State Senator Edward Meyer
February 4, 2008
Meyer Appointed Senate Chairman of Environment Committee
Issues 5-point plan; calls for “a new day” for Connecticut’s environment
Senator Meyer speaks at the Meig’s Point Pavillion at Hammonassett State Park during the announcement of his appointment as Senate chairman of the Environment Committee. On the left is Kiki Kennedy, a board member of the Connecticut Fund for the Envionment and Save Our Sound; on the right is Senate President Pro Tempore Donald Williams. (February 4, 2008)
State Sen. Ed Meyer (D-Guilford), a resident of the Mulberry Point section of Guilford who has been vice-chairman of the Environment Committee for the past three years, was appointed today as Senate Chairman of the Environment Committee upon the retirement of former state Sen. Bill Finch of Bridgeport.
Overlooking the beach here and Long Island Sound at the Meigs' Point Pavilion at Hammonasset State Park, surrounded by representatives from over a dozen state environmental organizations and flanked by Senate President Donald E. Williams, Jr. (D-Brooklyn) and Kiki Kennedy of the Connecticut Fund for the Environment, Sen. Meyer called for "a new day for the environment of Connecticut" and issued a 5-point plan that he said he will pursue as Senate chairman of the Environment Committee.
"I pledge to work tirelessly on behalf of Connecticut's environment, from the Massachusetts border to Long Island Sound and everywhere in-between," Sen. Meyer said. "Living on the shore, I have a great respect for Connecticut's natural beauty. But that beauty and the quality of life that it provides are under attack on several fronts. I want a new day for the environment of Connecticut."
Sen. Meyer called for:
- Doing a better job of balancing business and economic growth with protecting Connecticut's environment. "Economic growth, as important as it is, should always consistent with a sound environment," he said.
- Performing an immediate review of the approximately 108 state companies that have permits to discharge into Connecticut's waterways. According to a recent news report, 80 of those companies are exceeding the limits of their discharge permits, and the permits of more than a dozen have expired--some as long as 10 years ago. "We need to get serious about this pollution. We need desperately to strengthen the state Department of Environmental Protection," Sen. Meyer said. "I don't think there's anything more important that the Environment Committee of the General Assembly of Connecticut can do than to bring about stronger enforcement by the DEP. I'm very concerned about this being a dysfunctional agency. We need to build it, strengthen it, and reorganize it if necessary."
- Increasing Connecticut's recycling efforts. "Only 30 percent of our waste is recycled," Sen. Meyer said, noting he would support expanding Connecticut's bottle bill and looking at so-called single-stream recycling.
- Increasing state investments in clean energy technology, such as fuel cells.
- Publicly declaring as state policy that there is such an event as global warming. "Connecticut needs to publicly recognize that there is indeed climate change on this planet and in this state, and that we are going to have to have a plan to deal with that," Sen. Meyer said.
"This is the perfect choice for co-chairman of the Environment Committee. I'm ecstatic," said Ms. Kennedy. "Ed is the perfect choice because he is a champion of environmental issues. He is a man of great integrity, fair-minded, and with great experience. He understands the complex regulatory framework at both the state and federal levels, so he will be able to apply his knowledge to that. Ed is also an incredible fighter who I know will stand up and work for us and our environment. He will not let Connecticut's environmental resources be polluted."
"I chaired the Environment Committee for four years. The issues that you deal with affect not our quality of life for today, but for generations to come," Sen. Williams said. "I couldn't be prouder or more pleased to announce Ed Meyer as the new Senate Chairman of the Environment Committee. His scope and his interest is statewide, and he has been involved in many critical environmental issues at the state level, from clean water and diesel pollution to protecting farmland and open space. I know Ed and the Environment Committee are going to make history as they continue moving Connecticut forward on the environment for generations to come."
The environmental groups attending Monday's announcement included: The Connecticut Forest & Park Association; Friends of Hammonasset; Citizens Campaign for the Environment; Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation; League of Conservation Voters; Watershed Partnership; Connecticut Fund for the Environment; Farmington River Watershed Association; Connecticut Audubon Society; National Audubon Society, Connecticut Chapter; Rivers Alliance; Sierra Club; Groton Open Space Association.
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Senator Meyer’s |
Listing of Senator Meyer’s recent press releases and a Press Kit with official head shots and bio. |
Press Aide Lawrence Cook |
