New Haven, CT – A judge has ruled that United Illuminating must pay $2 million a year for failing to clean up English Station, an abandoned power plant in New Haven. The ruling upholds a penalty imposed by state regulators in 2023.
The Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) ordered the fine after years of stalled cleanup efforts. UI appealed, but the court found the company had not lived up to its promise.
“Finally, the court finds that there is substantial evidence in the record supporting PURA’s conclusion that UI has not complied with its commitment to clean up the English Station site,” the ruling states.
Attorney General William Tong called the decision a victory for Connecticut and New Haven.
“Every day that English Station remains a contaminated eyesore is a slap in the face to the State of Connecticut and New Haven families,” Tong said. “This decision leaves no room for doubt—United Illuminating is obligated to remediate English Station, they haven’t, and now they must confront the serious consequences of their failures.”
New Haven resident and advocate Gabriela Campos said she hoped the ruling would push UI to act.
“One can hope maybe my grandchildren will see a clean English Station,” Campos said. “I’m glad the state is doing something, I’m hopeful, but you know, I think most of us in Fair Haven aren’t going to hold our breath.”
The plant shut down in 1992. A 2015 agreement gave UI and its partners until 2019 to complete cleanup, but little progress has been made. State officials say UI has spent no more than $20 million on remediation.
UI declined to comment on the ruling.
