Tami Zawistowski

Rep. Zawistowski Tours Galasso Materials LLC.

On Tuesday, Rep. Zawistowski met with Kyle Lamontagne of Galasso Materials, Senator John A. Kissel , Town of East Granby First Selectperson Jason Hayes, Rebecca Nolan and other representatives from CBIA (CT Business & Industry Association), to tour the East Granby facility and discuss potential legislation for the upcoming session. Galasso employs 115 people in East Granby, and the company has a long history of generously supporting the community in many different ways. The legislative proposal under consideration would help level the playing field between Connecticut based road construction materials companies and its out-of-state competitors. Rep. Zawistowski said she is happy to support our local companies and look forward to working with all interested parties to move this idea forward.

Cross-Border CT River Communities Initiative Proposes Combined Sewage Outflow (CSO) Summit

The water temperature in the Connecticut River might be dropping - but a group of concerned state and local officials and conservationists working to eliminate combined sewer overflows (CSOs) - say their mission continues to heat up. At Suffield Town Hall Monday morning, State Representative Tami Zawistowski (R-61 ), joined in the room by Mary Monahan, of the City of Holyoke, Patty Gambarini, of the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, Markelle Smith, Director of the Connecticut River Watershed Partnership, and Suffield First Selectman Colin Moll, with several more advocates participating online, discussed plans to host a regional Connecticut River CSO Summit to increase awareness among local communities, outdoors enthusiasts, and environmentalists, and to find – and fund - short and long term solutions. “We identified the problem decades ago, but now the small groups that have been working on this issue for years are coming together with one voice to press our federal delegations for the funding to finally make truly transformational change,” Rep. Zawistowski said. “We’ve got great momentum on the local and state level, but there’s always more work to do.” The Cross-Border CT River Communities Initiative is an ad hoc group initiated by Rep. Zawistowski and Holyoke Mayor Joshua Garcia last fall in response to concerns about downriver pollution caused by CSOs from cities in Massachusetts. Still in the early planning stages, the group envisions the Summit as chance to acknowledge the environmental legacy of New England’s industrial past, highlight progress made, and discuss future plans to further restore clean water in the waterway. While the current focus has been on Massachusetts, the group expects to expand to include participants from the Connecticut River headwaters to Long Island Sound. “The Connecticut River is cleaner today than it was only a few years ago thanks to the continued activism of small but dedicated groups and volunteers,” Rep. Zawistowski said. “But it’s not enough. Hopefully, we can leverage their enthusiasm, secure funding, encourage people to pitch in and lend a voice or a hand, and clean up this incredible asset for future generations to enjoy.” According to the U.S. EPA, when the amount of water runoff exceeds the capacity of combined municipal wastewater treatment systems, untreated stormwater and wastewater is discharged into nearby waterbodies creating a Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO). These CSOs are subject to the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting program. In August 2025, in response to complaints from local fishermen and others, Connecticut Reps. Zawistowski and Devin Carney (R-Old Lyme), sent a formal letter to Environmental Protection Agency to request assistance to prevent up-river states from continuing to discharge sewage and other harmful substances into the Connecticut River. Those critical concerns, including the interstate water quality impact, public health risks, environmental justice, and the economic impact to tourism, recreation, and property values along the river corridor prompted these ongoing discussions.

Rep. Zawistowski Requests AG Tong to Initiate Action to Prevent Massachusetts Cities from Polluting CT River

Following another massive 17.5-million-gallon Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) from Massachusetts’ cities into the Connecticut River last week, State Representative Tami Zawistowski (R-61) immediately sent a letter to Connecticut Attorney General Tong requesting his office initiate legal action against the State of Massachusetts to eliminate these releases. “The Connecticut River doesn’t stop at the border, and while Massachusetts’ officials have been alerting their residents about similar overflow events and working to clean up small sections of the river, Connecticut residents are left to clean up the mess downstream,” Rep. Zawistowski said. “This is a disgusting, yet preventable, issue and must be properly addressed to protect the residents, wildlife, and ecosystems downstream that rely on the river.” Using information taken directly from the alert system linked to treatment facilities serving Springfield, Holyoke and Chicopee, in her letter Rep. Zawistowski specifically referenced July 21, 2026, when approximately 17.5 million gallons of CSOs, including solid waste, including approximately 13.5 million gallons from the Bondi’s Island sewage facility – which serves Springfield and surrounding towns – were released into the Connecticut River from three major sewage treatment facilities in Massachusetts. Less than two weeks ago Rep. Zawistowski sent letters to United States Senators Edward J. Markey and Elizabeth Warren requesting an enhanced level of attention and urgency to prevent persistent CSOs from occurring in Western Massachusetts. Noting that similar overflows affecting the Merrimack Valley and North Shore of Massachusetts were dealt with swiftly by their U.S. Senate colleagues, Rep. Zawistowski implored the veteran federal lawmakers to act swiftly to protect water quality and preserve recreation, fishing, and a riverfront small-business economy that depends on public confidence that our waterways are safe to use. According to the U.S. EPA, when the amount of water runoff exceeds the capacity of combined municipal wastewater treatment systems, untreated stormwater and wastewater is discharged into nearby waterbodies creating a Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO). These CSOs are subject to the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting program. “These sickening, recurring overflows are now largely preventable with up-to-date combined sewer infrastructure, and while these facilities have long term mitigation plans, we can’t afford to wait decades for action,” Rep. Zawistowski said. “The public health risks are far too great.” -30- Rep. Zawistowski represents the 61 st district of East Granby, Suffield and Windsor Locks

Rep. Zawistowski Urgently Requests MA U.S. Senators Markey and Warren to Expedite CT River Cleanup

In response to yet another major sewer overflow discharge from a Massachusetts city into the Connecticut River, State Representative Tami Zawistowski (R-61) this week sent a letter to United States Senators Edward J. Markey and Elizabeth Warren requesting an enhanced level of attention and urgency to prevent persistent combined sewage overflows (CSOs) from occurring in Western Massachusetts. Noting that similar overflows affecting the Merrimack Valley and North Shore of Massachusetts were dealt with swiftly by their U.S. Senate colleagues, Rep. Zawistowski implored the veteran federal lawmakers to act swiftly to protect water quality and preserve recreation, fishing, and a riverfront small-business economy that depends on public confidence that our waterways are safe to use. According to the U.S. EPA, when the amount of water runoff exceeds the capacity of combined municipal wastewater treatment systems, untreated stormwater and wastewater is discharged into nearby waterbodies creating a Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO). These CSOs are subject to the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting program. Last Thursday on July 2, the Town of West Springfield announced that heavy rain a few days prior caused more than 6.1 million gallons of untreated wastewater to flow into the Connecticut, Chicopee, and Mill Rivers. “Sewage overflows into our rivers are a recurring, largely preventable consequence of aging combined sewer infrastructure,” Rep. Zawistowski wrote. “Western Massachusetts residents pay the same federal taxes and deserve the same responsiveness from their elected officials in Washington. I would appreciate hearing what steps your office plans to take in response to the CSO issue in the Connecticut River, and I thank you for your continued attention to water quality and infrastructure issues across the entire state.” Rep. Zawistowski asked the Senators to: · Formally inquire with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and other relevant federal agencies about the Connecticut River CSOs with the same urgency shown for the Merrimack River situation · Commit to expediting review of any request for federal emergency or infrastructure assistance submitted by the City of Springfield, the City of Holyoke, the Town of West Springfield, or Governor Healey related to these ongoing CSO events and the aging infrastructure that cause them · Support long-term federal investment in CSO remediation for the region’s wastewater systems, which serve a significant portion of Western Massachusetts and have a documented history of overflow events during heavy rain Last spring, in response to concerns from local fishermen and others, Rep. Zawistowski took the lead and sent a formal letter to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Mark Sanborn requesting his assistance to up-river states from continuing to discharge sewage and other harmful substances into the Connecticut River.

CT River Water Quality Remains Focus of Bipartisan, Multi-state Advocates

Continuing their dialogue to support the Connecticut River and eliminate combined sewer overflows from up-river communities, State Representative Tami Zawistowski (R-61), Holyoke Mayor Joshua Garcia, Massachusetts State Representative Pat Duffy, and concerned officials and conservationists met Monday at the Holyoke Dam to tour the Hadley Falls facility and the Robert E. Barrett Fishway. "I want to thank Mayor Garcia and the experts from Holyoke Gas and Energy for providing an inside look at their impressive facility and showing us how they balance river and wildlife conservation while also generating power and providing other beneficial services to the community" Rep. Zawistowski said. “I’m encouraged by the progress our group has made so far to identify areas of concern and work on a pathway forward, but understand a project of this magnitude will take a considerable amount of time to implement fully. Ultimately, with pressure from our cross-border coalition, we’re hoping to see major changes within a decade - not a century.” According to the U.S. EPA, when the amount of water runoff exceeds the capacity of combined municipal wastewater treatment systems, untreated stormwater and wastewater is discharged into nearby waterbodies creating a Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO). These CSOs are subject to the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting program. With the understanding that significant public funding will be required for these projects, Representative Duffy noted that she is working to secure $10 million to be specifically used by the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission to study and combat combined sewer overflows (CSOs) from a larger Mass Ready Grant program. The group also discussed the possibility of accessing funding from similar grant programs related to flood resilience, and working with consultants to improve wastewater plants and systems. With the goals of improving overall system performance, anticipating future needs including considering how best to recover vital natural resources, and ways to better treat bio solids to lessen the impacts on downstream communities, the group continues to engage with environmental groups and stakeholders to coordinate cleanup and recovery efforts. In early 2025, in response to concerns from local fishermen and others, Connecticut Reps. Zawistowski and Devin Carney (R-Old Lyme), sent a formal letter to Environmental Protection Agency to request assistance to prevent up-river states from continuing to discharge sewage and other harmful substances into the Connecticut River. Those critical concerns, including the interstate water quality impact, public health risks, environmental justice, and the economic impact to tourism, recreation, and property values along the river corridor prompted these ongoing discussions.