www.CTGreenGuide.com SUMMER 2015 • Connecticut Green Guide 19
On April 1, after working 18
years in the Connecticut Attorney
General's Office Levine was promoted
to the head the Environment Depart-
ment, responsible for prosecuting
the worst violations of the state's
environmental and agricultural laws
to a fair and reasonable conclusion.
Despite having a job that has
him going against business, Levine
sees his role as helping the econo-
my of the state flow evenly. He said
when businesses skirt Connecti-
cut's environmental laws, they are
not only polluting, but they get an
unfair, illegal leg up on their com-
petitors who are obeying the rules.
"If we don't enforce against this
person, then they have an econom-
ic advantage that they shouldn't
have," Levine said.
This is perhaps one of the most
important functions of the environ-
ment department, said Eric Brown,
associate counsel for the Connecti-
cut Business & Industry Association.
Connecticut's long list of environ-
mental laws can add significant
costs to businesses, and those who
avoid those duties can be a detri-
ment to the health of their industry.
"We have always said that those
businesses that demonstrate a lack
of concern for their environmental
responsibilities … need to be held
accountable," Brown said.
Matthew Levine
TITLE: Assistant Attorney General,
head of Environment Department
UNDERGRAD: Ithaca College
LAW SCHOOL: Quinnipiac
University
JOINED AG OFFICE: 1996
WIFE: Deanna Levine, also an
attorney, married 17 years
CHILDREN: Evan, 12; Noah, 10;
Simon, 6
LIVES: Cheshire
Levine said the lawyers who make up the Environment Department are the driving force behind the attorney general's cases (from left):
Levine, Sharon Seligman, David Wrinn, Lori DiBella, Robert Snook, Krista Trousdale, Gail Shane, Michael Lynch, Scott Koschwitz, Kirsten
Rigney, and Denise Vecchio.
PHOTO | STEVE LASCHEVER
