Month: May 2019

Sen. Cohen Supports Senate Passage of Bans
on Fracking Waste and Offshore Drilling

HARTFORD, CT – Today, state Senator Christine Cohen (D-Guilford) brought two important Environment Committee bills onto the state Senate floor — statewide bans on fracking waste and offshore drilling. Each bill advanced out of the state Senate by a unanimous vote and now await action by the state House of Representatives and a signature from Governor Ned Lamont to become law.

“I am pleased to see these bills pass the state Senate and head to the House,” said Sen. Cohen, who is also Co-chair of the Environment Committee. “Both offshore drilling and fracking waste wreak havoc on marine wildlife and waterways and pose a major threat to the state’s shoreline. Banning offshore drilling and fracking waste will protect the health of our state’s citizens, environment and marine wildlife.”

Offshore Drilling Ban

Senate Bill 588, “An Act Prohibiting Off-Shore Drilling For Oil And Gas In Connecticut,” will ban drilling for oil or gas, whether exploratory or otherwise, statewide. SB 588 also bans using sound wave technology to locate and map rocks and other geological formations that may contain oil or gas to facilitate exploring or drilling for oil or gas, referred to as seismic mapping.

This legislation will also prohibit all state agencies, including the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, from issuing or approving a permit, lease, contract, or conveyance for, or relating to, drilling for oil or gas or seismic mapping in state waters.

According to Oceana, an international organization which works to protect and restore oceans across the World, pollution caused by offshore drilling negatively effects marine and other wildlife. There is also a risk of catastrophic spills and blowouts. According to the Connecticut Audubon Society, offshore drilling causes severe harm to the Long Island Sound, putting thousands of sea and coastal birds at risk.

The Connecticut League of Conservation voters provided public testimony in favor of this legislation stating that spills from offshore drilling harms our water supply, beaches and will hurt coastal businesses. They also testified that the loud sounds caused by seismic mapping, confuses animals that communicate by similar methods and in some cases can cause permanent hearing damage. Prior to advancing out of the state Senate, this legislation was voted out of the Environment Committee by a bipartisan 27-2 vote.

Fracking Waste Ban

Senate Bill 753, “An Act Concerning The State-Wide Ban On Fracking Waste,” will expand upon the already implemented prohibition on certain activities involving fracking waste. Current law imposes a narrower ban that generally applies to accepting; receiving, collecting, storing, treating, transferring, and disposing of fracking waste until the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) commissioner adopts regulations to, among other things, control it as hazardous waste. DEEP has not adopted such regulations.

SB 753 permanently prohibits accepting, receiving, collecting, storing, treating, transferring, selling, acquiring, handling, applying, processing, and disposing of hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) waste, natural gas waste, or oil waste in Connecticut. This legislation will also require anyone exploring for oil or gas to register with DEEP on a form the commissioner prescribes.

Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, refers to the process of pumping fluid into or under the ground’s surface for purposes of fracturing rock to explore for, develop, produce, or recover natural gas. This legislation will broaden the definition by also applying it to oil and other subsurface hydrocarbons. The bill also provides that “waste from hydraulic fracturing” includes any substances that are associated with fracking.

According to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, natural gas and hydraulic fracturing-associated chemicals can travel through cracks in the rocks and seep into underground drinking water sources, severely contaminating the water. This bill received support from Environment and Human Health Inc., which provided testimony stating that in states where fracking has taken place, groundwater has been contaminated, rivers have been polluted and it has put the health of people and animals at risk. Currently, New York, Maryland and Vermont have statewide fracking bans. This legislation received bipartisan support in the Environment Committee, passing 28-1.

Cohen, Fellow Lawmakers and Citizens Campaign
for the Environment Unveil Plastic Bag Ban Implementation Details

HARTFORD, CT – Today, Environment Committee co-chairs state Senator Christine Cohen (D-Guilford) and state Representative Mike Demicco (D-Farmington) were joined by fellow lawmakers, the Connecticut League of Conservation Voters and the Citizens Campaign for the Environment at a press conference to unveil the details of legislation to ban single-use plastic bags.

“As municipalities across the state enact bans on single-use plastic bags it sends a clear message that action must be taken,” said Sen. Cohen. “The time is now to pass legislation that will ban these bags that are contributing to pollution in our oceans and forests, as well as on our highways, beaches and in our parks. This bill will get us one step closer to ensuring that our environment and wildlife are not harmed by plastic bags and provides Connecticut’s businesses with enough time to find environmentally conscious alternatives.”

Senate Bill 1003, “An Act Concerning the Use of Single-Use Plastic and Paper Bags,” will prohibit stores from providing and/or selling plastic single-use carryout bags at the point of sale. It will also require any paper single-use carryout bag to be 100 percent recyclable and have at least 40 percent post-consumer recycled content. Paper bags will also be required to conspicuously display, “please reuse and recycle this bag,” on the bag.

SB 1003 will go into effect upon passage, setting these changes in motion for a state ban by July 1, 2021. The bill passed the Environment Committee by a bipartisan 25-4 vote on March 25. This legislation awaits action by the state Senate and House of Representatives. The Senate anticipates hearing the proposal this week. Rep. Demicco said this legislation will curb the single-use plastic habit that is harming the environment.

“There is a dire need to address the single-use plastics our society uses on a daily basis and acknowledge that it directly impacts our environment, waterways and wildlife,” said Rep. Demicco.

Single-use plastic bags contribute to pollution at parks, beaches, roads, waterways and can easily be swept into storm drains and cause severe blockages. According to the Citizens Campaign for the Environment, these single-use bags do not fully break down and are oftentimes mistaken as food by aquatic wildlife. State Senator Will Haskell (D-Westport) spoke at the press conference and said a plastic bag ban will greatly benefit the state.

“Ten years ago, my hometown became the first municipality in Connecticut to ban plastic bags,” said Sen. Haskell. “It’s about time we bring the ban to the state level. Plastic bags pose a tangible threat to our environment, and Hartford needs to stand up for communities that rely on the Long Island Sound. I’m grateful for the hard work of my colleagues on the Environment Committee as well as the many activists in my community who have worked on this issue for years. Together, I’m hopeful we can cross the finish line and adopt more sustainable habits.”

Single-use paper bags pose a risk to the environment as well, as 14 million trees are cut down annually and these single-use paper bags take up more space in the municipal solid waste stream than plastic bags, according to the Citizens Campaign for the Environment. Louis Burch, the Connecticut Program Director of the Citizens Campaign for the Environment, said the time is now to pass legislation to rid our state of single-use checkout bags.

“It’s time to make single-use checkout bags a thing of the past in Connecticut,” said Burch. “The dominoes are falling all around us—more than 15 towns in CT have taken action to eliminate plastic bags, and a dozen more stand poised to do the same. Now it’s the state’s turn to kick the plastic bag habit. The people want the state to pass an effective bag law; one that eliminates plastic pollution and promotes reusable bag use. The people of Connecticut are ready to give up single-use bags for good. Now it’s time for state lawmakers to answer the call.”

Currently, New York, California and Hawaii have statewide single-use plastic bag bans. Across the country, cities and towns are implementing their own bans and across the state, Hamden, Mansfield, Middletown, New Canaan, New Britain, Norwalk, Stamford, Weston, Greenwich and Westport have passed single-use plastic bag bans.

Cohen-Introduced Bill to Ban Smoking and Vaping
at State Park Beaches Advances in Senate

HARTFORD, CT – Today, the state Senate advanced legislation to ban smoking and vaping at state park beaches by a bipartisan 33-3 vote. State Senator Christine Cohen (D-Guilford) co-introduced this legislation, led debate on the state Senate floor, and said this ban will positively affect the state park beach experience for beach-goers.

“I am thrilled to see the state Senate move this bill forward,” said Sen. Cohen. “This legislation prioritizes the health of our environment and the many individuals who enjoy our state park beaches.”

Senate Bill 752, “An Act Concerning Smoking and Vaping on Beaches in State Parks,” will ban all smoking and vaping on a beach located in a state park. This legislation bans the use of cigarettes, e-cigarettes, cigars, pipes and any other device with lighted tobacco in specified areas.

The Department of Environmental Protection (DEEP) will post a notification of this law on its website and park attendants will inform the public of this law when they enter the park. The DEEP commissioner may also enforce a warning for the first violation. The second violation is an infraction and will result in a fine. If enacted, this law will go into effect on July 1, 2019.

Sen. Cohen said this legislation is imperative to preserving our state park beaches and ensuring all who visit are not subject to the health risks associated with second hand smoke from cigarettes or vaping devices.

Multiple studies have been conducted on the health risks associated with secondhand smoke from e-cigarettes. According to the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine, electronic cigarettes emit potentially toxic substances. The American Lung Association, which has provided public testimony in favor of this legislation, reported that E-cigarettes produce dangerous chemicals which can cause lung and heart disease. The United States Surgeon General has also warned against the risks of inhaling secondhand smoke from e-cigarettes.
In addition to the health risks involved with inhaling secondhand smoke, vaping and smoking at state park beaches also contributes to pollution and ocean pollution. Due to cigarette filters not being biodegradable, they can release toxins into the air and put all at risk.

If signed into law, Connecticut will join Maine with a statewide ban on smoking at a beach in a state park. New Jersey also enacted a ban on smoking at all public beaches in January.

This legislation will additionally allow DEEP to expand the number of people who can participate in group fishing licenses provided to tax exempt organizations from 50 individuals to 100 and allows DEEP to provide a rebate to agents that issue fishing and hunting licenses for the purchase of equipment and software required when issuing fishing and hunting licenses. The agent must prove a hardship in purchasing the required equipment.

Prior to passing the state Senate, this bill advanced out of the Environment Committee 25-4. It now awaits action by the state House of Representatives and a signature by Governor Ned Lamont.