Carpino Supports Greater Public Notice for Sewage Spills

HARTFORD- Protecting the public’s right to know, State Rep. Christie Carpino voted to support a measure telling the state they need to provide the public notice of sewage spills which have the potential to harm the public and the environment.

Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) must now provide notice of any unanticipated sewage spills and state waters that have chronic and persistent sewage contamination that poses a threat to public health.

“The Thirty-Second District has several waste treatment facilities which impact many surrounding residents. This bill gives the public additional knowledge of any spill or overflow of a nearby plant. Residents deserve to know of any spills that could possibly cause harm, said Rep. Carpino.

DEEP’s website may include the overflow location, its anticipated duration, and its extent; and will also include the reasonable public health, safety, or environmental concerns; and the public safety precautions that should be taken for the community.

According to Louis Burch, of the Citizens Campaign for the Environment, the discharge of untreated sewage is a significant cause of illness for the public due to the number of bacteria and viruses found in the waste. The economic impact to the state is estimated to be $1-$2 billion in losses each year due to beach closures.

“We cannot forget the damage done by Hurricane Irene in August 2011 and the discharge by 13 plants into our state’s waterways. Many of Connecticut’s water treatment facilities are aging and recent studies indicate 1.8-3.5 million Americans are sickened due to discharged sewage each year,” said Rep. Carpino.