Environmental Quality in Connecticut

The Council on Environmental Quality is a nine-member board that was created 40 years ago to:

• Assess the condition of Connecticut's environment and report its findings annually to the Governor, and recommend actions to improve state environmental programs. 
• Advise other state agencies on the environmental impacts of proposed construction projects. 
• Investigate citizens' complaints and allegations of violations of environmental law

 They recently released their annual report, Environmental Quality in Connecticut, which reports the 2010 trends for:

Air

Farm, Forest and Wetland

Sound and Shore

Rivers and Reservoirs

Human Health

Personal Impact

One of the interesting findings is that at the current rate, Connecticut will not be able to reach its goal of preserving farmland in the state until the 22nd century! Below is a brief summary excerpt of the report's findings. To read the full report, please visit http://www.ct.gov/ceq/cwp/view.asp?a=4050&q=473874

Improved or Held Steady at a Positive Level in 2010:

• Drinking Water Quality
• Oxygen Levels in Long Island Sound
• Clean Shellfish Beds
• Bald Eagles & Piping Plovers
• Inland Wetlands

What these improvements have in common:  They are the results of effective regulatory programs and modest public capital investments.

 

Declined or Held Steady at a Level Insufficient to Meet Goals:

• Beach Closings
• Forest, Field, and Farm Conservation
• Lobsters
• Sewage-free Rivers
• Days of Unhealthful Air 

What these deficiencies have in common: Most will require substantial public capital investment or, in some cases, improved strategies before goals will be met.

 

Trends in Personal Impact indicators:

• Connecticut residents used electricity more efficiently at work but wasted more at home. Future electric bills might not improve: most of the refrigerators and air conditioners bought in Connecticut were not the most efficient models.
• Residents again took the bus less often, but they also drove less.
• Compliance with environmental laws remained below 90 percent for the second year in a row.