Nov 06, 2017
What if I told you that I wanted to build a facility in your town that would cost taxpayers a lot to construct, but create only a few low-quality jobs? Once operational, it would contaminate the air and groundwater and poison neighbors’ wells for decades. What’s more, this contamination would be largely ignored, and probably… Continue reading Landfills, Incinerators, and Waste Disposal: Not a Necessary Evil, Just Evil
Aug 11, 2017
Victory! Casella Waste is abandoning its plans to expand the Southbridge Landfill – and it will close the facility entirely by the end 2018.
Aug 04, 2017
President Trump’s EPA Administrator, Scott Pruitt, is on a crusade to pollute our air by rolling back important rules that keep New England – and the rest of the U.S. – safe from dangerous emissions. But in his rush to shut down important rules that protect our air, water, and health, Pruitt has started cutting… Continue reading CLF Takes EPA to Court for Allowing Landfills to Pollute
Aug 03, 2017
Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) released the following statement today in response to Casella Waste’s announcement that it will shut down Massachusetts’ largest landfill by 2018. “After decades of living in the shadow of a landfill that contaminated the water and fouled the air, residents have finally buried this menace to our environment, our health, and our economy,” said Kirstie Pecci, Conservation Law Foundation Senior Fellow and resident of Southbridge. “The closing of Southbridge sends a strong message across Massachusetts that residents will resist and persist until the polluting legacy of all landfills and incinerators come to an end.”
Jun 14, 2017
Last night, residents of the central Massachusetts town of Southbridge delivered a major and unexpected blow to Casella Waste when they voted overwhelmingly to reject plans to expand the town’s landfill, which the company has operated for about fourteen years.
Jun 07, 2017
“The Lawrence canals are a core element of the city’s urban landscape, and the people of Lawrence deserve better than to see them neglected and allowed to decay,” said Rafael Mares, Director of CLF’s Healthy Communities and Environmental Justice Program. “When you walk around the streets of Lawrence, you see a thriving community held back by this major blight in the heart of their city. Essex Company, LLC needs to take immediate action to restore the vibrancy and integrity of these canals, and if they refuse, we’ll be standing with the community, ready for the fight.”
May 22, 2017
“The Saugus ash landfill sits at the heart of a thriving community, yet landfills of this type are infamous for releasing lead, mercury, and other cancer-causing chemicals into our air and water,” said CLF attorney Kirstie Pecci. “Despite this significant hazard, the landfill has operated for decades without monitoring its impact or creating an adequate barrier from the families and businesses that call Saugus home. It’s time for Wheelabrator to answer for its years of neglect and finally commit to water quality monitoring as the law requires and the community demands.”
May 11, 2017
Remember how they finally put Al Capone in jail? He was a powerful, well-connected gangster who was willing to intimidate and bully anyone in his way. The feds couldn’t convict him for any of his most egregious offenses – murder, smuggling alcohol, or organized crime – but they finally convicted and imprisoned him for eleven years… Continue reading Victory: Southbridge Landfill Ordered to Close All Operations in Charlton Due to Zoning Law Violation
Apr 22, 2017
CLF Launches Zero-Waste Project to Tackle Massachusetts’s Trash Problem On a Monday night in February, more than 100 people crowded into the Sturbridge, Massachusetts, town hall for an emergency meeting of the town’s Board of Health. Nineteen wells in the Sturbridge neighborhood closest to the massive Southbridge Landfill had just tested high for lead –… Continue reading Talking Trash
Feb 17, 2017
On Monday night, more than 100 people from the south-central Massachusetts towns of Sturbridge, Charlton, and Southbridge turned out for an emergency meeting of the Sturbridge Board of Health. They came to express their anger to the Regional Director of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) that the 19 home wells in the Sturbridge neighborhood… Continue reading Citizen Action Turns the Tide on Massive Landfill Expansion in Southbridge
