Council Duties 

The duties of the Council on Environmental Quality are described in Sections 22a-11 through 22a-13 of the Connecticut General Statutes.

The Council is a nine-member board that works independently of the Department of Environmental Protection (except for administrative functions). The Chairman and four other members are appointed by the Governor, two members by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate and two by the Speaker of the House. The Council’s primary responsibilities include:

1. Submittal to the Governor of an annual report on the status of Connecticut’s environment, including progress toward goals of the statewide environmental plan, with recommendations for remedying deficiencies of state programs.
   
   
2. Review of state agencies’ construction projects.
   
   
3. Investigation of citizens’ complaints and allegations of violations of environmental laws.

In addition, under the Connecticut Environmental Policy Act (CEPA) and its attendant regulations, the Council on Environmental Quality reviews Environmental Impact Evaluations that state agencies develop for major projects. The Council publishes the Environmental Monitor (https://www.ct.gov/ceq/monitor.html), the official publication for state project information under CEPA.