I am a Hartford resident who currently suffers from the effects of air pollution made worse by climate change. In the fall of 2022 I got Covid, which triggered symptoms of bronchitis.
I was able to recover within a week. This summer my bronchitis symptoms came back with a vengeance and it wasn’t Covid. After four years of good health, this summer has proven a real challenge. Growing up, I’ve never had issues with breathing; however this year, due to the record shattering heatwave, the Canadian forest fires, and unhealthy air quality this past weekend, my bronchitis has gotten worse.
I have missed days from work and I have had to pay for travel back and forth to the pharmacy and to doctor appointments. Unfortunately, I am not the only Hartford resident who has suffered due to air pollution made worse by climate change. For many years, Hartford residents have suffered from high asthma rates, school and work absenteeism and high emergency room visits all due to extreme heat and unhealthy air quality. We have earned an “F” from the American Lung Association for air quality.
When Gov. Ned Lamont was first elected in 2018, environmental justice advocates in Hartford and around the state had hoped that the government would finally become serious about changing the policies that concentrate pollution in communities of color and low-wealth communities. His administration closed the trash incinerator in Hartford, the fifth largest such facility in the U.S. and arguably the largest source of air toxics in Connecticut. He set up advisory councils that included those who are most impacted by pollution to have a voice in changing the policies that resulted in asthma, learning disabilities and premature death in their communities. Lamont wrote in his Executive Order 21-3 that he would be committed to a 100% renewable heating and cooling solution for all state buildings moving forward.
In 2022, the state of Connecticut purchased the Capitol Area System, which heats and cools about a dozen mostly state-owned buildings in Hartford, and was previously one of the largest sources of air pollution in the city. We were thrilled that this fracked gas facility would be converted to clean energy to improve health in the surrounding schools and neighborhoods, in accordance with his executive order.
Recently, however, Lamont has backtracked on his promise in EO 21-3 regarding the updates needed for The Capitol Area System. He is no longer willing to commit his support to ensure that Hartford residents have access to clean air.
Recently, Sierra Club, legislators and community leaders came together to host a press conference about the impact of air pollution in Hartford. Dr. Mark Mitchell, a Hartford public health physician, spoke about the history of Juneteenth and air pollution. He spoke about the need for folk to stand in solidarity with the African-American community in Connecticut and reminded Gov. Lamont of his promise of environmental justice. Attorney Cynthia Jennings spoke about environmental justice and the importance of civil rights. Legislators such as Rep Maryum Khan, Rep Jillian Gilchrest, Rep Minnie Gonzalez, and U.S. Rep. John Larson all spoke in solidarity and support, urging the governor and his administration to keep the promise that was made in the EO 21-3.
We realize that things have changed in Washington where the most disadvantaged among us are now demonized, and where more tariffs on Canada are the answer to climate related wildfires. But Connecticut is better than that. Governor Lamont, please join our communities and legislative leaders to fight for clean air for Hartford children, and support environmental and climate justice for all Connecticut residents. It’s not too late to keep your promise.
Alycia Jenkins is a Sierra Club Connecticut campaign organizer