CT AG Tong wants Eversource to pay for ‘failures’ during August storm By Tara O Neill
A file photo of Connecticut Attorney General William Tong.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong is seeking penalties and consumer credits for what he called Eversource’s “failure to protect public safety and communicate effectively” during the August 2020 storm that left more than 100,000 customers without power for days.
Tong called for the penalties in a brief filed Friday with the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority amid an ongoing probe into the electrical companies’ preparation for and response to the storm.
Heavy rain and fierce wind from Tropical Storm Isaias tore across the state on Aug. 4, knocking down trees and power lines. Tornado warnings popped up across the state with wind gusts up to 70 mph as first responders and utility crews raced to calls for help.
A panel of medical and public health experts said Friday that accidental drug deaths from opioids are spiking in Connecticut this year compared to 2019.
“One thing we are hearing is because of the pandemic, because of increased isolation, concerns about employment, concerns about health or even food that those stresses, some of those stresses, may be contributing to some of the spikes that we’re seeing in overdoses,” said Miriam Delphin-Rittmon, commissioner of the state’s Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services.
Delphin-Rittmon spoke during a roundtable call with U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn) and Connecticut Attorney General William Tong.