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CLOSING ARGUMENT JUNE 14, 2021 ■ 47

EDITORIAL BOARD

across disciplines, but there will report makes clear that the
always be a need for specialists impending lack of staff on the
to make sure the decisions are environmental quality side will
being made based on the best impact the service and continu-
science available. The CREATE report ity of protection for the public
Two key initiatives of DEEP suggests that reducing from “hazardous environmen-
are important to this discus- enforcement is a potential tal issues.” Indeed, DEEP has
sion: 1) the addition of energy solution to the staffing already acknowledged that it is
to the DEEP mission, and 2) problem, but that will be not able to do inspections and
the streamlining of the regula- detrimental to public and enforce permit requirements.
tory process. Both have already environmental health. The CREATE report suggests
adversely impacted the envi- that reducing enforcement is a
ronmental quality/conservation potential solution to the staff-
side of the agency and will con- ing problem, but that will be
tinue to do so during this HR detrimental to public and envi-
transition, if not addressed. ronmental health.
In 2011, energy was added to the environmen- Finally, it must be noted that DEEP’s environ-
tal protection agency creating the current DEEP. mental quality and conservation divisions do not
Advancing clean energy and climate change miti- just work on regulatory programs. They also pro-
gation became a major focus of the department, vide technical assistance, gather scientific data,
while the environmental quality side was urged to and administer federal grants. With DEEP se-
streamline its regulatory process. On its face, that verely understaffed, who will be left to assist local
might sound good, but it is not when you look inland wetland commissions? Who will oversee
more closely. the EPA 319 non-point source pollution program?
Addressing climate change through mitigation How much federal funding is being left on the ta-
and adaptation requires that all DEEP divisions ble for programs like Long Island Sound because
work with other state agencies. The reality at DEEP DEEP does not have the human resources to ad-
is that the energy and environmental protection minister the funds? After years of improvement to
efforts are virtually siloed. One unfortunate conse- the environment DEEP will no longer be capable
quence is the promoting of clean energy through of ensuring environmental quality to Connecticut
the siting of large-scale solar, which has ended up residents, nor will it be able to meet the challenges
with the loss of prime farmland and clear-cutting of climate change including maintaining the criti-
forests. cal ecosystem services provided by our working
Anyone who has been involved in environmen- and natural lands.
tal permitting recognizes the work that DEEP The immense human resources problem at
undertook to improve the efficiency and trans- DEEP is the imminent challenge and our sustain-
parency of the process. Much of this has been ability and resiliency as a state is dependent upon
accomplished through the use of online por- our success in solving it. This is not a problem
tals. Making a process more efficient and easier limited to DEEP, but one which will increasingly
to understand and access should not, however, impact the other state agencies by causing tremen-
result in a reduction in environmental protec- dous loss of institutional skill and memory across
tion of our public trust resources. The CREATES the whole expanse of state government. ■

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