DEEP proposes expanding Climate Resilience Fund Program [Video]

HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — The state’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is proposing an expansion of the Climate Resilience Fund Program to help more communities deal with climate change impacts, like severe flooding.

“We are looking at ways we can build a more resilient Connecticut proactively that can better withstand, adapt to and recover faster from these events,” DEEP commissioner Katie Dykes said.

In Meriden, the city green doubles as a stormwater park. It was built to prevent flooding in nearby neighborhoods and downtown.

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“The interior of the park is a giant bowl,” Meriden City Engineer Brian Ennis said. “It’s designed to hold 53 acre-feet of water. That’s about 17 and a half million gallons of water.”

That project took a decade to complete. DEEP established a Climate Resilience Fund Programthat rolled out $8.8 million last year to help 17 communities plan resilience …