News Releases

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• 5/7/2025 DEEP Celebrates National Air Quality Awareness Week May 5-9

  (HARTFORD)—To mark National Air Quality Awareness week, which runs May 5-9, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) encourages the public to stay aware of the air quality around you, learn how to protect yourself on poor air quality days, and consider actions you can take to improve your local air quality.

• 6/13/2025 DEEP Announces Grant Recipients and New Funding Opportunity for Urban and Community Forestry

  (HARTFORD) — The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) announced today recipients of 2025 Urban and Community Forestry Planning and Urban Forested Natural Areas and Riparian Corridor Restoration grants. Over $184,000 will be granted to support 11 urban and community forestry projects in Bloomfield, Ellington, Mansfield, New London, North Stonington, Old Saybrook, Ridgefield, Stamford, and Stratford.

• 4/4/2025 ADVISORY: DEEP Issues Caution for CT River Users Following Sewer Line Break in East Windsor

• 5/23/2025 DEEP Highlights Connecticut State Parks as Memorial Day Weekend Kicks Off the Summer Tourism Season

  (HARTFORD, CT) – Memorial Day Weekend marks the unofficial start to the busy summer parks season, and the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is highlighting the extraordinary outdoor recreation opportunities our State Parks and Forests have to offer, some of the ways we’re working to improve access and the user experience in our parks, and important things to remember in order to have a fun, safe, summer.

• 7/25/2025 Reserve Your Seat With New DEEP & CTDOT ParkConneCT Excursions Program

  (HARTFORD) – The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) and the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) are pleased to announce a new focus for the collaborative ParkConneCT program. This program will now offer free bus transportation for special excursion trips to four designated events, including three popular No Child Left Inside® (NCLI) events during this summer season. These hands-on, guided excursions will use motorcoach buses that are ADA accessible and air-conditioned to provide convenient and comfortable transportation to pre-scheduled park activities and events. The new special excursion format replaces the special summer bus service to select parks offered in past years.

• 3/27/2025 DEEP Announces $15 Million in Grant Awards for Materials Management Infrastructure Grant Program

  (HARTFORD, CT) – The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is pleased to announce awards for the inaugural Materials Management Infrastructure (MMI) Grant Program. Fifteen million dollars in grant funds—to date the State’s largest investment in local and regional waste management infrastructure—have been made available through a competitive application process to Connecticut municipalities, councils of government, and regional waste authorities to support the development of waste management infrastructure in direct response to the solid waste disposal challenges that are impacting these entities.

• 5/2/2025 DEEP Issues Request for Proposals (RFP) for Food & Beverage Concessions in Three Connecticut State Parks

  (HARTFORD) — The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for qualified food service vendors to provide services to the public at existing concession buildings at Gillette Castle State Park in East Haddam, Lake Waramaug State Park in Kent, and Mount Tom State Park in Litchfield. The Lake Waramaug concession includes a camp store serving the park’s 73-site seasonal campground. The RFP is available on the CTsource Bid Board as solicitation number DEEP04212025MM, and proposals are due May 29th.

• 4/17/2025 Governor Lamont Announces $7.5 Million Now Available To Support Municipalities With Sustainable Waste Reduction

  (HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that $7.5 million in state funding is now available to support Connecticut’s municipalities in their efforts to increase recycling and diversion and augment their self-sufficiency in managing municipal solid waste disposal.

• 4/18/2025 DEEP Begins Cold Water Safety Campaign

  (HARTFORD) — With warm air temperatures forecast across the state this weekend, Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) wants to remind boaters – especially paddlers – about the dangers of early spring boating. DEEP urges any boaters heading out on the water to prioritize water safety during this season when the air warms but the water remains dangerously cold.

• 3/28/2025 DEEP Prepares for Spring Season at State Parks Resumes Fee Collection for Out-of-State Vehicles

  (HARTFORD) — Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is preparing for the Spring season at State Parks and Forests. Visitation starts to increase in the Spring as warmer temperatures and sunnier skies arrive.

• 4/14/2025 DEEP’s Client Concierge Service Celebrates Five Years of Excellence in Environmental Permitting Assistance

  (HARTFORD)— The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) recently celebrated the fifth anniversary of its Client Concierge Service. Established under DEEP’s successful 20 By 20 initiative and expanded in DEEP’s current 20 By 26 initiative to enhance transparency and efficiency, the Concierge Team has become DEEP’s front door for permitting assistance. Since then, the Concierge Team has guided hundreds of businesses, municipalities, and individuals through regulatory requirements and connected them with the right resources. Concierge has provided early permitting help to projects involving a tremendous range of issues: multiple permitting requirements or cross-cutting programmatic needs; waste organics; energy generation; solar and offshore wind-related permitting, including on brownfields and agricultural lands; economic development; large-scale filling; brownfields; transit-oriented development; green technology; and more.

• 3/19/2025 DEEP Reminds Residents To Exercise Caution During Spring Brush Fire Season

  (HARTFORD)—The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection is reminding residents that the typical spring brush fire season in Connecticut runs from mid-March through mid-May, and there are important precautions residents should take to minimize the likelihood of a fire.

• 3/13/2025 DEEP Bureau of Outdoor Recreation to Host Seasonal Job Fair March 16th

  (HARTFORD)--The Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP) is holding an event to promote a number of exciting seasonal positions offered within the agency. On March 16, DEEP will host a recruitment job fair at DEEP’s Western District Headquarters in Black Rock State Park, Watertown. DEEP’s seasonal jobs are great way to work outside this summer, with hourly rates ranging from $16.35 to $20 per hour. Seasonal positions are also an excellent first step for students or young professionals to kickstart a career in the environmental field.

• 7/8/2025 State of Connecticut Regarding U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Efforts to Control Invasive Hydrilla in Connecticut River

  (HARTFORD) – The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is providing more information about its role in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (the Army Corps) ongoing, multi-year project to control Hydrilla, an aggressive invasive aquatic plant, in the Connecticut River and other water bodies in the state.

• 4/23/2025 DEEP Asks Residents to Continue to Exercise Caution During Spring Brush Fire Season

  (HARTFORD) — The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is again advising Connecticut residents to take precautions to help minimize the likelihood of a fire. Spring fire season is underway; DEEP received reports of 40 wildfires from April 14 to April 21 alone, totaling approximately 300 acres. Most fires can be prevented because they are caused by human actions.