HARTFORD, Conn. — The state Legislature passed a wide-ranging energy reform bill that advocates say could lead to lower electric rates but that opponents maintain could ultimately hurt ratepayers. The 129-page bill, considered one of the biggest changes to the state’s electric industry since deregulation 12 years ago, passed on a 20-14 vote. This update includes

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A new addition to this story that originally appeared on May 1:  Eastern Connecticut State University’s new Science Building was designed for LEED Silver Certification for its use of gray water to irrigate and its many other green features. In addition, a geothermal system provides heat and air conditioning to a 62,973-square-foot residence hall, the largest

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Connecticut College students took to the rooftops to demonstrate their passion for the environment this Earth Week. Members of the College’s Renewable Energy Club (REC), a student group dedicated to encouraging energy conservation, organized the “Rooftop Rally for Renewable Energy,” a benefit concert to raise money to install solar panels for New London’s Water Street

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Salem, Conn. — A key piece of land in the heart of the Eightmile River’s watershed soon could be in the hands of a local conservation group.

Gov. M. Jodi Rell said Connecticut’s strong commitment to environmental protection and conservation through innovative initiatives and individual effort earned national recognition today during a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Merit Awards ceremony today in Boston. “On this 40th anniversary of Earth Day we should all take pride in the recognition our state has garnered

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Gov. M. Jodi Rell has announced that a full slate of activities is planned at the State Capitol on April 22 to mark the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. “On April 22, 1970, millions of Americans showed their support for the environment on the first Earth Day,” Governor Rell said. “This April 22, on the

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On Monday, April 19, 2010, U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney joined representatives of NOAA’s Restoration Center, U.S. Department of Agriculture – Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, FishAmerica Foundation, Restore America’s Estuaries (RAE), the Connecticut DEP, and the Connecticut Fund for the Environment at the dedication of the Bride Brook restoration

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Join Patrick Comins, Director of Bird Conservation for Audubon Connecticut, and members of the Bolton Conservation Commission, as they retrace the 3-mile route of a Breeding Landbird study Comins performed in June of 1999. On Saturday, April 24, from 8:30 to 11 a.m. Comins will explain the purpose of the study and how it determined

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The Rockfall Foundation will recognize the outstanding volunteer service of four Middlesex County residents at its 75th Anniversary dinner celebration, “75 Years Green.. and Growing,” to benefit the Green Grants Program at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, May 6, 2010, at the RiverHouse at Goodspeed Station in Haddam, Connecticut. Katchen Coley, Raul de Brigard, Jeanne C. Dilworth

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The Hospital of Central Connecticut (HCC) today announced its newest commitment to air and water quality standards and diminishing its environmental impact by implementing several of the Stericycle company’s waste stream solutions.

In a move that could save millions of fish and their eggs, New York State has curtailed water intake at a number of power plants and other industrial facilities.

Gov. M Jodi Rell has announced that funds are available to assist cities and towns and land conservation organizations with the purchase and preservation of open space lands through the state’s Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition program. The deadline for applications is Monday, May 3, 2010. Be sure to use the application dated January,

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A recent land deal has protected more than 500 acres of forest in Mansfield, Storrs and Willington. WNPR’s Nancy Cohen reports. via Land Deal Protects Hundreds of Acres in CT | Connecticut Public Broadcasting Network. See also: Mansfield, Willington To Preserve 531 Acres Of Land – Courant.com. What started out nearly a decade ago as

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The Hospital of Central Connecticut (HCC) today announced its newest commitment to air and water quality standards and diminishing its environmental impact by implementing several of the Stericycle company’s waste stream solutions. These “green” initiatives are implemented with Stericycle, which provides the hospital’s medical waste disposal and other services. The initiatives focus on reusable sharps

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The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) today announced that the prohibition on the taking of alewives and blueback herring from most inland and marine waters of the State of Connecticut has been extended for another year. This action was initially taken in April of 2002, and then extended each successive year. The current action by

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Below is a summary of the 14 workshops currently scheduled for the two afternoon break out sessions for our upcoming Smart Growth Conference on March 18.  You will have your choice of attending one workshop during each session.  There may be some unforeseen changes and/or adjustments to the workshops over the next ten days but

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On Feb. 2, 2010, Premiere Hotel and Suites, New Haven’s only extended stay hotel, received certification as a Green Hotel by the State of Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection. The hotel is the first and only Green Hotel in the Greater New Haven area. “Our recent Green Hotel designation is a win for the both

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How important are individuals and small groups to the environmental movement and the coastal habitat restoration community in particular? A new report from Restore America’s Estuaries (RAE) says they are invaluable. “Hope for Coastal Habitats: People, Partnerships, and Projects Making a Difference” profiles people, organizations, and projects across the country, in a wide variety of

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Return of Great Park Pursuit for 5th Consecutive Year Environmental programming at State Capitol on April 22 The Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Amey Marrella and U.S. EPA-New England Administrator Curt Spalding today announced the opening of registration for the Great Park Pursuit and plans for Connecticut’s celebration of the 40th Earth Day.

The Wilton Go Green Festival, scheduled to take place on May 2, will be a town-wide day of education and exploration focused on energy conservation and sustainable living. The event will offer in-depth information about energy and building, transportation, watershed, land and food, and waste management. The festival will run from 11 to 4 p.m.

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