Dear Community,

Thank you for tuning into our December newsletter! There is a lot going on in the environmental justice (EJ) world and we are hoping to bring you the latest events and updates — all in one place. Please submit newsletter feedback and idea topics to DEEP.EJ@ct.gov or the linked form below.  

For this newsletter edition, we are highlighting the upcoming CEEJAC Annual Retreat and Winter Meeting! Connecticut Equity and Environmental Justice Advisory Council (CEEJAC) will be hosting their annual retreat and winter meeting on Monday, December 15, 2025 in Waterbury, CT. We'll start the meeting with an EJ Community Tour; participants will drive to five different locations across the city and meet community leaders and local entities to learn about historical and current environmental injustices. Then we'll meet at Mattatuck Museum (144 W Main St. Waterbury, CT) for the annual retreat and winter meeting. We also break bread together, deepen relationships, and prep for the upcoming year! 

Gratefully yours,

Office of Equity and Environmental Justice

GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS 

DEEP is requesting comments on a potential design for a state heat pump pilot program (Pilot) funded under the New England Heat Pump Accelerator (Accelerator). This Pilot is intended to propel the adoption of cold climate air-source heat pumps (ASHPs), heat pump water heaters (HPWHs), and/or other efficient, electric heat pump technologies in single-family and/or multi-family residential buildings.

• On November 13, 2025, DEEP held a virtual public meeting to solicit feedback on the proposed pilot approach described in this Request for Information (RFI). The recorded meeting is available at this link. The RFI can be found by clicking here.
• The deadline to submit responses to this RFI is December 5, 2025, at 12:00 p.m. (noon) ET, via email to Deep.EnergyBureau@ct.gov. Please include “Accelerator State Grant RFI” in the subject line of the email.

DEEP is seeking written comments on new nuclear development. Comments can be submitted on the topics covered in Public Meeting 1 until December 22, 2025 at 4:00PM. Written comments may be submitted to DEEP.EnergyBureau@ct.gov with “Informational Process to Explore New Nuclear Energy Capacity” in the subject line. For more information, click here. 

Governor Lamont Announces $7.5 Million in Grants Awarded to 18 Municipalities and Regional Organizations To Support Sustainable Waste Reduction. Governor Ned Lamont and Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) Commissioner Katie Dykes announced that the Lamont administration is awarding $7.5 million in grants to 18 municipalities and regional organizations under the second round of DEEP’s Sustainable Materials Management (SMM) Grant Program. Click here to view the full announcement. 

CEEJAC NEWS

Connecticut Equity and Environmental Justice Advisory Council (CEEJAC) within DEEP, established by Governor Lamont’s 21-3 Executive Order, advises the Commissioner of DEEP on current and historic environmental injustice, pollution reduction, energy equity, climate change mitigation and resiliency, health disparities, and racial inequity. All are welcome to attend and participate in CEEJAC meetings.

Please Join CEEJAC at Our Upcoming Meeting: 
CEEJAC Waste Subcommittee: Enforcement and Local Health Districts (Virtual)
December 2, 2025 | 4:00 - 5:00 PM
Register for Zoom Meeting Link
Download Meeting Agenda

CEEJAC Quarterly Meeting (In-Person)
December 15, 2025 | Time TBD
Location: Mattatuck Museum

FEATURED EVENTS

4th Annual Sustainable & Resilient Communities Workshop | December 4 - 5th
The program provides planning support for sustainability and resilience-focused projects by matching Long Island Sound communities with qualified contractors. These contractors help assess local environmental risks, conceptualize project ideas, and conduct other preliminary planning tasks to prepare communities for future funding opportunities to advance their projects toward implementation. The support is provided at no cost and no match is required! For more information, click here.

Overview of Advanced Reactors and Siting Processes | December 10 | 10:00 AM-12:30 PM | Hybrid
DEEP will be hosting the first in a series of public meetings with nationally recognized experts on key issues involved in new nuclear development. This meeting and subsequent meetings will aim to provide information, foster a dialogue, and gather input from diverse perspectives on critical aspects of nuclear energy development. For more information, click here. Please register by 12/8.

Climate Action Plan Stakeholder Convening | Virtual | December 11
CT DEEP is hosing this workshop to bring together climate and environmental stakeholders from across the state of Connecticut to learn about Connecticut’s Climate Action Plan (CAP) and to actively engage in a collaborative dialogue on the different implementation strategies outlined in the plan. This session will focus on transportation, buildings, and natural and working lands. For more information, click here. 

DEEP Holiday Tour Programs Begin at Osbornedale State Park and Gillette Castle State Park | November 28 - December 20

• Osborne Homestead Museum: Thursdays - Sundays: 10:00am to 4:00pm | Holiday Twilight Tours: December 5, December 12, and December 19 ~ 4:00 to 7:00pm | For three weeks each winter, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection's Osborne Homestead Museum is transformed into a holiday showcase! During this holiday festivity, guests enjoy creative decorations and imaginative themes that change annually. For more information, click here.
• Gillette Castle: Friday - Sunday: 10:00am to 3:30pm | Castle tours are self-guided and take approximately one hour. Due to the limited number of daily tour tickets, we strongly recommend that you pre-book your tickets in advance. For more information, click here. 

Other Events 

• 12/12/25 (Derby): A one-man performance of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol at Kellogg Environmental Center, Derby. Tickets required (free/donations accepted). For more information, click here.
• 1/1/25 (Multiple parks and forests): Celebrate the First Day with a hike or walk! Please check back in mid-December for the full listing of all the opportunities. For more information, click here.
• 2/7/26 (Torrington): 20th Anniversary of Winter Festival at Burr Pond State Park in Torrington. Activities include ice fishing, story times, Search and Rescue dog demonstrations, hiking, ice sculptures, marshmallow roasting, bonfires, furs & pelts displays and live animals. For more information, click here.   

Tribal News

News

• Eastern Connecticut State University held its first land acknowledgement ceremony on Nov. 19. The ceremony featured representatives from four local tribal nations in recognition of the tribal ancestral lands on which the University stands. To learn more, click here. 

• Connecticut Public published a five-chapter series called Still Here: Native American Resilience in New England. This series highlights our region's history through the voices of today's Indigenous voices. For more information, click here.

• Connecticut becomes one of the first states to formally recognize the culture and contributions of the Taíno people. For more information, click here.

Events 

Annual Holiday Market | December 13th
Shop for one-of-a-kind holiday gifts from local and Native American vendors selling crafts and jewelry. Take advantage of this time to meet and speak with artists while learning about contemporary Native American art and cultures. Stop by to purchase gourds, pottery, jewelry, rattles, artworks, flutes, and more! For more information, click here.

• Saturday, December 6 & Sunday, December 7 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM
• Saturday, December 13 & Sunday, December 14 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Winter in the Woodlands: Games, Crafts, and Activities | December 27 - 28th
Join the Institute for American Indian Studies for one or two days of action-packed days of games, activities and traditional Native American Storytelling. Participants will play games such as snow snake, snow boat, and hoop and pole and create keepsakes they can take home, such as corn husk dolls, buzzers, or beadwork. These activities are best suited for children ages 6 to 12, but an adult must remain on premises for the duration of the program, and are encouraged to participate. For more information, click here.

We hope to include more Tribal related news, funding opportunities, and resources to include in the EJ newsletter. Please reach out to Danielle Russell (danielle.russell@ct.gov) with any resources you'd like featured. 

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

For funding for environmental justice projects around New England, explore the new EJ Funding and Financing Navigator. 

For DEEP grant programs, explore DEEP's Grants and Financial Assistance page. 

• 12/5/25 deadline: Brownfield Redevelopment grant is to to administer to brownfield sites in Connecticut to perform I) environmental assessments and II) cleanup activities. 
  • Eligible entities: Municipalities and nonprofits 
  • Funding amount: up to $250,000 for assessment and up to $250,000 for clean-up
  • Contact: Amanda Limacher at Amanda.Limacher@ct.gov
• 12/10/25 deadline: Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Grant Program provides funding toward control/management projects, research projects, and education and outreach projects related to aquatic invasive species and cyanobacteria. 
  • Eligible entities: state agencies, municipalities, and not-for-profit organizations.
  • Funding amount: $10,000 to $75,000
  • Contact: Madeline Ortiz at DEEP.AISGrants@ct.gov
• 12/12/25 deadline: EPA Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling (SWIFT) Grants for Tribes and Intertribal Consortia seeks to fund projects focused on improving solid waste management and recycling infrastructure. For more information, click here. 
  • Eligible entities: Indian Tribes as defined in 33 U.S.C. 4201 and section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act, including Alaskan Native Villages and former Indian reservations in Oklahoma. Intertribal consortia are also eligible to apply.
  • Funding amount: $100,000 to $1.5 million per award 
• Extended deadline - 12/14/25: Urban Green and Community Gardens Grant Program provides funding assistance to develop or enhance urban green spaces for public enjoyment and/or environmental education. Promotion of open space in an urban setting may include, but may not be limited to, the development of a community garden or reclaiming and enhancing existing open space for the public's use. For more information, click here.
  • Eligible entities: Municipalities or non-profit organizations with a project site within a Distressed Municipality, Targeted Investment Community, or an EJ Community.
  • Funding amount: Applicants must have funds available or funding sources available for 50% of the anticipated total project cost. See Guidelines and FAQ PDF for more information.
  • Contact: Steven Perry at Steven.Perry@ct.gov or (860) 424-3603
• 12/16/25 Deadline - Long Island Sound Ecosystems Grant Program is intended to support the planning and implementation of projects focused on coastal habitat restoration and green stormwater infrastructure across the state. Virtual office hours will be held on December 9th. For more information, click here.
  • Eligible entities: State government agencies, local governments, councils of government, 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations, academic institutions, federally recognized tribes, and state recognized tribes. 
  • Funding amount: $7 million available, funding granted varies. Please see the Eligible Projects section in the NOFO for funding expectations. 
  • Contact: Mindy Gosselin at DEEP.EcosystemsGrant@ct.gov or (860) 424-3568.
• 1/15/26 deadline: DEEP Climate Resilience Fund is making available up to $44 million in state and federal funds to support planning, project advancement, and construction to help Connecticut’s communities build resilience to extreme weather.
  • Eligible entities: Municipal governments, Councils of Government, neighborhood organizations, non-profit organizations, academic institutions, public utilities, state and federally recognized Tribal 
    nations.
  • Funding amount: $25,000 to $250,000 but may be adjusted
  • Contact: DEEP.ClimateResilience@ct.gov. For more information, click here.

Note: Applicants should submit Letters of Interest as soon as possible if they will be seeking implementation funds under the new Deployment funding category, which includes the Matching Funds for Community Resilience program and the Draft Energy Construction RFP. For details on how to submit Letters of Interest, please see the Notice of Funding Opportunity and Draft Energy Construction RFP announcement. 

• Rolling deadline: New England Grassroots Environment Fund provides funding for groups launching new projects or starting to significantly change the direction of an existing project.  
  • Eligible entities: Groups doing local, grassroots work in CT, ME, MA, NH, RI or VT. 501c3 status is not required. 
  • Funding amount: $500 - $1,000.  
  • Contact: Tess Beem, tess@grassrootsfund.org. For more information, click here. 
• Rolling deadline: Ben & Jerry's Foundation Grassroots Organizing National Grant Program provides support to community-based, grassroots organizations confronting social and environmental injustice.
  • Eligible entities: 501(c)3 Nonprofit Organizations 
  • Funding: Two-year unrestricted, general operating support grants of up to $30,000 per year, with an average grant size of $20,000 per year, to small (budgets under $350,000), constituent-led grassroots organizations throughout the U.S. and its territories.
  • Contact: Dana Jeffery at info@benandjerrysfoundation.org 802-495-1378. For more information, click here.

FEATURED JOBS

• 12/2/2025: Agency Legal Director; Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
• 12/5/2025: Environmental Analyst 3; Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
• 12/10/2025: Supervising Air Pollution Control Engineer; Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
• 12/15/2025: Seasonal Resource Assistant; Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
• 12/16/2025: Protective Services Trainee; Department of Energy and Environmental Protection

Click here to read past DEEP Equity & EJ Newsletters

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer that is committed to complying with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Please contact us at (860) 418-5910 or deep.accommodations@ct.gov if you: have a disability and need a communication aid or service; have limited proficiency in English and may need information in another language; or if you wish to file an ADA or Title VI discrimination complaint. Any person needing a hearing accommodation may call the State of Connecticut relay number - 711. In order to facilitate efforts to provide an accommodation, please request all accommodations as soon as possible following notice of any agency hearing, meeting, program or event. 

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