Chapter Chair Update
June 2021
Susan Eastwood
Greetings!
I hope you are all well and safe!
June brings us many gifts to enjoy, sunshine, flowers, and a chance to get outside and enjoy our beautiful state again! These are important to me, but I have another reason to be excited about the beginning of this month. Find out why in my article, The Cost of the Proposed Killingly Energy Center, about our continuing efforts to stop the construction of yet another dirty fracked gas plant in Connecticut. And learn how we can help save endangered wildlife at the same time!
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WE ARE LISTENING!
A Sierra Club member wrote in recently to express her concern about seeing drivers idling their cars for long periods of time. “Is there a law in Connecticut about not keeping a car motor idling while sitting in line for more than a certain number of minutes? If so, why isn’t it publicized??
I hate seeing town vans in the summer with the engines running while parked so the A/C is working when the driver gets in!!!”
Thank you, Carol Waxman—you inspired the collaborative article we put together on anti-idling efforts in towns around the state, Yes, Carol, there is an anti-idling law in Connecticut. And you are correct, we need to do more to educate the public on this important way we can help to reduce transportation emissions, the largest source of greenhouse gasses in our state.
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We look forward to hearing from our members, please feel free to contact us and let us know what issues you’d like to hear about in the Quinnehtukqut.
DON’T STOP PUSHING FOR A CLEANER WORLD!
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Legislation - Connecticut General Assembly (CGA)
As our CGA session approaches its closing bell at midnight on June 9th, a most unusual legislative session will come to a screeching halt. Despite the limitations of virtual governing, this session has seen a large number of important environmental bills pass out of their committees, but many still await a vote in the State Senate or House. Many of these reflect the hard work of the Governor’s Council on Climate Change (affectionately known as the GC3), our legislative champions, and grassroots advocates like you! We appreciate all the effort that has gone into getting bills to this point, but without a final vote, we will have to start over again next February. Sierra Club Connecticut priorities include bills to limit emissions from medium and heavy duty vehicles, promote electrification of transportation, support energy efficiency, ban toxic chemicals, and reduce waste—not to mention codifying our climate goals and increasing voting access! Learn more in our Legislative Update.
Now is our last chance to get our priority bills over the line. Please continue to urge your legislators and leadership to call our bills for a vote and get them passed into law!
Some good news! An important bill to take PFAS chemicals out of firefighting foam and food packaging passed the Senate! Halfway there!
I look forward to sharing more successes next month!
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Susan Eastwood is Chapter Chair of Sierra Club Connecticut.