August 7, 2025

Reps. Zawistowski, Carney Request EPA Prevent Up-river Discharges in CT River

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State Representatives Tami Zawistowski (R-61) and Devin Carney (R-23) this week sent a formal letter to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Mark Sanborn to request his assistance to prevent the state of Massachusetts and other up-river states from continuing to discharge sewage and other harmful substances into the Connecticut River.

The veteran lawmakers whose districts border the Connecticut River wrote: “We are deeply troubled by the ongoing wastewater discharge issues affecting the Connecticut River, particularly the recent Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) events from upstream municipalities in Massachusetts that directly impact downstream communities in our state. When these discharges occur, you can actually see some of the solid waste from untreated sewage floating down with the current. We have video footage of this.”

The Representatives cited several examples to highlight their claims, including a report from July 27, 2025, when the City of Holyoke, Massachusetts, discharged approximately 7,067,108 gallons of untreated sewage and stormwater into the Connecticut River through multiple CSO outfalls.

“These discharges, totaling over 7 million gallons of contaminated water in one day, pose significant health and environmental risks to downstream communities in Massachusetts, as well as communities further downstream in Connecticut – the people we represent and who are both concerned and angry about this source of noxious pollution,” Reps. Zawistowski and Carney wrote.

Further pointing out that following those discharges and due to “increased health risks from bacteria and other pollutants,” the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection issued advisories warning residents to avoid contact with the Connecticut River for 48 hours.

The legislators also cited critical concerns, including the interstate water quality impact, public health risks, environmental justice, and the economic impact to Connecticut’s tourism, recreation industry, and property values along the river corridor.

Finally, they urged Administrator Sanborn to take immediate action to address these concerns and to enhance interstate coordination, provide increased investments in infrastructure, implement real-time water quality monitoring, stronger regulatory enforcement of existing discharge permits, and to consider the development of an interstate compact or agreement specifically addressing Connecticut River water quality protection and upstream discharge coordination.

“The Connecticut River is a vital resource for our state’s communities, economy, and environment. We cannot accept that our water quality and public health are routinely compromised by inadequate wastewater infrastructure in upstream states. Your immediate action is needed to protect Connecticut’s interests and ensure the long-term health of this critical waterway. We look forward to your prompt response and concrete actions to address these urgent concerns,” Reps. Zawistowski and Carney wrote.