League of Women Voters of Connecticut

To Members of the Planning and Development Committee

The League of Women Voters of Connecticut, a statewide organization with nearly 2000 members, has a strong position in support of policies and programs that protect our state’s drinking water supplies and inland wetlands and watercourses. Based upon this longstanding position, the League urges your support for SB 832 AAC The Protection Of Certain Natural Vegetation Near Rivers.

SB 832 recognizes the substantial research findings that natural vegetation surrounding rivers and watercourses is a vital and cost-effective means to preserve water quality and reduce risks of flooding. Through the work of UCONN’s NEMO (Nonpoint Education for Municipal Officials) project and others, it is well documented that water quality deterioration, flooding, negative impacts to plant, fish and other wildlife can occur any time activities disturb the land or water. Much of the remaining undeveloped land in Connecticut contains more wetlands and steep slopes than was typical in the past when we had more land to choose from. As we continue to develop this marginal land, the margin for error shrinks, and the community bears the cumulative costs of all the major and minor mistakes along the way.

As the OFA analysis of this bill notes, there is no fiscal impact. We believe that the establishment of uniform vegetative buffers is a scientifically based and cost-effective measure to protect and ensure the integrity of environmental assets critical to public health and safety.


Respectfully submitted, 
LWVCT Drinking Water Specialist
Cheryl Dunson 

Dear Environment Committee Members:

If SB1020 AAC Water Resources and Economic Development is sent to the Environment Committee, LWVCT urges you to oppose it based upon our position in support of policies and programs that protect our state’s watercourses. This bill undermines a multi-year stakeholder process and blocks overdue reforms to protect water resources.

Since the passage of Public Act 05-142 An Act Concerning The Minimum Water Flow Regulations, DEP undertook a five year effort to develop regulations consistent with the law by seeking input from and balancing needs among a wide variety of stakeholders including public officials, water utility representatives, land use lawyers, real estate agents, developers and environmental advocates.   The Regulations Review Committee rejected the proposed regulations without prejudice. Stakeholders are working to address concerns. After years of work and an ongoing effort, it would be extraordinarily wasteful and inefficient to taxpayers to “start from scratch” by establishing a totally new process for adoption of overdue regulations to protect our water resources.

In addition to squandering 5 years of work, the proposal will not lead to the balanced approach needed to manage the competing needs for water. Specific provisions of concern include undefined exemptions (what does “not financially viable” mean?); repetitive processes (why propose a new process for the creation of new classification process when a negotiated classification process was already proposed?); “grounds for dismissal” (allows for an easy reversal of a protective classification for economic development without recognition of competing needs for wildlife and recreation).

According to the bill's OLR analysis  “The regulations must provide for the needs of public health, flood control, industry, public utilities, water supply, public safety, agriculture, and other lawful water uses...The regulations must also provide for the needs of stream and river ecology, aquatic life, wildlife, and public recreation. ”  Is it any wonder it took 5 years to develop the proposed regulations given these competing demands for a limited resource?

LWVCT was among the sponsors of the 2005 Conference “Water Law In Connecticut: Balancing Needs for Fish and Faucet.”   All agreed that water is allocated through a patchwork of policies that don’t fit together well. 

We do not need another process which fails to provide balance among competing needs for our water resources.  Please oppose SB 1020.

Sincerely,

Cheryl Dunson,   Drinking Water Specialist

CGA Finance Revenue and Bonding Committee
March 7, 2011

Comments submitted by Cheryl Dunson, Drinking Water Specialist  

The League of Women Voters of Connecticut, a statewide organization with nearly 2000 members, urges your support for sections 9 and 10 of SB 1006 that authorize general obligation and revenue bonds over two years to fund the Clean Water Fund.

The League has long supported programs and policies to improve Connecticut’s waterways and Long Island Sound. Through a combination of grants and low interest loans, the Clean Water Fund has enabled the state and municipalities to work in partnership to correct problems caused by inadequate sewage treatment, combined sanitary and storm sewer overflows, and contaminated runoff. 

As a result of approximately 20 years of well-planned Clean Water Fund investments, Connecticut has vastly improved the quality of our water resources and Long Island Sound. This capital investment will continue to improve Connecticut’s environment and maintain its attractiveness as a place to live and work. It will also boost our struggling economy – it will create jobs throughout the state and bolster our water-based recreational and commercial uses, e.g., boating, sport fishing, swimming, and tourism.

We urge you to vote in support of bond funding for the Clean Water Fund, an investment that reaps positive returns for Connecticut’s citizens, communities, and economy.
 

League of Women Voters of Connecticut · 1890 Dixwell Avenue #203·Hamden, CT 06514 · 203/288-7996

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The Clean Water Fund bond bill hearing (for FY 2012 & FY 2013) will be 10:30 Monday, March 7th in 2E; details are included below the signature line. We are putting together testimony and are happy to facilitate the movement of testimony from any of you to the committee.

If you are willing and able, it would be super helpful if you could do one of these three things: 1) attend the hearing on Monday and testify in support of sections 9&10 of SB 1006 (attached); 2) send written testimony to us by COB today and we will get a copy to the committee (feel free to build on any of the messages in the updated Clean Water Fund Factsheet (attached)); or 3) sign on to our testimony by tomorrow Friday, March 4th 10 a.m. (can get those interested a copy later today).

Also, we have a sample action alert that we can send to you for circulation to your members or colleagues.

Thanks so much,

-The Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee will hold a public hearing on Monday, March 7, 2011 at 10:30 A.M. in Room 2E of the LOB. All persons planning to testify shall submit 25 copies of written testimony to Committee staff in Room 3700 of the LOB one hour prior to the start of the hearing. Please submit a PDF or Word version of written testimony to finance@cga. ct.gov by noon on Friday, March 4 2011. If submitting electronically, you must also provide the 25 hard copies. Hearing sign-up will begin at 8:30 A.M. in the break-out space next to Room 2E of the LOB. All sign up will be done by a lottery system. Each person wishing to testify should be in line prior to sign up at 8:30 A.M. At the time of sign up you will draw a number and your name will be placed on the list next to the corresponding number on the sign up sheet. The lottery will conclude at 10:00 A.M., and all those wishing to speak who had not signed up by 10:00 A.M. should report to Room 3700 of the LOB, where your name will be placed at the end of the list. The first hour of the hearing is reserved for Ben Barnes, Secretary of OPM. All other speakers will be in the lottery. The public portion will begin at 11:30 A.M. Speakers will be limited to three minutes of testimony. Unofficial sign-up sheets have no standing with the Committee

CGA Commerce Committee February 24, 2011Public Hearing

Opposition to:  RB 1020 AAC Water Resources and Economic Development

Testimony by Cheryl Dunson, Drinking Water Specialist The League of Women Voters of Connecticut, a statewide organization with nearly 2,000 members, has a strong position in support of policies and programs that protect our state’s watercourses and watershed lands. Further, the League believes that efficient government requires competent personnel, clear assignment of responsibility, and adequate coordination among the different agencies of government.

Based upon these longstanding positions, we urge you to oppose RB1020 because the bill would circumvent the established Regulation Review process and block much-needed and overdue reforms to protect streamflows.

The passage and signing of Public Act 05-142 An Act Concerning The Minimum Water Flow Regulations required significant multi-year negotiation and compromise to achieve. Since the passage in 2005, the Department of Environmental Protection undertook a  five year effort to develop regulations consistent with the law by seeking input from and balancing needs among a wide variety of stakeholders including public officials, water utility representatives, land use lawyers, real estate agents, developers and environmental advocates.   After 10-years of work, it would be extraordinarily wasteful and inefficient to taxpayers to “start from scratch” by establishing a totally new process for adoption of overdue regulations to protect our water resources. By amendment to our State's constitution in 1982, the Legislative Regulation Review Committee reviews and adopts or rejects regulations proposed by state agencies.

Specific provisions of concern include undefined exemptions (what does “not financially viable” mean?); repetitive processes (why propose a new process for the creation of new classification process when a negotiated classification process was already proposed?); “grounds for dismissal” (allows for an easy reversal of a protective classification for economic development without recognition of competing needs for wildlife and recreation).

League of Women Voters of Connecticut was among the co-sponsors of the 2005 Conference “Water Law In Connecticut: Balancing Needs for Fish and Faucet.”   All agreed that water is an essential, yet limited, resource and it is allocated through a patchwork of policies that don't fit together well. 

After 10 years of work, we do not need another process or provisions which fail to provide balance among competing needs for our water resources. We urge you to oppose RB 1020.

1890 Dixwell Avenue, Suite 203, Hamden, CT 06514-3183

Phone (203) 288-7996   Fax (203) 288-7998   e-mail lwvct@lwvct.org   Web site www.lwvct.org