Connecticut Coalition for
Environmental Justice

English Station

English Station is located on an island at the mouth of the Mill River on Grand Avenue in the Fair Haven neighborhood of New Haven. Originally owned by United Illuminating Company (UI), which also operated the Harbor Station plant (one of the "filthy five"), ES was transferred to Quinnipiac Energy Corporation (QE), a company newly organized by former UI executives. English Station had been closed since 1992 because of obsolescence and inefficiency issues. QE planned to reopen the plant using oil, a highly polluting fuel (only coal is dirtier!). What is worse Qunnipiac Energy wanted to operate the plant during peak demand periods, a time when air pollution is at its highest; QE even planned to operate the plant at full capacity.

New Haven Environmental Justice knew operating ES would significantly increase the emission of nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, and particulates, all of which have detrimental effects on human health. Moreover, the additional pollution generated by English Station could not be justified by New Haven's or even Connecticut's energy needs. The city's existing plant already exports power to other parts of the state, and pipeline is currently being built from New Haven to Long Island to export power there. The extra energy provided by ES would thus primarily benefit people in the suburbs (both in CT and NY), lowering their utility bills at the expense of the health of city residents.

NHEJN organized a strong movement of neighborhood opposition to the proposed re-opening of English Station that convinced the state Department of Environmental Protection to refuse the  bid by Quinnipiac Energy.