E2 Helping Change State’s Regulatory Climate

Manufacturers, retailers, and other CBIA member businesses are making important strides in shifting Connecticut’s environmental regulatory climate in a better direction through their involvement with the association’s E2: Energy & Environment Council.
Examples of recent activity:

• Retailers directly informed DEEP staff of potential devastating implications of a proposal that would have required hundreds of small businesses to apply and pay for a permit concerning their delivery practices. Subsequently, DEEP officials made the necessary changes to avoid this outcome.
• Hundreds of companies faced non-compliance with a significant air permitting program after the federal EPA notified the state DEEP that a 20-year successful general permit no longer provided legal coverage and drastic changes would be required within weeks. E2 members held several meetings with EPA and DEEP officials resulting in an outcome that should assure no one will be exposed to penalties for non-compliance.
• Several E2 manufacturers will be meeting with DEEP official in early December to work collaboratively on finding a way to expedite making state regulations consistent with a recent federal change that would help reduce compliance costs without endangering the environment or human health. Under the current scheme for updating regulations, this process could take several years.  Our goal is to change this to a few months.

CBIA greatly appreciates the interest and participation of its E2 members in improving Connecticut’s regulatory climate as well as the willingness of DEEP officials to work collaboratively on these efforts.