Geraldo Reyes Jr

The House of Representatives and Senate passed an updated Environmental Justice bill, which was one of my top priorities in this legislative session. Waterbury is the poster child for environmental injustice, and this bill is designed to clean our air, protect our natural resources, and prevent more polluters from coming to our community.
 
Senate Bill 1147 will give regulators, like the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) and the state’s Siting Council, more power to block future polluting facilities in industrial cities like ours. Those regulators will now be able to deny a permit for a new facility, such as power plants, sewage treatment centers, waste incinerators, and landfills, based on the cumulative impact of existing environmental and public health issues.

Unwavering support for updated Environmental Justice bill.

 

The proposal also requires future applicants to be more transparent, which is one of the main reasons the existing Environmental Justice bill needed updating from 2008. Under the SB 1147, applicants that want to expand or build new polluting facilities would have to post about their campaigns online and send mail about public meetings. They would also have to accept feedback at these meetings or written comments.
 
These polluting facilities are disproportionately causing harm to low-income communities and communities of color by contributing to higher rates of asthma, respiratory illnesses, and other conditions in cities like Waterbury, Hartford, New Haven, and Bridgeport.
 
Governor Ned Lamont is expected to sign this bill into law, and it will take effect on October 1. I want to thank my colleagues who helped put this together. It’s a step in the right direction toward protecting our environment and our residents.