Legislature to Hold Post-Irene Meetings

The General Assembly will hold a series of informational hearings starting next week to examine the response by utility, cable and telecommunications companies to Tropical Storm Irene.

The hearings before three legislative committees will convene Monday and on Sept. 26. The  Energy & Technology, Public Safety, Labor and Public Employees, and Planning & Development committees will hear from representatives of utility companies, workers, communications firms and municipalities, as well as from members of the general public.

On Monday,  representatives of CL&P, UI and and municipal utilities will testify in a hearing at 9:30 a.m., followed by municipal representatives and officials from telephone, cable and wireless utility companies. 

On Sept. 26, members of the public will have the opportunity to appear before the committees beginning at 9 a.m., followed by union representatives and the electric utility companies. The public will have an additional chance for comment before the hearing closes in early afternoon.

"There's hardly a person or business across the state that didn't feel the impact of Irene," said House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan, D-Meriden. "We need to understand what worked and what didn't in terms of how we prepared and how we responded. I expect these hearings will be productive and forward looking and will serve us well for the next, inevitable punch from Mother Nature."

"People who had to wait for a week or more need some satisfaction in knowing why it took so long for their power to be restored," said Rep. Vickie Nardello, D-Prospect. "The delay went far beyond mere inconvenience; many people need electricity to pump well water to their homes and for other health requirements.

For those who can’t attend the hearings, Senate and House Democrats have set up Facebook and Twitter accounts to accept public comments and suggestions about experiences with the storm and the state's readiness for and response to it.