News Releases - 2023

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• 7/18/2023 DEEP Announces Free Swimming Lesson Program in Partnership with Boys Girls Club of New Britain

  (New Britain, CT) – Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz and Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (“DEEP”) Commissioner Katie Dykes joined local and state elected officials, and Boys & Girls Club of New Britain (BGCNB) leaders today to announce $250,000 to fund free swimming lessons to qualifying children at the BGCNB pool deck. The partnership with the BGCNB will enable children 17 and under to receive free swim lessons at the facility’s pool.

• 7/14/2023 DEEP to Renew Stakeholder Engagement on Bottle Bill Implementation

  (HARTFORD) — The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is seeking public input on the implementation of recent and upcoming changes to Connecticut’s Bottle Bill, and will be holding a public meeting on this process on Monday, July 24 at 1 p.m. In order to maximize transparency and engagement with all stakeholders interested in Bottle Bill implementation, DEEP will convene a Bottle Bill Advisory Group that will meet regularly in coming months.

• 2/3/2023 DEEP Launches Free Swimming Lesson Program in Partnership with Connecticut YMCAs

  (WATERBURY, CT) – Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz and Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (“DEEP”) Commissioner Katie Dykes joined U.S. Senator Chris Murphy, D-Conn., U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes (CT-05), local and state elected officials, and YMCA leaders today to announce $1.5 million to fund free swimming lessons to qualifying children. The partnership with the YMCA will enable 14 participating YMCA pools in the state to offer lessons over the next three years.

• 6/29/2023 DEEP Reminds Visitors to State Parks to Plan Ahead this Weekend Arrive Early and Have a Back-up Plan

  (HARTFORD) — Ahead of the July 4th Weekend, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), the Connecticut State Police, and municipal leaders remind visitors to state parks and boat launches to plan ahead, arrive early, and have a back-up plan in case the location of your choice is full and closed to new visitors.

• 4/20/2023 New Connecticut Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report Shows Overall Emissions Decline but Need for Further, Faster Reductions

  (HARTFORD, CT) – The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (“DEEP”) published its latest Greenhouse Gas Emissions (“GHG”) Inventory, the most comprehensive accounting of the state’s air pollution that contributes to climate change. While the state is making progress, there is work to be done to meet pollution reduction goals set by the legislature. The legislature established those goals to improve the health of Connecticut residents, create opportunities for Connecticut businesses, and reduce energy costs for all Connecticut residents.

• 8/10/2023 DEEP’s Next No Child Left Inside® Families in the Parks Program is Saturday August 12, 2023

  (HARTFORD) — The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) presents its next 2023 No Child Left Inside® (NCLI) Families in the Parks Program at Fort Trumbull State Park in New London on Saturday, August 12, 2023, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. alongside DEEP’s Fish with CARE team.

• 6/1/2023 DEEP Unveils Sign Honoring Legacy of Venture Smith at Venture’s Farm Site in Barn Island Wildlife Management Area

  (HARTFORD)--The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) recently unveiled a newly installed sign to commemorate Venture Smith, a man enslaved in West Africa around the age of 10 and brought to New England, where he worked for 26 years before buying his own freedom and that of his two sons, his wife, his daughter, and several other Africans.

• 7/1/2023 DEEP Forecasts PM2.5 Levels on Saturday will be “Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups” for the Entire State from Canadian Wildfire Smoke; DPH Shares Health Effects Information and Suggests Protective Measures

  (HARTFORD)—Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is expecting smoke from wildfires over Quebec to elevate fine particulate matter (PM2.5) levels on Saturday, July 1. These levels are expected to reach Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (USG) levels for the entire state. The Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) also is issuing guidance and information on protective measures. Ozone levels (smog) are also expected to reach USG levels in Fairfield and New Haven counties.

• 12/1/2023 EnCon Police Make Arrest in Fatal Boating Accident

  (HARTFORD) — The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) Environmental Conservation (EnCon) Police arrested an individual in connection with the fatal boating accident that occurred on July 10, 2022, on the Connecticut River in Portland. An extensive investigation was conducted by EnCon officers and the department’s Boating Accident Reconstruction Unit (BARU) leading to the arrest.

• 1/20/2023 2023 Connecticut Junior Duck Stamp Art Competition Welcomes Entries through March 15, 2023

  (HARTFORD, CT) – Attention all creative young artists and art educators in Connecticut! Entries are now being accepted for the 2023 Connecticut Junior Duck Stamp Art Competition. This annual competition is coordinated and sponsored by the Connecticut Waterfowl Association, in cooperation with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) Wildlife Division. The competition is part of a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) environmental education program known as the Federal Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Program.

• 4/21/2023 Black Bear Bites Woman in Avon

  (HARTFORD, CT) – The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (“DEEP”) Environmental Conservation Police, along with DEEP wildlife biologists and officers from the Avon Police Department, responded to a black bear attack that occurred earlier this morning in the town of Avon.

• 10/17/2023 DEEP Advises Motorists to Watch for Moose

  (HARTFORD) — The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is urging motorists to exercise caution as a moose was spotted earlier this evening near exit 40 off Interstate 91 South in Windsor Locks.

• 2/3/2023 DEEP to Host 17th Annual No Child Left Inside® Winter Festival

  (HARTFORD, CT) – Winter is a great time to celebrate the outdoors, so children and their caregivers are invited to join the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s (DEEP) No Child Left Inside® 17th annual Winter Festival at Burr Pond State Park, 384 Burr Mountain Road, Torrington. Multiple outdoor winter activities for the entire family are planned for Sunday, February 5, 2022, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Winter Festival is a partnership between DEEP’s No Child Left Inside® and Fish with CARE (Connecticut Aquatic Resources Education) programs along with the City of Torrington.

• 9/1/2023 State Emergency Response Commission to Conduct Interagency Emergency Preparedness Training Exercise Sept. 7

  (HARTFORD) – The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) announced today that several emergency preparedness and response agencies will gather on September 7 in Bridgeport and Fairfield to conduct a full-scale field training emergency preparedness exercise.

• 9/20/2023 Governor Lamont Announces Launch of CTParks.com: A Cutting-Edge Website Showcasing Connecticut State Parks

  (HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced the launch of CTParks.com, the new official website for Connecticut State Parks. The website offers visitors with an innovative online platform showcasing Connecticut State Parks in a more exciting, user-friendly way to help them engage with, learn about, and access state parks and the areas around them.