Connecticut is a state with a diversified landscape that includes rolling hills, nearly 4,000 lakes and ponds, nearly 10,000 miles of rivers and streams, and more than 200 miles of coastline along Long Island Sound. The mission of the Department is to protect these natural features through programs that improve air quality, restore and protect waterways and the habitats they support, and address the remnants of Connecticut’s rich industrial legacy through site cleanup and waste management efforts. These programs foster protection through continual environmental monitoring, protective permitting initiatives, cleanup of contaminated sites, enforcement, and pollution prevention.