“Stormwater pollution continues to wreak havoc on Massachusetts waters,” said Heather Govern, Director of CLF’s Clean Air and Water program. “Cities and towns are responsible for reducing this pollution and many have shirked these duties for years. This new permit forces them to prioritize protecting our waters, but CLF is prepared to take legal action if these flagrant violations continue.”
“Pollution is killing the Cape bays and beaches that resorts like Wychmere depend on,” said Chris Kilian, Vice President of Strategic Litigation at CLF. “Instead of wasting everyone’s time and expense seeking to justify continued pollution, the resort should clean up the mess it has created in Wychmere Harbor. CLF will continue this fight against the destruction of Cape waters that belong to all of us.”
“This is great news for public health in the Commonwealth,” said CLF President Brad Campbell. “I applaud Governor Baker for setting protective standards for six of the so-far unregulated toxic PFAS compounds showing up in drinking water systems throughout New England, and for giving Massachusetts cities and towns new resources in his supplemental budget to make local water supplies safe.”
“An increase in rain and snow is not an emergency,” said Jen Duggan Vice President and Director of CLF Vermont. “Vermont is a wet state and it is getting wetter as a result of climate change. The State should be focused on real solutions instead of relying on blanket waivers that are inconsistent with clean water laws and result in polluted waterways.”
Some Vermont lawmakers seem hell-bent on eliminating the state’s few wetlands that have survived three centuries of filling and draining. And if they have their way, our remaining wetlands could be at risk at the upcoming state legislative session, starting in January. It’s time to gear up and raise your voice for the under-appreciated, yet critically important values of Vermont’s wetlands.
Polluted runoff is harming our lakes, rivers, streams, and ocean. To solve the stormwater pollution problem, we must address its largest source: the storm sewers of our cities and towns. Maine’s Department of Environmental Protection is proposing a new permit program that will not only limit and control the volume of pollution flowing from the storm sewers in our communities but also require cities and towns to devise plans to prevent that pollution in the first place.
As they campaign in New Hampshire, presidential candidates must address the critical environmental threats facing our communities.
“It is encouraging to see that Governor Baker has recognized this growing public health crisis and has proposed real dollars to fund a solution,” said Alyssa Rayman-Read, Vice President and Director of CLF Massachusetts. “With the federal government shirking its responsibility, New England’s leaders must step up and commit more than lip service to solving this problem. Families deserve drinking water that is free from these poisonous chemicals.”
“Little Bay is a unique resource that is already threatened by water pollution and the climate crisis,” said Tom Irwin, Vice President and Director of CLF New Hampshire. “The project would severely disrupt this sensitive area and cause unacceptable and unnecessary harm to the bay. The Army Corps was required to fully assess the impacts of this project, and it has failed to fulfill that critical duty.”
On August 15, Massachusetts lost a powerful voice for justice. Michaelann Bewsee was a fearless ally and treasured friend whose passion and selflessness profoundly impacted the lives of her neighbors in Springfield and beyond for generations. In her honor, we want to share this piece, originally published in March of 2015, about her work to… Continue reading Protecting New England Together
