“We welcome ExxonMobil’s decision to resolve this litigation, make the facility closure permanent, and market the site for cleaner and safer uses,” said CLF President Brad Campbell. In settling the case, CLF has obtained an enforceable prohibition on the property ever being used for polluting bulk fossil fuel storage.
CLF president Bradley Campbell said in a statement that its settlement with Exxon “should put operators of similar climate-vulnerable facilities on notice that they cannot turn a blind eye to the extreme weather dangers driven by climate change.”
The Massachusetts Land Court ruled that a building permit issued in 2011 to Palmer Renewable Energy has long expired, dealing a blow to plans for a $150 million, 35-megawatt wood-burning power plant long planned for East Springfield. The project was opposed by the state’s U.S. senators, the community and environmental groups.
“Governor Healey’s commitment to transparency around the state’s climate goals is a much-needed change of pace from the previous administration,” said Caitlin Peale Sloan, Vice President of CLF Massachusetts. “The data shows that we are clearly missing the mark in some critical areas, and it’s so important that we do not leave frontline communities behind in this process. The report card is a good baseline, but it’s time to put in place some new regulations to get us where we need to go on slashing emissions and preparing our communities.”
“It is unconscionable that anyone would build such a dirty power plant right across the street from a residential neighborhood,” said CLF attorney Johannes Epke. “Inefficient biomass plants like the one proposed here don’t make sense anywhere in 2023, and especially not in a community in Springfield already overburdened by air pollution. Burning wood for electricity worsens asthma and other respiratory conditions and sets us back in reaching mandatory climate goals, and the court made the right decision.”
Outdoorswoman Mardi Fuller has reveled in nature all her life – hiking, backpacking, paddling, and more. In fact, the mountaineer, who enjoys hiking, backcountry skiing, and ice climbing, has earned a rare distinction: In January 2021, she became the first Black person to hike all 48 of New Hampshire’s 4,000-foot peaks in winter. “Maybe 1,000 people… Continue reading Mountaineer Mardi Fuller on Racial Equity in Nature
The last thing we need is for this air- and climate-damaging plant to expand – which is why Burlington’s City Council should vote “no” on the proposed District Energy Project.
“While Shell tries every trick in the book to avoid coming clean about its involvement in the climate crisis, our community is in danger” said Darrèll Brown, Vice President of CLF Rhode Island. “The evidence we have seen shows that the company has left this facility woefully unprepared for extreme weather. Major risks exist now and they’re only going to get worse as the oceans rise and storms intensify.”
Utility companies are not preparing for the cost of climate change-fueled weather, and consumers are paying for it.
As demand for electric vehicles rises, so does demand for the minerals that make up their batteries. We can ensure mining for them does not hurt people or the environment.
