every year, dozens of bad bill and rats (dangerously worded amendments that are added onto bills, often at the last minute, to weaken them or repeal parts of existing laws) emerge in the legislature in an attempt to limit or eliminate environmental protections.  CCE continues to remain vigilant in monitoring the House and Senate for environmentally harmful legislation, and will be sure to notify policy makers and the public if this occurs.

For now, there is much to be hopeful for in the realm of environmental protection in our State.  CCE is hard at work at the state house, organizing around any number of initiatives that would make Connecticut a cleaner, healthier place to live.  But with months remaining in the 2015 legislative session, only time will tell what kind of advancements the environmental community will be able to accomplish in Connecticut this year.