The Boston-based environmental law firm contends this unimpeded flow of nutrients into these water bodies must be regulated under the Clean Water Act, which imposes much higher standards of pollution control than the state permit. Nutrients such as nitrogen spur rapid algal growth, destroying pond and bay ecosytems, rendering them unfit for swimming, fishing or marine life.
“Nitrogen pollution is destroying Cape Cod’s bays and beaches and damaging the Cape’s economy,” said Chris Kilian, Vice President of Strategic Litigation at CLF. “Illegal sewage discharge from Wychmere Beach Club is wreaking havoc on water quality.”
A battle underway in Barnstable could have serious repercussions for the health of Cape Cod’s waters.
“Nitrogen pollution is killing the Cape’s beautiful waterways,” said Christopher Kilian, Vice President of Strategic Litigation at CLF. “Fish kills, unpleasant odors and scum are becoming the norm, threatening to drive away the millions of tourists that flock to the area every year. These resorts should be leaders in protecting our precious waters, instead of flushing our health and our economy down the drain.”
The prosperity of future generations of New Englanders depends on the health of our waters and marine resources and the public’s ability to access them.
Nutrient pollution impacts waterways across New England, from Lake Champlain to Narragansett Bay. These waters all carry excess levels of nitrogen or phosphorous – a problem caused by fertilizer running off of farms and lawns and animal waste from confined animal feeding operations. Another major cause is human sewage improperly treated by septic systems or overflowed… Continue reading 10 Things You Can Do to Help Protect Our Waters
The Cape is facing a massive pollution problem because of nitrogen pollution from from septic and wastewater treatment systems. In an effort to curb this toxic pollution, CLF has announced our intention to sue the Wychmere Beach Club and Wequassett Resort and Golf Club for violating the Clean Water Act.
“Nitrogen pollution has disastrous effects on the plant and animal life that live in these beautiful waterways,” said Chris Kilian, Vice President of Strategic Litigation at CLF. “This type of pollution is also harmful to the people who flock to Pleasant Bay and Wychmere Harbor for water sports and other recreational activities. It’s time we hold large polluters responsible for their destructive impacts on our environment.”
EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt has his sights set on unraveling the Clean Water Act, one of our best tools for protecting our lakes, rivers, and oceans. CLF is working to make sure that the law, which is critical to our work, continues to protect our waters.
No one would consider swimming, sailing, or fishing in a sewer, but that, in effect, is the choice facing people seeking to use polluted bays around Cape Cod. The Cape’s septic systems cause 85 percent of the nitrogen pollution plaguing our waterways. Every time a toilet flushes into a septic tank, our clean bays, our… Continue reading Help for Cape Cod’s Pollution Problem
