Connecticut Coalition for Environmental Justice

EJ Legislation Update

Friday April 4, 2003

Today, a watered-down version of our Bill passed from the Environment Committee to the floor of the House.  By a unanimous vote, it went to the floor with the understanding that it was a work in progress. 

Sections 2 and 3 of the proposed Bill were deleted Rep. Caruso who felt that streamlining it would help move it along.  He was especially concerned about the fiscal note that would bog it down in the Appropriations Committee.  Also, he was not enamored of the action plan concept.  His feeling was that the action plan concept would prompt no action at all; that the plans that were to be developed by the designated agencies would sit on a shelf.  In addition, he was opposed to the idea of including agencies other than the Siting Council, DPUC, and the DEP as it was his belief that these agencies were the only state agencies  responsible for the siting and permitting of facilities that would pollute the residents of CT’s EJ communities.

Senator Cook and many of the other  Republicans were opposed to the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO) being the agency responsible for review and oversight of the proposed action plans.  They stated two reasons for their concern:

  1.  CHRO did not have the expertise

  2.  CHRO’s involvement implies a civil rights angle.  They didn’t want this to be a race issue. 

The deletion of Section 2 of the proposed Bill also removed CHRO has the agency charged with the responsibility of reviewing the action plans, identifying any barriers to the achievement of environmental justice, and reporting recommendations to the Governor and legislature.