News Releases - 2023

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• 6/8/2023 Air Quality to Remain at Unhealthy Levels through Thursday Due to Canadian Wildfire Smoke

  (HARTFORD)—Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is expecting smoke from wildfires over Quebec to continue to linger throughout the day on Thursday and result in elevated fine particulate matter (PM2.5) levels. These levels are expected to exceed Unhealthy levels for the entire state as the smoke slowly disperses throughout the day.

• 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.

• 4/5/2023 DEEP Invites You to Celebrate Spring Fishing Day April 8

  (HARTFORD) - The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) invites all residents and their families to celebrate Spring Fishing Day this Saturday, April 8, by getting out and going fishing, or by helping DEEP stock selected trout parks around the state.

• 10/3/2023 DEEP Announces Opening Days of Fall Hunting Seasons

  (HARTFORD) — Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) has announced the Opening Days of turkey and small game hunting seasons. A variety of hunting seasons are available each fall.

• 9/13/2023 DEEP Announces Urban Forestry Planning Grant Opportunity, Additional Grant Opportunities Coming Soon

  (HARTFORD) — The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is pleased to announce the Urban and Community Forestry Planning Grant Program with support from the U.S. Forest Service. This grant program is available to municipalities and non-profit organizations in Connecticut to pursue planning projects such as tree inventories, management plans, or other monitoring programs that will help communities make informed management decisions about their urban and community forests.

• 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.

• 2/17/2023 DEEP Statement on Connecticut Air Quality Inquiries

  The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (“DEEP”) has a statewide air quality monitoring network in place that constantly monitors the air we breathe and a practice of issuing air quality alerts if we have reason to believe our air quality will be impaired.

• 8/24/2023 DEEP Announces Connecticut Interstate Fire Crew's Return from Montana Deployment

  [HARTFORD, CT] – The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is thrilled to announce the safe return of the Connecticut Interstate Fire Crew (CIFC) following their recent deployment to Montana. Having deployed on August 8th, 2023, to the Colt fire a few miles northwest of Seely Lake, the crew of 16 battled fires in near red flag conditions.

• 1/25/2023 Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont Working Together on Multi-State Transmission Infrastructure

  (HARTFORD, CT) - A coalition of New England states today jointly announced steps they are taking to pursue federal funding designed to encourage transmission infrastructure investment.

• 11/22/2023 Celebrate the Winter Holidays at Two Connecticut State Park Museums - Visit Gillette Castle and Osborne Homestead Museum for Holiday Flair

  (HARTFORD) — The winter holiday season is upon us, and the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is celebrating with the festive transformation of two of its historic buildings: Gillette Castle in East Haddam and Osborne Homestead Museum in Derby. Enjoy the wonderous atmosphere created by special decorations that help set the tone for holiday cheer.

• 9/15/2023 DEEP and City of Stamford Highlight $1.3M in Climate Resilience Grants

  (STAMFORD, CT) — Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) Commissioner Katie Dykes and Stamford Mayor Caroline Simmons held a press conference today to highlight three separate climate resilience planning projects in Stamford that were part of the inaugural round of $8.8M in DEEP Climate Resilience Fund grants announced by Governor Lamont earlier this summer.

• 7/19/2023 DEEP Issues Recreation Safety Reminder Regarding High Water and Summer Weather Forecast

  (HARTFORD, CT) – The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (“DEEP”) is reminding residents and visitors to exercise caution when recreating in and on the water considering the recent extreme weather events impacting the state and the region.

• 7/11/2023 Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition and Urban Green and Community Garden Grant Rounds Open Through Oct. 2

  (HARTFORD) — The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is encouraging municipalities, land trusts, and water companies to apply for funding to aid in the purchase and protection of open space through the Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition (OSWA) Grant Program. This round of grants represents the 26th funding round of grants awarded under the program. Additionally, DEEP welcomes municipalities considered distressed or target investments communities to apply for funding through the Urban Green and Community Garden Program (UGCG). Both programs are accepting applications through October 2, 2023.

• 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.

• 9/13/2023 Fall Archery Deer and Turkey Seasons Open in September

  (HARTFORD) — Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) reminds hunters that the 2023 fall archery hunting seasons for deer and turkey open on Friday, September 15, on state and private land.