| OCTOBER 9, 2010 -- The organization that represents public and private water companies has assembled a coalition to oppose new state regulations that would govern how much water could be taken from the state's rivers and streams.
The Connecticut Waterworks Association announced Wednesday that more than two dozen groups representing agriculture, construction industries, golf courses, greenhouses, landscaping, real estate interests and municipalities had joined to urge lawmakers to reject proposed streamflow regulations.
The legislature's Regulations Review Committee is scheduled to vote on the regulations Oct. 26. They were developed by the state Department of Environmental Protection at the direction of the legislature, which passed a law five years ago requiring new rules to ensure adequate streamflows to protect aquatic life and also meet public water needs.
"It is an unusual group of members, and that speaks to the deep-seated concerns," said Elizabeth Gara, executive director of the waterworks association. "We've been meeting with legislators on the committee, and other legislators, and urging members to contact their legislators so they understand the implications for their particular industries."
The waterworks association and coalition members believe the proposed regulations would impede economic development, cause public water supply shortages, and increase costs to water customers, Gara said.
Environmental groups are urging passage of the regulations.
The DEP, for its part, is defending the work it did to develop the new rules as an inclusive, methodical process.
"The proposed regulations are a modest step forward that will safeguard the public interest in having adequate water for drinking and other human uses as well as in protecting the quality of our waters and the diversity of aquatic life within them," said Dennis Schain, DEP spokesman.
"DEP's mandate from the legislature was to propose regulations that strike this balance - and we believe this regulation does just that," Schain added. "The proposed regulation is the culmination of a multiyear process that allowed for much public and stakeholder engagement and comment. The Department has taken great care to build into the regulations flexibility and modifications to address concerns raised by regulated entities." |
