Environmental Justice
DEEP reinforces our commitment to Environmental Justice and supports equitable access to our energy and environmental permit processes and programs through Goals 7, 8, and 19.
Goal 7 of 20BY26 reinforces our commitment to Environmental Justice (EJ) by guiding DEEP’s work drafting regulations to implement the Legislature’s mandates in Public Act 23-202. This statute increased the public participation requirements for applications for DEEP permits and, for the first time, authorized the Commissioner to consider the cumulative impact of existing health and environmental stressors in an EJ community when evaluating certain permit applications. DEEP will engage community members from the outset of regulations development, resulting in a new set of rules to protect our most vulnerable communities. Background on this goal is presented in DEEP’s 20BY26, Setting the Target: CT DEEP 2026 Goals (February 2024).
Latest Progress (as of Winter 2025)
DEEP continues to develop the framework for EJ regulations by engaging key stakeholders, including regulated industries, environmental justice communities, and environmental advocates.
In March 2025:
- DEEP’s Industry Working Group hosted staff from New Jersey’s Department of Environmental Protection to share what they learned from the development of their 2023 EJ regulations.
- DEEP convened a meeting of the Environmental Justice Program Manager from CT DPH and the Executive Director of Yale’s Center on Climate and Health to speak to the Advocates Task Force about public health and cumulative impacts.
- DEEP hosted two public workshops, one virtual and the other at Housatonic Community College in Bridgeport, for about 100 people including community educators, members of the public, city councilman, members of PT Partners, and other residents.
The workshops assessed public comments received and engaged participants about what types of data are important to measure in a cumulative impacts assessment.
Up Next
The team will continue to convene industry, advocates, and the public to discuss the cumulative impacts tool, including what geographic scale we should use when comparing cumulative impacts!
GOAL 7 PROGRESS FROM PREVIOUS QUARTERS
Fall 2024
DEEP received 10 proposals and selected 1 vendor to develop 2 EJ mapping tools, including a cumulative impacts tool, starting in 2025. In November 2024, DEEP met with 20 advocates to receive feedback on the EJ Public Participation Plan presentation and worksheet. DEEP kicked off a new Industry Working Group to advise on model regulatory language. The first meeting occurred in November 2024, was attended by 38 participants, and included a discussion of takeaways from New Jersey's EJ public participation notice and engagement regulations and requirements. DEEP also held and recorded the second Public Participation Plans workshop virtually and in-person in Hartford, with over 100 participants.
Summer 2024
DEEP hosted 12 stakeholder sessions on the history of the EJ Law in CT and key regulatory concepts with a timeline for development, including meeting with the Commission on Racial Equity and Public Health. In September 2024, DEEP hosted the official kickoff meeting for regulations development, which was well attended by 90 participants. We also launched a Campaign Monitor subscription email list for EJ updates, published a webpage for regulations development materials and schedule, and established a contact email inbox at DEEP.EJrulemaking@ct.gov . DEEP also released a Request for Proposals (RFP) that closed at the end of September for a consultant to develop a cumulative impacts assessment tool to help industry comply with the upcoming new regulations.
Winter and Spring 2024
DEEP held informational sessions for stakeholder groups to introduce the rulemaking process, timeline, underlying framework, and need for the EJ regulations. DEEP partnered with Save the Sound and community EJ advocates to set up an Advocates Task Force to advise the rulemaking process.
Goal 8 challenges DEEP to learn from and incorporate all communities in its mission. This goal commits DEEP to developing tools to increase the awareness and accessibility of information about what meaningful public participation is, in accordance with Connecticut’s Environmental Justice Law’s (EJ Law), and how to get involved in the permitting process. Background on this goal is presented in DEEP’s 20BY26, Setting the Target: CT DEEP 2026 Goals (February 2024).
Latest Progress (as of Winter 2025)
DEEP is working to upload EJ Public Participation Plans and Reports to CT Open Data Portal to broaden public access.
Up Next
DEEP will provide public resources to clarify commonly used terms, such as EJ communities and Distressed Municipalities, and uploading digitized EJ Public Participation Plans and Reports on our website.
GOAL 8 PROGRESS FROM PREVIOUS QUARTERS
Fall 2024
DEEP held a December 2024 stakeholder workshop for EJ rulemaking that covered public participation (described above in Goal 7).
Summer 2024
DEEP digitized all EJ public participation plans, reports, and Community Environmental Benefit Agreements produced pursuant to CGS section 22a-20a and developed a tracking protocol for these documents.
Winter and Spring 2024
DEEP’s Office of Equity and Environmental Justice, along with its permitting and programmatic partners, created new guidance on public participation requirements in CT's EJ Law and a webpage on how to participate in the permitting process.
Through Goal 19 of 20BY26, DEEP will establish Community Resource Hubs, through multi-year contracts in partnership with qualified organizations to serve in urban and rural Environmental Justice (EJ) communities across the state. This initiative is part of DEEP’s broader mission of ensuring equitable access to environmental and energy programs, grants, and services, particularly in communities historically overburdened by environmental challenges. Background on this goal is presented in DEEP’s 20BY26, Setting the Target: CT DEEP 2026 Goals (February 2024).
Latest Progress (as of Winter 2025)
DEEP released the Community Hubs Request for Qualifications (RFQ) on January 15, 2025.
In February 2025, DEEP hosted an informational session and a Meet and Greet over Zoom. About 50 participants from across Connecticut’s 8 counties joined the meeting to learn more about the RFQ and how their proposals will be evaluated. The Meet and Greets were a great success in facilitating discussions between eligible entities and sparking collaboration on Hub applications! DEEP also created a Community Hub Clearinghouse, a database for interested applicants to the Community Resource Hubs RFQ. Staff were able to use the information from the database to facilitate potential partnerships between organizations and to connect with organizations who provide technical support.
In March 2025, DEEP received 5 complete proposals for the Hub initiative and began its review. The evaluation committee for this RFQ included at least one staff from each bureau across the agency and a member of CEEJAC. Additionally, DEEP worked with Emerald Cities Collaborative (ECC) to assist the Hubs team in developing key internal resources and collaboration for helping Hubs engage communities in DEEP programs. ECC surveyed DEEP’s programmatic staff on urban forestry, energy efficiency, and clean vehicles to learn more about existing community engagement, key barriers, and expectations.
Up Next
ECC is working on compiling survey results to present to DEEP staff in April 2025. DEEP is hoping to release selected Hub(s) in Fall 2025. Please stay tuned as we continue to develop this initiative, register for the public information sessions, and email if you have additional ideas at DEEP.EJ@ct.gov.
GOAL 19 PROGRESS FROM PREVIOUS QUARTERS
Fall 2024
DEEP launched its Community Hubs webpage and released a Public Notice and Draft Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to solicit public feedback on the initial design and evaluation of potential applicants in October 2024. We conducted 2 public meetings, solicited feedback from CEEJAC, and then held public office hours to answer any specific questions and receive additional public comments.
Overall, DEEP received 10 formal written responses to the draft RFQ and received more comments during the public meetings. DEEP worked to transform the comments into a final draft RFQ based on public feedback and provided a technical assistance clearinghouse to connect potential applicants with each other. DEEP required Letters of Support as a part of all applications to address public concerns about an organization’s level of involvement with the EJ Community.
Summer 2024
DEEP developed a short concept paper to capture the goals and potential services Community Hubs could provide and began developing a draft Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to be released for extensive stakeholder comment and engagement before being finalized. The Hubs concept was presented to the Connecticut Equity & Environmental Justice Advisory Council (CEEJAC) in June 2024.
Winter and Spring 2024
This stakeholder-suggested goal was launched in August 2024.
Content last updated July 2025