Location: Redding, Ridgefield, Middletown, and Burlington, Connecticut | Status: Settled
Summary: Residents throughout Connecticut are living with unhealthy rivers, lakes, and streams, which have been polluted by excess stormwater runoff. To address the impacts of stormwater pollution, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (“DEEP”) requires certain municipalities to obtain coverage under Clean Water Act stormwater permits (called Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System or “MS4” permits). These permits require permittees to implement practices that mitigate pollution from stormwater runoff. Save the Sound has been advocating for DEEP to protect water quality by strengthening these permits.
Save the Sound has also been investigating Connecticut municipalities’ compliance with these permits. In 2021, Save the Sound filed Clean Water Act enforcement actions against Middletown, Burlington, Redding, and Ridgefield, Connecticut, for discharging polluted stormwater in violation of their permits and thereby causing or contributing to unswimmable and unfishable local waterbodies.
In 2022, we reached settlements with Redding and Ridgefield. In 2023, we settled with Burlington and Middletown. These settlements are in the form of court orders that have resulted in increased permit compliance and a cumulative total of $285,000 worth of environmental benefit projects to restore water quality in the municipalities’ waterways.
Latest Step: Reached a settlement with Middletown in September 2023 and have now settled all four cases.
Next Step: Monitor compliance with the court orders for funding environment benefits projects and water quality measures and bring enforcement actions when necessary.
Further Reading:
- PRIMER: Municipal Stormwater Pollution
- PRESS RELEASE: Save the Sound Takes Connecticut-wide Legal Action for Clean Water
- PRESS RELEASE: Save the Sound Reaches Stormwater Pollution Prevention Deals with Towns of Redding, Ridgefield
- PRESS RELEASE: Save the Sound Reaches Stormwater Pollution Prevention Deal with City of Middletown
Action Opportunities:
Last Updated: September 26, 2024