The General Assembly unanimously passed a bill earlier this month that would require Connecticut's Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) to notify the public when unexpected sewage spills occur, according to the Stamford Advocate. The bill now awaits Gov. Dannel Malloy's signature.
Stamford state representatives Gerald Fox and Michael Molgano and State Sen. Carlo Leone were among the lawmakers that served as sponsors of the bill. Fox told the Advocate that his constituents approached him about the topic after DEEP sent a violation notice last October to a Stamford-based sewage treatment plant for releasing 43 million gallons of partially treated water into the Long Island Sound.
If the bill is passed, DEEP would be required to post a map on its Web site tracking expected sewage overflows during storms, as well as unexpected spills along with the date, time, treatment plan and other pertinent information.
"This bill gives the public additional knowledge of any spill or overflow of a nearby plant," State Rep. Christie Carpino (R-Cromwell), who also voted for the bill, . "Residents deserve to know of any spills that could possibly cause harm."
