Over the years, Pecci said many communities in the state have gone to a single-stream recycling system. And those streams have increasingly captured items that either are not recyclable or for which there is no recycling market, such as coffee-cup lids. “What happened is we degraded the quality of the material,” Pecci said. “The cleaner and more sorted something is, the more value it is going to have.”
“This rule green-lights the dumping of pesticides and toxic chemicals into our waters,” says Heather Govern, director of the Conservation Law Foundation’s clean air and water program. “Drinking water in New England is threatened by rule changes like this, because you just won’t have those same protections for smaller streams.”
The Act On Climate 2020 bill is the bold action Rhode Island needs now to address the climate crisis. It provides mandates that are consistent with current science, an accountability mechanism to make sure the state is taking action, and transparency through public metrics and an online dashboard.
“We have a history of having these really important goals on the books and not making sufficient progress to meet them.” — Jen Duggan, Conservation Law Foundation
Phelps Turner of the Conservation Law Foundation says one area of concern is the recommendation that Maine adopt federal guidelines for allowable levels of PFAS in drinking water.
At a time when the federal government is utterly failing to protect us from the impacts of climate change, we need state-level policies like TCI more than ever. If it’s done right, we will all see the benefits.
“The areas where urban canopy is the scarcest tend to coincide with neighborhoods that are low-income, minority neighborhoods, and historically red-lined areas,” says Deanna Moran of the Conservation Law Foundation.
Baker’s commitment to net-zero emissions by then was immediately hailed by environmental groups, many of which have been critical of him in the past. The pledge is a “crucial directive [that] puts Massachusetts in the vanguard of states and nations combating climate change,” said Brad Campbell, president of the Conservation Law Foundation.
Conservation Law Foundation has followed through on its threat to sue Wynn Resorts after observing excessive idling among the shuttle buses that serve Wynn’s new Encore Boston Harbor casino in Everett. CLF sued Wynn and three shuttle bus operators in Boston federal court on Wednesday.
“The Senate President’s bill is a solid compromise and it will keep Rhode Island’s lands and waters free from this toxic litter,” said Amy Moses, Rhode Island director of the Conservation Law Foundation.
