State of Connecticut

Goals and Benchmarks
For the Year 2000 and Beyond
Preventing Pollution

Water and air pollution can no longer be thought of as the price of progress, an unavoidable by-product. Pollution should be regarded as a measure of inefficiency, a waste of raw materials, energy, and labor. A trend is already evident among firms and individuals toward more effective use of resources through pollution prevention, reuse, energy and material recycling, and various efficiency improvements which reduce environmental stress. These trends must be continued into the future with aggressive measurable benchmarks.

Pollution prevention, and the efficient use and recycling of energy and material resources will be the primary means to maintain a clean and healthful environment. 

			1985	 1990	1992-4	2000	2005	2010	2015

Percentage of total solid 
waste stream that is recycled 
or avoided			  <15	    21	  40	  44	  48	 51

Percentage reduction of selected air toxics:							
    Freon 113				   <20	  50	  60	  75	 95
    Trichloroethane			    <8	  10	  12	  14	 16
    Cumene				   <25	  50	 100	 100	100
    Dichlorodifluoromethane (CFC-12)	   <20	  50	  60	  75	 95

Percentage reduction of 
hazardous waste generated 
from 1991 base year				  47	  40	  33	 29

Percentage reduction in the 
number of transformers at 
greatest risk of becoming 
a source of pollution			     0	   8	  25	  55	100

			1985	 1990	1992-4	2000	2005	2010	2015

Percentage annual 
reduction in energy 
needed to power the 
economy (BTUs per 
dollar of personal 
income)		         10,600 10,400	9,800	8,170	7,260  6,350   5,450
Percentage of energy 
derived from natural 
gas and renewable 
resources	           13.3	  14.6	15.6		       25-35	

Percentage of operators/facilities practicing waste reduction or prevention	
  Non-residential underground 
   storage tank systems meeting 
   leak prevention installation                            
   standards						  100	100	100
  Certified pesticide applicators 
   practicing Integrated Pest 
   Management (IPM) for structural 
   pest control				           70	   80	 90	100
  State agencies completing env. 
   audit and plans to reduce air, 
   water, solid, and hazardous 
   pollution 								100
  Large Quantity Generators 
   participating in waste 
   minimization activities						100
  Farmers operating under a 
   Farm Resource Management Plan 
   and IPM Plan								 50

Amount of annual emissions of 
greenhouse gases  (millions of 
tons of CO2 emitted per year)	 42.9	  42.4	42.9	42.9	42.9	42.9
See Endnotes on Preventing Pollution.
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