I knew when I took over the State Senate seat from George “Doc” Gunther that I would have very big shoes to fill. Over his forty years in office, Doc had a tremendous impact on policy in Connecticut. But nowhere is his legacy greater than in his passionate commitment to the environment, where his defense of Long Island Sound, the Housatonic River, and open space will benefit our community for generations to come.

As his successor in the State Senate, I am committed to continuing Doc’s legacy of protecting our environment. I have been dedicating significant effort to environmental issues in Stratford, Shelton, and Monroe to protect both our land and waterways.

I believe protecting the environment is not just something we do for ourselves, but also as a lasting, invaluable, gift we bequeath to future generations. That is why I oppose the Broadwater proposal to put the largest floating liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in the world in Long Island Sound. Despite proponents’ reassurances, we really do not know what the lasting environmental impact would be. The LNG platform would not only disturb the ecosystem of the sound, but would impact the quality of life of anyone who lives on the Sound or ever uses it for recreation. Most frighteningly, the precedent set by permitting a LNG in Long Island Sound would be giving an “ok” to the industrialization of the Sound. Who knows what industrial platforms would be proposed next?

In Stratford, I continue to work with local government officials, community activists and legislative colleagues to protect Stratford from the federal Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) desire to finish the Raymark cleanup by relocating contaminated soil removed from two dozen local sites into residential neighborhoods in south Stratford. Imagine thousands of dump trucks filled with toxic soil being carried around Stratford before being dumped and capped with non-contaminated soil. I believe there are numerous alternatives to this plan, either in removing the contaminated dirt from town, capping the material in place, or consolidation in non-residential neighborhoods.

Fortunately, the EPA recently decided to reconsider its toxic soil consolidation plan. Nevertheless, I am working with Stratford Representatives John Harkins, Larry Miller, and Terry Backer to pass legislation intended to protect Connecticut citizens from any future possibility of having toxic waste dumped at sites neighboring their homes. We have introduced HB 5606, An Act Prohibiting The Disposal Or Storage Of Toxic Waste Near Residential Property, which calls for prohibiting the storage or disposal of toxic waste at sites that adjoin or abut residential property. The proposal passed the General Assembly’s Environment Committee last week, and my hope is the full House and Senate will approve it this year.

We have also been successful in protecting the Housatonic River in both Shelton and Stratford. Last year, Shelton Mayor Mark Lauretti and I were thrilled to announce an agreement to end the disposal of dredged material from Milford’s Caswell Cove Marina in the Housatonic River near Shelton. Under that agreement, materials dredged from the cove will be taken to the well-established Central Long Island Sound Disposal Site. I also helped to promote the creation of an Estuary Commission in town. Clearly, this was welcome news to Shelton residents.

Finally, I have been a consistent supporter of more money for open space. The bond package that we passed last year contained millions of dollars for grants to municipalities to open space. I believe that we need to set aside a portion of land in all our towns for both active recreation like ball fields and natural preservation like trails.

I firmly believe that being a Republican Environmentalist is not an oxymoron. The original “environmentalist” was Republican Presidents like Teddy Roosevelt, and I believe that protecting the environment is a non-partisan issue; it is something all of our families want. Furthermore, I believe that we can find policies that are friendly to both business and the environment. All too often, we have tried to pit business and environmental interests against each other—rather than looking for the ways that we can improve our economy and the environment at the same time. Alternative energy and so-called “green-collar” jobs are a great example of this policy, and I have sponsored a bill to give tax credits to these “next generation industries” in Connecticut.

While I can never claim to hold a candle to Doc Gunther’s record on the environment, I can carry on his legacy. I am committed to continuing to fight for a clean Long Island Sound, responsible cleanup of our existing pollution, a vibrant Housatonic River, and more open space in our communities.

Dan Debicella is the State Senator representing Stratford, Shelton, Monroe, and Seymour. If you have feedback for him or want to talk about the issues, he can be reached toll-free at (800) 842-1421 or by e-mail at dan.debicella@cga.ct.gov.