New CT environmental regulations could create thousands of jobs; add millions to state coffers
The legislature approved changes to the 'Transfer Act,' which since 1980 has set regulations for environmental testing of properties that were up for sale.
The law has long criticized as dampening development because all properties at which 100 kilograms — about 220 pounds — of hazardous waste was dealt with in any one month had to undergo environmental testing before a sale could be completed, according to Brendan Schain, legal director for the environmental quality division at the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, said.
The regulations pertained to properties even where there was not a known discharge or spill, Schain said.
The changes, which will go into effect in 2026, were approved by the General Assembly's legislative regulation review committee and rely on investigation performed by property owners or prospective buyers and lenders to determine whether pollution is present and needs a cleanup.
'We know that buyers don't want to buy polluted properties with unknown liabilities,' Schain said. 'We know that lenders and others make people look for pollution, right? It relies on the investigation that we know is already being done – the market-driven investigation.'
'And instead of requiring an investigation, it starts from there,' Schain said. 'So, if you discover a release, you have to tell us about it, in certain circumstances, and clean it up to the state's cleanup standard.'
Since the 1980s, 5,000 properties in the state have entered the Transfer Act program, but less than half have been remediated, according to the state. The regulation changes bring Connecticut in line with 48 other states.
Economists at the state Department of Economic and Community Development estimate that the new systems will boost the state's economy. Over the next five years, the change could create 2,100 new construction jobs, $3.78 billion in new economic growth, as measured by gross domestic product and $115 million in new revenue to the state.
'This is a gamechanger for Connecticut,' Gov. Ned Lamont said, in a statement. 'This new system is truly a win-win, resulting in faster environmental clean-ups and unlocking countless blighted properties that will go from being community hazards to being community assets.'
DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes echoed those sentiments: 'I look forward to implementing this modern cleanup program and bring valuable properties back into productive reuse.'
Kenneth R. Gosselin can be reached at kgosselin@courant.com.
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CBS News
4 days ago
- CBS News
SEPTA moving forward with service cuts across Philadelphia region with no funding fix in place
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"The 10 days between the deadline and the start of the new schedules is the bare minimum that we need to complete the multitude of tasks required to ensure that we can safely and efficiently transition service to new timetables," Sauer said in a recent news conference announcing the reduced schedules. Barring any last-minute deal, which seems unlikely, these cuts will likely start taking effect. Lawmakers on both sides have said they understand mass transit is important and they want to work toward a deal. But as of Thursday, what that deal looks like and where they go from here — with no bill on the table that can pass both chambers — is unclear. It's also unclear when the Pennsylvania House and Senate will be back in Harrisburg to discuss mass transit or the budget overall. These cuts would happen in two phases, with the first happening Aug. 24 and the second in January 2026. Sauer and other officials have warned that major service cuts would be the start of a "transit death spiral," where service cuts and fare increases result in fewer people using the system and paying fares, reducing revenue and necessitating further cuts. Sauer said Wednesday if funding comes through during the 10-day transition phase to reduced service, SEPTA would do its best to reverse the cuts quickly and have as minimal an impact on riders as possible. "We've been treating this as if it was an inevitability for months, to make sure when we get to this point, everything is in line to weather the storm, to blunt the impact on our customers as much as possible," assistant communications director Lex Powers said. A PDF of how each bus, train and trolley route will be impacted is available here on SEPTA's website, but here is a quick summary of the cuts that will take effect in August. 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Chicago Tribune
6 days ago
- Chicago Tribune
Rep. Kam Buckner: Springfield should think twice before giving the Bears a property tax break
The Chicago Bears have finally said out loud what everyone already knew. They want to leave Chicago and they expect the legislature to help them do it. After months of posturing, hedging and rebranding their intentions, they now say they are 'extremely focused' on Arlington Heights. That phrase is meant to sound decisive, but it's really a public signal to the General Assembly: get ready to make this easier for us. This is not a new act. Kevin Warren didn't invent it. In the 1970s, Mayor Richard J. Daley faced a Bears organization threatening to leave Soldier Field for the suburbs; Arlington Heights in fact. The details change, but the script is familiar: big declarations, bad math, sudden reversals, and a hope that taxpayers will somehow pick up the tab. The current version started with the $197 million purchase of 326 acres in Arlington Heights without a real plan. Then came the announcement they were leaving Chicago. Then the walk-back. Then the 'Chicago is our home' press event, staged like a new iPhone launch, without ever having talked to the state about financing. When they finally came to Springfield, they were laughed out of the room. And now, after more flip-flops, they're back to Arlington Heights, with the focus dialed up. The Bears' pitch now hinges on 'property tax certainty' for their proposed Arlington Heights stadium, with the claim it wouldn't cost anyone anything. That's simply not true. Property taxes are what fund a community's schools, libraries, parks, police, fire departments and infrastructure. A $8.8 billion company moving into town would normally be expected to contribute to all of that. If the Bears get a break, the revenue those services could depend on disappears. Moving to Arlington Heights will raise property values, put more students in classrooms, and increase demand on local roads, utilities and first responders. 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And right now, Springfield has bigger priorities: transit reform and funding, pensions, education funding and closing gaps left by federal budget cuts. Editorial: Chicago will survive the Chicago Bears of Arlington HeightsI implore the Bears' ownership to come to Springfield and make their case in person and have open, transparent conversations about what they want from us and why; in front of the people and their representatives. Talk about the real benefits to the public, not inflated numbers economists will tell us are overstated. Explain why you deserve a tax break when families are struggling to pay their own. Explain your urgency. As my math teachers used to say, show your work. It is not unprecedented. In 1997, Minnesota Twins owner Carl Pohlad came before his state's lawmakers to get his stadium built. In 2006, Minnesota Vikings owner Zygi Wilf did the same. Mark Davis, owner of the Raiders, personally lobbied Nevada's legislature in 2016 for Allegiant Stadium. And in 2024, Jerry Reinsdorf came to Springfield in person to talk about his team's future home. If it's such a great idea, Bears ownership should stand where those owners stood, on the record, in the open, in the people's capitol and have the conversation where it's meant to be had.
Yahoo
08-08-2025
- Yahoo
'Hard decisions' ahead with funding gap
ELKHART — The city faces some 'hard decisions' as a property tax reduction measure passed by the Indiana General Assembly takes effect, officials have learned. The city council finance committee listened and asked questions Wednesday night during a presentation about the effects of Senate Enrolled Act 1 on the city's funding. Senate Enrolled Act 1, signed into law by Gov. Mike Braun this spring, cuts property taxes and overhauls local income taxes. Future property tax revenues for Elkhart and other local governments are projected to be much lower due to the measure. State estimates show the city's property tax revenues will be up to $6 million lower in 2028, when the measure takes full effect. The income tax the city currently collects, about $34 million a year, will be eliminated in 2028. Jason Semler, a principal with Baker Tilly Municipal Advisors, gave a nearly hourlong presentation to the city council finance committee describing the effects Senate Enrolled Act 1 would have on the city. Some city council members expressed their dismay at the new law. City Councilman Dwight Fish called it a Ponzi scheme. 'I don't see any benefit from this for cities and towns,' Fish said. 'Everybody's going to take a hit, so what's the greater conversation saying? Are they going to adjust at the state level and give us some relief here, because this is silly in my mind.' The finance committee will have to consider 'revenue replacement options' to make up for the lost revenue, Semler said. Some of the options include a wheel tax, a food and beverage tax, and a trash fee. The committee projects that the fees could generate about $1.9 million for the city in 2027. City Councilman Aaron Mishler thanked Baker Tilly for the presentation and called the numbers very sobering. The city has some hard choices in front of it, Mishler said. 'We could cut the entire parks department, The Lerner Theatre, the railroad museum, the cemetery, and 20 percent of most of the other departments, not counting public safety, and we would not be able to touch the proposed cuts from losing the local income tax portion of this,' Mishler said. 'So all options are on the table. I don't say that lightly and I take this with all the seriousness that it deserves.' Mishler said he suggests the state legislators look closely at the local income tax portion of the cuts to see how it affects local services in cities and towns around them. City Councilman Alex Holtz noted that Senate Enrolled Act 1 would benefit those who live in the county at the expense of tax-paying people in the cities and towns. City Councilman David Henke said the goal of Senate Enrolled Act 1 was to reduce the cost of living for most of the population, but if another tax or fee is added in replacement of a different tax, then residents gain nothing. 'It was a shame that our legislators decided to punish us,' City Council President Arvis Dawson said. 'We've done all these great things in the city and they pushed this burden upon us. While we have to make some hard decisions, I encourage, especially our citizens, to contact their legislators and go let them know what it is that our city is going through if this continues down this path.' Dawson added that creating fees and taxes is the last thing the council wants to do. Others noted that local governments across the state confront a similar issue. The city of Goshen has already advanced a local wheel tax to make up funding it has lost. It paused a reconstruction project for Shanklin Pool and construction of a new fire station because of the funding losses. In Elkhart, officials have indicated that projects could be delayed or cut entirely. Mayor Rod Roberson in a news conference Tuesday said the construction of a new Fire Station 6 and the Hively Avenue Overpass would remain on schedule, but delays and cancellations could be on the horizon for other projects the city had deemed as priorities. Solve the daily Crossword
