About Us
Mission | Brief Description of Agency | Organizational Structure
Ethics Statement | Things We Do For You | Website Shortcut Addresses
Mission Statement
Founded in 1971, the mission of the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is to conserve, improve and protect the natural resources and environment of the State of Connecticut in such a manner as to encourage the social and economic development of Connecticut while preserving the natural environment and the life forms it supports in a delicate, interrelated and complex balance, to the end that the state may fulfill its responsibility as trustee of the environment for present and future generations.
Brief Description of Agency
The DEP achieves its mission through regulation, monitoring, inspection and enforcement, and licensing procedures that help control air, land and water pollution in order to protect health, safety, welfare and natural resources. DEP also improves and coordinates the state's environmental plans, functions and educational programs in cooperation with federal, regional and local governments, other public and private organizations and concerned individuals, while managing and protecting the flora and fauna for compatible uses by the citizens.
Organizational Structure
The DEP is organized into two main branches and the Central Offices.
The Environmental Quality Branch is comprised of the Bureaus of Air Management, Materials Management and Compliance Assurance, and Water Protection and Land Reuse. These bureaus protect the air, land and water resources of the state by regulating air emissions, wastewater discharges and solid and hazardous wastes. Tools used include the development of regulations, policies and standards; permitting and enforcement; air and water quality monitoring; and public outreach and education.
Within the Environmental Conservation Branch, there are two bureaus. The Bureau of Natural Resources is charged with managing the state’s natural resources (particularly fish, wildlife, and forests) through a program of regulation, management, research, and public education. The Bureau of Outdoor Recreation is charged with the conservation and management of statewide recreation lands and resources through the acquisition of open space and the management of resources, including state parks, to meet the outdoor recreation needs of the public.
The Central Offices, including the Offices of Planning and Program Development, Information Management, Adjudications, and Legal Council, provide administrative management, staff assistance, and ancillary service to aid the Commissioner and Bureau Chiefs in their efforts to carry out the mission of the agency. In addition, the centralized Bureau of Financial and Support Services provides a wide array of services including financial management, human resource management and purchasing.
Organizational Charts
Ethics Statement
Things We Do For You
DEP Website Shortcut Addresses
