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Terry Backer (August 3, 1954 – December 14, 2015), born Terrance Eddy Backer, was an American politician who served in the Connecticut House of Representatives from 1993 until his death in 2015.
Backer received an Arborist license from the Connecticut Tree Examining Board, Connecticut Tree Protective Association website, ctpa.org; accessed December 18, 2015. certifying him as an expert in the care of trees. Backer is a third generation fisherman and engaged in lobster and shell fishing with his father in the Long Island Sound for many years.
"Backer ... served in numerous positions in the legislature, including; Vice Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, Chairman of the Energy and Technology Committee, Assistant Majority Leader and Assistant Majority Whip. Backer has also held the position of House Chairman of the Appropriation subcommittee on Conservation and Development." He held the position in the Connecticut General Assembly of House Chairman of the Appropriation Subcommittee on Conservation and Development. He chaired the subcommittee from 1993 to 2008 and again for the 2009-10 term. The subcommittee is tasked with crafting the budget for the Department of Environmental Protection, the state Labor Department, the Department of Economic Development and Housing and the Culture and the Tourism Board and the Department of Agriculture, as well as other state agencies.
During his tenure as Chairman of the Energy and Technology Committee (2002–2003), Backer, oversaw and wrote the cleanup legislation to the State of Connecticut's 1998 Electric Deregulation and Restructuring law. He added improvements to the environmental and renewable energy components to the law. Backer expanded the Renewable Portfolio Standards, Renewable Portfolio Standards, ct.gov; accessed December 16, 2015. created Project 100, a renewable energy program design to implement renewable generation in the state, and passed the Energy Efficiency Standards of Commercial Appliances bill.
Backer's Committee assignments for the 2009-10 legislative session were the Appropriations Committee, the Environment Committee and the Energy and Technology Committee. Backer focused his activities in the Environment Committee on water quality improvements and reduction of pollution from storm water. His activities in the Energy and Technology Committee have focused on renewable energy and energy security with a special interest in Peak oil concerns. House Speaker for the 2009-10 legislative session, Chris Donovan (D-Meriden) appointed Representative Backer to chair a newly created sub-committee on Clean Energy and Energy Efficiency.
In February 2005, while serving as vice chairman of the National Conference of State Legislatures' Energy Committee, Backer wrote an article for State Legislatures Magazine, a publication of the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), titled Freedom From Fossil Fuel. In the article, he criticized the federal government and past administrations for their failure to prepare the nation's infrastructure for a contraction of the conventional fossil fuel supply and the resulting impact on the nation. He also proposed that the states take the lead rather than relying on Congress or the administration.
In July 2007, Backer and State Rep. Bob Duff co-founded the Connecticut General Assembly's Peak Oil and Natural Gas Caucus. The Caucus was formed to investigate the status of world petroleum based fuel supply, the impact of escalating cost on the society and the economy, and post carbon fuel implications for the current government planning process. Originally appearing in the Norwalk Hour.
In November 2007, the Legislative Peak Oil and Natural Gas Caucus, with Backer as the lead author, released a report to the Connecticut General Assembly and the Governor titled "Peak Oil Production and the Implications to the State of Connecticut." The report was an outgrowth of the work of the caucus Backer and Duff co-founded earlier that year. The report was the first of its kind to state legislatures. During the 2008 legislative session, Representative Backer authored the Energy Scarcity and Security Act which was passed into law. The act begins a scenario planning process and establishes two functions. A report and study on energy concerns and the formation of a task force. The Energy Scarcity and Security Task Force was formed to make recommendation regarding the findings of a report that will investigate the impact of rising energy cost and both major and short term supply disruptions on the state's ability to provide services and the impact on the state's economy and cost to citizens. He was appointed as co-chair of the task force, along with Senator Bob Duff of Norwalk, Connecticut, who was appointed by the President Pro Temp of the Senate.
In September 2008, Backer received the Congressman Roscoe Bartlett Speaking Truth to Power award from the Association for the Study of Peak Oil and Gas (ASPO-USA). The award was given at Sacramento, California during the ASPO-USA annual meeting. Representative Backer was awarded the honor for his work on two landmark reports to the Connecticut legislature and the state's Governor regarding diminishing flows of oil due to resource depletion and geopolitical problems facing global oil production. The reports focused on global conditions and addressed impending cost and availability, as well as, potential shortages to the state.
Backer died during his 12th term as State Representative on December 14, 2015, in Bridgeport, Connecticut, from complications related to the treatment of brain cancer.
Backer became the group's president, investigator and public point man. The Fishermen's Association, under Backer, brought federal Clean Water Act lawsuits against several Connecticut municipalities for violations of their National Pollution Discharge Elimination Systems Permits. The suits included; Norwalk, Bridgeport, Stratford and Milford, as well as other cities in Connecticut. The Fishermen's Association's set the tone for the hard nosed legal defense of the Long Island Sound. Backer would later bring these tactics to the role of Soundkeeper.
The Long Island Soundkeeper Fund, was the second "Keeper" based organization and was preceded only by the Hudson Riverkeeper Fund. Long Island Soundkeeper was started by using a portion of stipulated penalties of $87,000.00 from a settlement based on a Clean Water Act lawsuit with the City of Norwalk, Connecticut. Connecticut Coastal Fishermen's Association/City of Norwalk stipulated agreement, jud.ct.gov; accessed December 16, 2015.[7]
With Backer as Executive Director/Soundkeeper, Soundkeeper Inc. has brought many Clean Water Act lawsuits against polluters of Long Island Sound including New York City, Long Island Soundkeeper Fund Inc. v. NYCDEP C.C. EDNY, nyed.uscourts.gov; accessed December 16, 2015. as well as, a federal lawsuit challenging the United States Environmental Protection Agency's rule making regarding cooling water intakes from power plants. Riverkeeper Inc v. EPA, uscourts.gov; accessed December 16, 2015.
In addition, to its legal activities Soundkeeper Inc., under Backer's leadership, restored salt marshes in the Bronx, New York. Bronx, New York , Soundkeeper.org; accessed December 16, 2015. and has pioneered the use of catch basin filters to clean polluted storm water of bacteria, metals, and hydrocarbons before it enters Long Island Sound, as well as numerous other projects. Long Island Sound , soundkeeper.org; accessed December 16, 2015.
In 2007, the office of president and vice president of the Waterkeeper Alliance were renamed to chairman and vice chairman at the annual meeting of the Alliance. Backer has helped guide and grow the Waterkeeper Alliance to 188 autonomous Waterkeepers on six continents. Waterkeeper Alliance website, waterkeeper.org; accessed December 16, 2015.
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