State: Massachusetts

Nov 06, 2017

Landfills, Incinerators, and Waste Disposal: Not a Necessary Evil, Just Evil

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

Nov 06, 2017

A Rallying Cry for Clean Water

We are faced with a federal administration that wants not only to halt decades of hard-fought progress on clean water but reverse them altogether. But today, the impacts on our public health from blue-green algae outbreaks and chemical pollution are as serious and urgent as ever. We cannot and will not stop fighting for clean water as a fundamental right for all Americans.

Nov 03, 2017

Conservation Matters Fall 2017

We are at a defining moment in the effort to avert the threat of climate catastrophe. President Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord has put the United States on the wrong side of history. With renewed urgency, CLF is escalating our work to develop legally binding climate laws, like the one we helped create and enforce here in Massachusetts, in every New England state.

Conservation Matters Fall 2017
Oct 12, 2017

Rick Perry Wants to Prop Up Old Coal and Nuclear Plants at Taxpayers’ Expense

In a stealth move that went virtually unnoticed by major media outlets, Energy Secretary Rick Perry last week used an obscure provision of law to essentially put the government’s thumb on the scale in favor of coal-fired and nuclear power plants. Secretary Perry directed the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to issue a new rule… Continue reading Rick Perry Wants to Prop Up Old Coal and Nuclear Plants at Taxpayers’ Expense

Oct 11, 2017

Carlos Rafael’s Fish Fraud Leads to Forfeiture of Vessels, Permits

“Mr. Rafael’s crimes put the health of our fisheries directly in harm’s way, and today’s order helps ensure that he pays a price for that corruption,” said CLF attorney Megan Herzog. “Though this amounts to just a small slice of Mr. Rafael’s assets, it sends a signal that anyone who crosses the line will be held criminally accountable. By reinvesting proceeds associated with this case into stronger monitoring and redistributing Mr. Rafael’s forfeited quota among the fishermen harmed by his egregious crimes, we can begin to turn the page on this dark chapter in New England’s fisheries.”

Oct 06, 2017

City Park Land Constitutionally Protected, says Massachusetts Supreme Court

In a decision with significant implications for open space planning and protection across Massachusetts, the Supreme Judicial Court has ruled that municipal parklands are protected by the state’s Constitution as long as the land has been dedicated and used as a public park. The open space at issue was the Cross Street Playground in Westfield,… Continue reading City Park Land Constitutionally Protected, says Massachusetts Supreme Court