As a result of a lawsuit filed by Conservation Law Foundation and the Charles River Watershed Association, the Environmental Protection Agency published a draft permit to limit toxic stormwater pollution in three important rivers of Greater Boston.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health confirmed on Thursday a cyanobacteria bloom in the Charles River downstream of the Longfellow Bridge – the river’s first major bloom in four years.
Toxic blue-green algae makes it dangerous to swim for humans and animals, and climate change is making it worse.
CLF’s top dog calls for action on toxic pollution that can kill dogs and sicken people
The Charles, Neponset, and Mystic Rivers are one step closer to getting cleaned up, thanks to action by CLF.
Numerous beach closures in the summer of 2023 were a result of climate change and stormwater pollution.
“These iconic rivers are inundated with stormwater pollution that makes boating, fishing, and swimming unsafe,” said Heather Govern, CLF’s Vice President of Clean Air and Water. “The court’s decision today sets a timeline to clean up this problem that has plagued the Charles, Mystic, and Neponset Rivers for far too long. EPA is now on the hook to issue draft permits by September 2024, which is a clear victory for clean water in Greater Boston.”
With heavier rainfall events expected as a result of climate change, the groups said there’s little time to waste to protect Boston’s waterways. “These iconic rivers are suffering because of the EPA’s consistent foot-dragging,” said Heather Govern, CLF’s vice president of clean air and water.
“These iconic rivers are suffering because of the EPA’s consistent foot-dragging,” said Heather Govern, CLF’s Vice President of Clean Air and Water. “Despite all the evidence linking stormwater pollution to dirty and unsafe water, the agency has failed to take legally required steps to address this growing problem. We have waited over three years for them to regulate the pollution, and these rivers cannot wait any longer.”
CLF has pushed the EPA to hold large property owners along the Charles, Mystic, and Neponset rivers accountable for their water pollution.
