One source of pollution that probably won’t come up is homes and buildings. But in 2020, burning oil, propane, and gas for space and water heating generated close to a quarter of Connecticut’s smog-forming pollution. That’s eight times more than power plants.
Thankfully, there’s a solution that slashes climate-damaging emissions, saves lives and protects the businesses that rely on these vehicles. The Advanced Clean Trucks rule will never rush a clean vehicle into a job that it’s not ready for. And it will never force a Maine business to purchase a particular vehicle. Instead, it sets a standard for manufacturers.
For those on the ground, the project will address disparities they’ve long observed. Arnold Mikolo is an environmental justice advocate with the Conservation Law Foundation, an environmental advocacy group partnering with the city on the tree planting project. He’s been speaking with residents to gather their feedback and concerns about environmental issues in the center city communities. “One of the main things they said was, ‘This neighborhood is really hot,’” Mikolo said.
The Nylon Corporation of America has settled a lawsuit with the Conservation Law Foundation over alleged Clean Water Act violations in New Hampshire. CLF says Nylon Corporation polluted the Merrimack River with acidic wastewater, zinc, and high temperatures coming out of their manufacturing facility in Manchester.
Offshore wind energy is critical to the future of Maine. It is a necessary step in growing our economy and a crucial piece of meeting our obligations to reduce our reliance on polluting fossil fuels.
“People have complained about the odors and pollution for years,” said Heather Govern, an attorney at CLF. “This odor is very unique, it smells like a chemical but also a soap, which the glycerin operations is causing. The smells are not supposed to permeate and travel.”
Elena Mihaly, director of CLF Vermont, said the project “makes no economic or environmental sense.” “Projects like this one generate as much polluting methane as possible, lock farms into industrial dairying, and saddle Vermonters with the bill for expensive, unnecessary gas infrastructure,” she said in a press release.
“We want the companies to take a hard look at their infrastructure,” said Epke, “and make sure that they are doing things such that the system is ready for the coming and current impacts of climate change, and do so in a fiscally responsible way.”
Connecticut is not on track to meet its climate goals. Even worse, the state has pursued an accounting gimmick to cover up its lack of real progress.
Conservation Law Foundation lawyer Erica Kyzmir-McKeon said area residents have been “subjected to odors and pollutants” affecting their “health and quality of life” for more than a decade. She said litigation could be avoided if, before Aug. 14, Twin Rivers “can find a way to operate successfully without burdening the community it exists in.”
