In place for almost 20 years, Connecticut General Statutes Section 22a-6u defines certain environmental conditions as significant environmental hazards (SEHs). The statute requires that the owner of a property where there is a SEH notify the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) when the SEH is discovered.
Section 22a-6u requires that DEEP send the property owner written acknowledgment of the notification and forward a copy of that notification to the chief elected official of the municipality where the property is located, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Labor Department and elected officials. Currently, DEEP’s acknowledgment can direct the property owner to submit for DEEP’s approval a plan to abate the short-term risk to human health and the environment. Once the property owner implements the approved plan, DEEP is required to issue a certificate of compliance. Section 22a-6u directs DEEP to maintain a website listing of notifications. This listing includes open SEH notifications dating back to 2002.
