News Releases - 2020

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• 6/2/2020 DEEP Analysis of Air Quality During First Month of Pandemic Shows Significant Drop

  A preliminary analysis of air quality data gathered during the COVID-19 pandemic by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP)’s Bureau of Air Management has found that monitored levels for many air pollutants dropped significantly from mid-March to mid-April 2020.

• 8/14/2020 Media Availability: 10-person Group of Firefighters Returns Home Today from Fighting California Wildfire

  A 10-person group of trained wildland firefighters will return to Connecticut today after spending the last few weeks in the Modoc National Forest area in northeastern California.

• 9/9/2020 DEEP to Continue Outreach and Monitoring on Candlewood Lake and at State Boat Launches

  The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) announced today that Lattins Cove state boat launch on Candlewood Lake remains temporarily closed, while Squantz Cove state boat launch, also on Candlewood Lake, is back to full parking capacity.

• 7/17/2020 TODAY AT 1 PM - DEEP ANNOUNCES OPENING OF SOME INLAND SWIM AREAS AND OTHER RECREATIONAL AREAS

  (HARTFORD, CT) – Today at 1:00 p.m., Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Commissioner Katie Dykes will hold a news briefing at Stratton Brook State Park in Simsbury to announce the opening of some inland swim areas and other state recreational areas previously closed in response to COVID-19 heath concerns.

• 12/17/2020 DEEP Responds to Heating Oil Release in Avon

  DEEP Emergency Response Unit personnel this evening responded to a heating oil release in Avon, the result of an accident involving an oil truck, at the location of Nod Road and East Main Street, at the base of Avon Mountain.

• 7/14/2020 Interactions with Black Bears on the Rise in Connecticut

  Interactions between black bears and people are continuing their year-to-year rise, resulting in unprecedented numbers of complaints and requests for assistance, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) announced today.

• 8/6/2020 DEEP Advises Against Contact Recreation in Mill Brook, Packers Pond, and Quinnebaug River Below Mill Brook Intersection Over Next 48 Hours Due to Sewage Bypass

  The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) has been advised that 150,000 gallons of partially treated, but not disinfected, wastewater has bypassed the Plainfield Village wastewater treatment facility in Plainfield, CT.

• 11/17/2020 DEEP Announces Start of Firearms Deer Hunting Season

  The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) announced today that the 2020 Firearms Deer Hunting Season opens Wednesday, November 18.

• 6/30/2020 DEEP Announces Operation Dry Water 2020

  As boaters begin to prepare for the July 4th holiday weekend, law enforcement officers across Connecticut will be on heightened alert looking for those violating boating under the influence laws.

• 7/18/2020 Elevated Levels of Ozone for Western and Coastal Connecticut Over the July 18th Weekend

  Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is expecting several days of very warm weather, which will contribute to elevated ozone levels across parts of Connecticut. These levels may approach or exceed Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (USG) levels for western Connecticut, on Sunday, July 19, 2020. The impacted area includes western Connecticut as far inland as Cornwall and along the coast from Greenwich to Madison.

• 3/13/2020 DEEP Announces COVID-19 Operational Adjustments

• 11/23/2020 Statement from DEEP on CT's First Clean Energy Industry Report

  (HARTFORD, CT) – Vicki Hackett, Deputy Commissioner for Energy at the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), today released the following statement regarding the findings of Connecticut’s first clean energy industry report released November 10 and presented during a public webinar on Wednesday, November 18.

• 9/1/2020 DEEP Announces New Deputy Commissioner for Environmental Conservation

  he Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) announces its new Deputy Commissioner for Environmental Conservation, Mason Trumble, an outdoor educator with expertise in promoting and expanding access to outdoor recreation through innovative partnerships between the public and private sectors.

• 12/11/2020 Menhaden Fish Kills Reported Along Connecticut Shoreline, DEEP Believes Due to Naturally Occurring Factors

  In the past month, DEEP Fisheries Division staff have received and investigated numerous calls of reported sightings of dead fish along the Connecticut shoreline, from Darien to New London, and numerous points in between. These incidents, known as fish kills, involve a species of fish called Atlantic Menhaden, also known as “bunker.”

• 7/14/2020 Connecticut Joins Bi-Partisan Multi-State Effort to Green Truck Fleets

  Connecticut took another significant step forward in its effort to address the climate crisis and the health impacts of air pollution today as it joined 14 other states and the District of Columbia in signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to work collaboratively to advance and accelerate the market for electric medium- and heavy-duty vehicles.