“Northern Pass’s motion is an act of desperation,” said Tom Irwin, Vice President and Director of CLF New Hampshire. “After months of hearings, the committee recognized that Northern Pass would be bad for our state, harming the many communities in its path. New Hampshire has rejected this harmful project, and it should stay firmly off of the table.”
Recently, Massachusetts senators announced An Act to Promote a Clean Energy Future, perhaps the most ambitious and comprehensive piece of climate legislation since the passage of the Global Warming Solutions Act (GWSA) and its companion Green Communities Act a decade ago. It is a welcome and much-needed step forward, representing a strong understanding on Beacon… Continue reading Moving Massachusetts Into a Clean Energy Future
Heather Govern is the Vice President for CLF’s Clean Air and Water Program. Heather also teaches Natural Resources Law as an adjunct professor at the Northeastern University School of Law. Previously, Heather worked as a staff attorney with the National Environmental Law Center, where she litigated against large corporations in violation of the Clean Air… Continue reading Heather Govern
Once again, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt and the Trump administration are taking aim at one of our most vital and effective environmental laws. On February 20, 2018, the Environmental Protection Agency issued a public notice asking for comments on the Clean Water Act’s coverage of pollution that enters our nation’s lakes, rivers, and oceans via groundwater.
The MBTA is crying wolf… again, predicting a deficit of $111 million in its next fiscal budget. The potential solution? Raise fares on riders, again. Governor Baker seems to agree, stating on Valentine’s Day that the MBTA should be discussing a fare increase. I’m not sure that was the best way to spread the love, especially to… Continue reading MBTA Raises the Specter of Fare Hikes (Again)
“Moving forward with New England Clean Energy Connect is good news for both Massachusetts and New Hampshire,” said Brad Campbell, President of CLF. “The steps laid out by the Department of Energy Resources will establish, on the record, that the destructive, unpopular, and excessively expensive Northern Pass project is not feasible – and the concurrent negotiation with Avangrid will keep the process moving toward a better option.”
“This ambitious bill is a bold statement of our need to fight for the health and safety of our communities,” said David Ismay, Senior Attorney at CLF. “Climate change is already affecting families and businesses across our state, and these comprehensive solutions will help us reach our 2050 climate goals and beyond. The future of Massachusetts is clean energy that is affordable and accessible to everyone. This omnibus bill gives us the opportunity to simultaneously reduce our emissions, bring good jobs to the region, and invigorate our neighborhoods.”
Barely a month ago, a historic storm blasted coastal New England – a “bomb cyclone” that brought blizzard conditions, heavy snow, and massive flooding to Boston’s Seaport neighborhood and other waterfront communities like Chelsea and Salem. As the storm raged, Twitter and Facebook feeds filled with a barrage of images showing icy waters flowing down… Continue reading Building for the Climate of the Future
Climate change impacts are affecting New England communities now, so CLF set out to determine the liability risks of government entities and other decision makers if they fail to prepare for these impacts. The result is the CLF Climate Adaptation and Liability report, which looks at the theories of legal liability for design professionals (such as… Continue reading Climate Adaptation and Liability: A Legal Primer and Workshop Summary
In 2013, a two-day downpour struck the Chicago area, causing massive flooding, overflowing sewers, and millions of dollars in property damage. After the clean-up, Farmers Insurance company filed a landmark class action lawsuit against the Water Reclamation District for greater Chicago on behalf of its policyholders and other property insurance companies affected by the flooding.… Continue reading Rising Seas, Rising Standards of Care
