March 14, 2018 - Greenwich passed a ban on plastic bags, which makes it the second municipality in Connecticut (after Westport) to do so.
Read more here.
March 13, 2018 - The state's Environment Committee is reviewing a new proposed bill regarding the state's Water Plan. Read more about this bill and others at the
Rivers Alliance of Connecticut's website.
January 18, 2018 - Our next Earth Day 5K and Roadside Cleanup is scheduled for April 21, 2018. This is a great out-and-back race for beginner runners because the course is fairly flat, which isn't always easy to find in Litchfield County. Bring a dog to run with you!
December 6, 2017 - It's not receiving enough attention in the media, but did you know there was a 5 million gallon sewage spill in Waterbury this past October? Read more about this awful incident at the
Rivers Alliance of CT website.
December 4, 2017 - WEC and WMS are co-sponsoring a FREE screening of the documentary
Bag It. For more information,
click here.
November 20, 2017 - It's time to ban glyphosate.
Sign this petition and bring this matter to Governor Dannel Malloy now! Once enough signatures are collected, it will be presented to Governor Dannel Malloy and he will be asked for an Executive Ban on this toxic carcinogen. Learn more about glyphosate
here.
September 29, 2017 - Consider signing this
petition to save our pollinators. "Bees are dying by the million, and a growing body of scientific evidence points to a dangerous new breed of pesticides called neonics as the main culprit. In response, a wave of local cities and towns are taking steps to ban bee-killing pesticides."
Click here to learn more.
September 20, 2017 - Need to clean your home and yard of hazardous waste? Please visit us at Household Hazardous Waste Day this Saturday, 9/23/17, for this completely FREE and EASY way to dispose of hazardous waste. Check out our
HHWD Page for all the details.
August 21, 2017 - Big Eco News: California Lists Glyphosate as Known Carcinogen
Glyphosate is an herbicide widely used in the USA. It is most commonly sold
under the brand “Roundup” but is a prominent ingredient in many chemical-based
weed killers. Glyphosate has been proven to be acutely toxic to not just weeds
- it’s harmful to human and animal life too. (It even gets into river water and
harms fish!) In July 2017, the state of California listed glyphosate under
Proposition 65 as known to cause cancer. While glyphosate should ideally be banned,
getting this warning label is a big victory. Environmentalists around the
global celebrated California’s achievement, and all of us at WEC hope more
communities follow suit. In the meantime, be sure to read the labels when
shopping for garden supplies and opt for glyphosate-free, all natural weed
killers for your yard and gardens. You and your family will be healthier for
it.
July 11, 2017 - The Town of New Milford
approved a ban on fracking waste. Since the Town of Washington banned fracking waste in 2015, over 20 other Connecticut municipalities have followed suit, including:
Andover, Ashford, Bloomfield, Branford, Chaplin, Coventry, Hampton, Hebron, Lebanon, Litchfield, Mansfield, Middletown, New London, New Milford, Pomfret, Portland, Washington, Willington, Windham (includes Willimantic), Windsor, Woodstock.
June 19, 2017 - We hope to see you this Saturday, June 24th at the Future Now Sustainability Expo.
Check out the Expo website for details on vendors, exhibitors, speakers, workshops and more. Don't miss Rep. Elizabeth Esty's keynote address at 11:00 a.m.!
May 9, 2017 - WEC would like you to check out the CT League of Conservation Voters
"Environmental Watchlist" to help you keep on top of key pending legislation that will affect you and your community.
November 28, 2016 - WEC's Fall 2016 newsletter is out.
Read it now to learn more about our new co-presidents, find new ways to reduce your plastic footprint, and hear our exciting announcement!
November 14, 2016 - Great news! New Milford Mayor Gronbach has withdrawn his proposal to build a power plant at the old Century Brass site. Read the whole story at the News Times
here. Thanks go to everyone who signed the petition against the project!
October 4, 2016 - WEC welcomes Diane Lash Decker and Carrie Rowe as new Co-Presidents of the Council! Former President Carlos Canal continues to serve WEC in the capacity of President Emeritus.
September 24, 2016 - WEC held its third Moon Dance to benefit the Council's Scholarship Fund. Check out the photos
here.
September 17, 2016 - Household Hazardous Waste Day is September 17, 2016 from 8 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. at a NEW LOCATION: John Pettibone School at 2 Pickett District Road in New Milford. For more details
click here.
July 1, 2016 - WEC and Washington Market hold their first drawing for winner of the Good Bag gift certificate prize of $100.
June 7, 2016 - WEC presented local students with awards for Environmental Scholarships and Pratt Nature Center Day Camp Sponsorships at its annual
Scholarship Awards.
May 28, 2016 - The Council launches
The Good Bag Program, an initiative designed to eliminate the use of disposable plastic and paper bags at checkout counters in Washington.
October 8, 2015 - WEC has recently learned that
Coventry is the second town in Connecticut to enact a ban on fracking waste, following Washington's passage of similar legislation in March 2015. We are aware of five other Connecticut towns that also considering similar ordinances. We hope to see many more towns follow our lead before Connecticut's moratorium on fracking waste ends in July 2017.
July 10, 2015 - The State of Connecticut passed HB 7102, a school construction bill containing language that allows Shepaug to apply for STEM funding for the Shepaug Valley Regional Agriscience Academy. This means that an additional 50-60 students per year would be accepted into this program, and potentially growing to up to 250 students over a four-year period.
June 3, 2015 - Sadly, the Connecticut General Assembly did not put the
Bag Ban Bill to a vote during this year's session.
May 12, 2015 - WEC is now accepting applications for the Pratt Nature Center Scholarship. Applications are due May 27, 2015. Please visit
this page to find out more information about this great new program.
May 1, 2015 - WEC helped students at WPS fund and implement a new composting program. Find more information on this and our other school programs
here.
April 30, 2015 - WEC purchased a Mantis double barreled composter for use by the Washington Primary School for their Environmental Club's
brand new lunch composting program.
April 15, 2015 - The Connecticut General Assembly is currently reviewing a proposed bill that would ban single use bags in Connecticut.
Click here for more details.
March 14, 2015 - WEC is now accepting applications for our 2015 college scholarships for environmental studies. Applications are due by April 11, 2015. You can find application forms and more information on our
scholarship page.
March 5, 2015 - The Town of Washington passed an ordinance regarding fracking waste. Check out more information on our
fracking page.