The Charles River has been hit by toxic algae blooms almost every summer in recent years. The blooms — which can be dangerous for people, pets and the river’s ecosystem — are fed by hot sunny days and storm runoff containing nutrients, especially phosphorus.
“Polluted stormwater is poisoning the Charles River, leading to blooms of dangerous algae,” said Heather Govern, Director of CLF’s Clean Air and Water program. “The blooms can sicken humans and pets which means boat and swim races are increasingly cancelled in the summer months and people are unable to use this precious resource. Large properties surrounding the Charles River have gotten a free pass to pollute for too long, and now’s the time for EPA to finally hold them accountable.”
“The EPA’s blatantly putting the interest of big coal over the people of New Hampshire,” Tom Irwin, Director of the New Hampshire office of Conservation Law Foundation said. “Merrimack Station has polluted our air and water for decades, degrading the iconic Merrimack river in the process. EPA’s permit is a giveaway to the fossil fuel industry and it cannot be allowed to stand.”
Birdwatchers know that visiting a healthy wetland, vernal pool, or small stream can help boost sightings since the presence of water plus plant and insect diversity is a bird magnet. MassAudubon is fighting with CLF to protect our waters from the Trump administration’s rollbacks.
East Boston residents overwhelmingly oppose a proposal to build a massive electrical substation in their neighborhood. In a case highlighting issues of language justice, many residents have been unable to participate fully in public proceedings because of inadequate translation services. CLF and our partners have filed a formal complaint to hold officials accountable.
It will take a suite of strategies to rebound from the COVID-19 crisis, but one that should not be overlooked is the Lake Champlain clean-up effort. The federally mandated work to clean up our iconic waterbody can help fuel Vermont’s recovery from the pandemic – creating a win-win for our environment and economy, both in the short-term and in the future.
“Preventing residents from commenting on a project that will have enormous impacts on their community is not only shameful but a form of discrimination,” said Amy Laura Cahn, Director of CLF’s Healthy Communities and Environmental Justice program. “East Boston and Chelsea already experience some of the worst air quality and pollution in the state and adding yet another industrial facility will only compound these injustices. State leaders need to be held accountable for silencing community concerns to push this project through.”
“COVID-19 has laid bare the tragic impact toxic emissions and air pollution can have on our health,” said Emily Green, Senior Attorney at CLF. “Rolling back rules designed to create cleaner air and reduce climate-damaging emissions defies reason – and the law. We must hold this administration accountable for its continued attacks on our health and our environment.”
“In addition to being a major source of air pollution, the Merrimack Station coal-fired power plant has been destroying the health of the Merrimack River,” Tom Irwin, Director of Conservation Law Foundation New Hampshire said. “It’s inexcusable that EPA, after determining this outdated facility would require modern cooling towers, would reverse course and put the interests of Big Coal over the health of such an iconic water body.”
“At a time when our nation’s waters are under siege from polluters, we need more protections, not less,” said Heather Govern, Director of CLF’s Clean Air and Water Program. “This heinous new rule is another Trump Administration giveaway to industries at the expense of our environment, and it cannot go unchecked.”
