To:

Governor Ned Lamont
Senator Richard Blumenthal
Colonel Justin R. Pabis (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)
Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – Region 1

We, the under represented and very frustrated residents of Connecticut, along with concerned members of the public across the country and beyond, demand the immediate cancellation of all current and planned applications of the herbicide Diquat in Connecticut waterways.

They say it’s to combat an invasive weed called hydrilla, but with the several million in federal funding that Senator Blumenthal raised for this initiative, there’s surely a better way.

🚫 Why We Oppose Diquat Spraying:

-Diquot dibromide is a chemical with documented risks to human health, wildlife, aquatic ecosystems, and long-term water quality.

-Toxic to fish, amphibians, and aquatic invertebrates

-Causes kidney and liver damage in humans

-Linked to oxygen depletion, ecosystem collapse, and algae blooms after mass plant die-offs

-Banned in the European Union due to its environmental danger

-Lingers in sediment and may contaminate drinking water

Plain and simple : IT’S POISON AND WE DO NOT CONSENT !

This is not “management.” This is chemical warfare on nature — disguised as environmental stewardship.

📍 Where It’s Happening:

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, in coordination with CT DEEP, is targeting 12+ sites along the Lower Connecticut River, including:

Chester Creek
Hamburg Cove
Selden Creek
Mattabesset River
Lake Pocotopaug
And others — with spraying scheduled to begin after July 4, 2025

🔁 We Demand:

-An immediate halt to all planned diquat applications in Connecticut

-A full moratorium on chemical herbicide use in public waterways until independent environmental and health studies are conducted

-A shift to non-toxic, mechanical, and biological alternatives for invasive plant management

-Full public transparency on contracts, permits, and monitoring data

-A public hearing before any future approval of herbicide projects

You were elected or appointed to protect the people you represent — not to authorize chemical dumping in natural ecosystems and the mass poisoning of the very state you pledged to serve.

We will not stand by as Connecticut’s rivers, lakes, and wildlife are sacrificed to private contractors and short-term federal funding.

We now see this is happening all over the country, and I hope to see this energy spread well beyond CT.

It’s about time we had a say in what happens here in our communities on a local level. 

We know the people involved, and we know the roles they played.. and now it’s time for some accountability and change.