Connecticut Coalition for Environmental Justice

01/16/2026

The John F Kennedy High School Band, located in Waterbury, CT, has been invited to attend the National Vietnam Veterans’ Day Parade in Honolulu, Hawaii. They are raising money to make this experience accessible to all their students, regardless of financial background. This is an opportunity of a lifetime for the students of the marching band. To learn more and to donate, please visit:

The Kennedy High School Marching Eagles are the only competitive marching band in the city of Waterbury, CT! The band is under the direction of Band Director, Nick Drabik. His vision, passion and...

12/18/2025

The water main break in Waterbury left many without heat, in addition to water. CCEEJ's Executive Director, Sharon Lewis, highlights the need to address aging infrastructure to protect the most vulnerable residents.

Emergency responses, such as bottled water distribution, were essential but stretched thin.

10/20/2025

The CT Zero Waste Coalition, a project of CCEEJ, was honored this past weekend at the Connecticut League of Conservation Voters' 25th Anniversary Celebration. We congratulate CTLCV for reaching this amazing milestone and look forward to continuing our collaboration to pass waste reduction legislation!

08/28/2025

An AI data center is coming to Hartford — and it will affect YOU.

Massive energy use = EVERYONE’s bills will increase, not just Hartford’s.

Huge water withdrawals = strain on our water supply.

Join us tonight at 6:00 PM to learn the hidden costs and what our community can do about it.

Register now:

Please join The Connecticut Coalition for Economic and Environmental Justice on Thursday, August 28th, 2025, from 6-7:30 Eastern time, for part 2 of our webinar series on AI Data Centers, "The Hidden Costs: Water and Energy Impacts". In this session, we pull back the curtain on why your energy and u...

08/08/2025

Residents in Plainfield and surrounding towns have been opposing SMART Technology Systems' proposal to build a trash-burning facility in Plainfield. Their air permit is currently under review. The CT Zero Waste Coalition* has reached out to the DEEP Bureau of Air Management to schedule a Zoom meeting for community members to learn more about how air permit applications are reviewed- and how you can engage in the process. This meeting is an opportunity for Plainfield residents and residents in surrounding towns to ask questions, get clear information, and better understand how decisions are made.

The Zoom meeting with the Bureau of Air Management will be on Tuesday, August 12th at 1 pm. Please use this link to register: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/ktPRP10SRAWd4chioulKIQ

We have also scheduled a meeting to prepare for this call, which will be on Monday, August 11th at noon. Please use this link to register: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/a5ELmVS5TRa-3fldvXqEzw

*The CT Zero Waste Coalition is a project of the Connecticut Coalition for Environmental Justice.

04/28/2025

Upcoming Webinar: Burning Questions – The Truth About Incinerators and Environmental Justice in Connecticut
Date: May 5th
Time: 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Register Here: bit.ly/4jCjyqt

Join the CT Zero Waste Coalition* for Burning Questions, a powerful and eye-opening webinar that explores the truth behind incineration and its devastating impact on environmental justice (EJ) communities across Connecticut. This session will feature a compelling presentation from Sharon Lewis, who will break down how incinerators—both proposed and existing—disproportionately harm low-income communities and communities of color.
We’ll also hear from Kevin Budris, a leading voice on waste policy, who will:
- Examine the public health and environmental consequences of incineration.
- Debunk myths about “green” waste technologies like gasification and pyrolysis.
- Expose how polluters use greenwashing to push harmful projects.
- Equip you with the right questions to challenge these facilities in your neighborhood.

This webinar is designed to inform, empower, and activate. Whether you’re facing a proposed facility or living near an existing one, you’ll leave with the knowledge needed to advocate for safer, healthier waste practices.

*The CT Zero Waste Coalition is a project of the Connecticut Coalition for Economic and Environmental Justice.

04/07/2025

We invite you to join us for Connecticut Zero Waste Lobby Day on April 11, 2025, as part of Food Waste Prevention Week! We are joining multiple organizations in this collaborative effort to advocate for policies that reduce waste, promote sustainability, and protect our environment.

Event Details:
📅 Date: April 11, 2025
⏰ Time: 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
📍 Location: Legislative Office Building, Room 1A
Address: 300 Capitol Ave, Hartford, CT 06106

We will be advocating in support of two key bills:
✅ H.B. 6229 – An Act Concerning the Reduction of Single-Use Plastics and Polystyrene Waste
This bill would ban polystyrene food ware and packing products. Single-use plastic straws, plastic stirrers, splash sticks, and food ware accessories may be provided upon request. It also requires all state and municipal buildings, including schools, to install bottle-filling stations to promote the use of reusable water bottles.
✅ H.B. 6917 – An Act Concerning the Management of Solid Waste in the State
This bill allocates crucial funding for recycling education and enforcement. It also implements a food donation plan for entities included in the Commercial Organics Recycling Law to encourage food waste reduction and the redistribution of edible food to communities in need. Fees collected from waste facilities in the state would be allocated to the Sustainable Materials Management account under this bill, providing funding for waste reduction initiatives and grants.

This is your chance to meet with legislators, share your voice, and push for meaningful waste reduction policies in Connecticut. Plus, enjoy a zero-waste lunch as we put our values into action!

🔗 Register Here: https://act.sierraclub.org/events/details?formcampaignid=701Po00000k77wqIAA&_gl=1*3f3ykf*_gcl_au*MTgzOTMzNjQxMy4xNzQyODI0NDcwLjIwMDM3MDU0OTIuMTc0MjgyNTgyOS4xNzQyODI2MTAz*_ga*MjEyMzE2OTc0LjE3NDI4MjQ0NzE.*_ga_41DQ5KQCWV*MTc0MjgyNDQ3MC4xLjEuMTc0MjgyNjEzNC4yNC4wLjA

We hope to see you there! Please feel free to share this invitation with your networks.

Thank you for your commitment to sustainability!

03/20/2025

Help shape Connecticut's Environmental Justice regulations! The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection is hosting a series of workshops to hear from community members. Next week, help them identify environmental and health stressors.

Virtual Workshop: Tuesday, March 25th at 3 pm
RSVP: https://ctdeep.zoom.us/meeting/register/q0hXGNUvSJSroCzIqc1c5g #/registration

In-person Workshop: Thursday, March 27th at 6 pm- 900 Lafayette Blvd. Bridgeport, CT (Lafayette Hall L109)
RSVP: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=-nyLEd2juUiwJjH_abtzizdoqf-fczhHtaj22tKPTFNUOVpMRU5RNldNRjFZMURIRDRENkRIWVI0Uy4u&route=shorturl

02/25/2025

CT Food Sovereignty Collective is hosting a webinar this Thursday, February 27th – 4-5:30pm!

The CT Food Sovereignty Collective is a group of food sovereignty leaders from across the state. They build collective power for regenerative, democratic, interdependent food systems that celebrate black, brown and indigenous food sovereignty, as well as reciprocal relationships with food, land, waters, and each other. They do this through policy change, storytelling, resource redistribution, and network weaving to transform our Connecticut and regional food systems. They unite with food and farm workers who grow, distribute, prepare, and serve our food; and work in solidarity with other movements fighting for justice, as well as solidarity economies.

What to expect from the webinar?

-An introduction to the collective
-The results from their statewide survey on food infrastructure needs
-An overview of bills they are supporting to help us move towards a just food system
-A discussion on how we can work together to push these bills forward in 2025


Use this link to join the webinar!

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02/05/2025

A Conversation with Top Advocates on the Impacts of Vehicle Noise

Date: Thursday, February 20
Time: 4 - 5:30 p.m. ET
Location: Zoom
Register Now: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/bL6dYfU8QOu_PO-0AC0cmQ?mc_cid=5a83a7f413&mc_eid=0c5a7574e9 #/registration

Quiet Communities invites you to view updated presentations originally shared during the session “A World of Vehicle Noise” at the 187th meeting of the Acoustics Society of America. Presenters include QC Advisor Jeanine Botta, No More Noise Toronto Founder Ingrid Buday, and Quiet Streets Program Chair Mary Tatigian. A Q&A will follow. Please bring your questions.

Learn how these three activists have been advocating for changes that will lead to quieter and healthier streets.

Questions? Email: [email protected]

Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: A Conversation with Top Advocates on the Impacts of Vehicle Noise . After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.

12/04/2024

CT DEEP is holding public meetings throughout 2024-2025 to consult the public and stakeholder industries in the development of regulations regarding CT’s environmental justice law.

Register today for the upcoming workshop on “EJ Public Participation Planning and Reporting” via Zoom on Dec. 10 or attend the in-person workshop at Shiloh Baptist Church in Hartford on Dec. 12. Let your voice be heard!

Zoom registration: https://ctdeep.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMld-6vqT8tEtKuDYlxj2GkBWTHHW4v2D4u #/registration

In-person registration: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=-nyLEd2juUiwJjH_abtzizdoqf-fczhHtaj22tKPTFNUN0FXUE1WRVhROEc2QzlHUUVLNERXMTJSUS4u&route=shorturl

Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: DEEP EJ Regulations Workshop 2. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.

09/20/2024

Please sign this petition to urge Home Depot to stop selling toxic vinyl chloride: https://www.change.org/p/home-depot-vinyl-chloride-polluted-my-community-in-ohio-stop-selling-this-poison-plastic

Vinyl chloride is a cancer-causing chemical used to make building materials that’s devastating communities across the country. As the largest home improvement retailer in the world, The Home Depot must be a leader in transitioning away from building products made with vinyl chloride.

Home Depot: Vinyl chloride polluted my community in Ohio. Stop selling this poison plastic