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.”
“The legacy of metallic mineral mining in Maine is one of empty promises of economic development, acid mine drainage polluting waters and killing fish, and multi-million dollar cleanups funded by taxpayers and not the fly-by-night mining companies like Wolfden,” said Sean Mahoney, vice-president and senior counsel at the Conservation Law Foundation, in a statement.
“This kind of thing doesn’t happen by accident,” he said. “There’s a reason why this site is being proposed for an asphalt plant and not a site in Hollis or another community that’s affluent and white.”
Heidi Trimarco, a staff attorney from the Conservation Law Foundation, said more needs to be done. While she viewed Thursday’s vote as a significant victory, she said New Hampshire needs a comprehensive environmental justice law — and it needs to be enforced.
Maine has taken major strides toward getting more clean cars on the road, but we must do more if we are to meet the urgency of the moment. That means taking bold action today.
“In order to achieve the monumental phosphorus reductions we need to clean up the lake, we need a functioning system to regulate those farms,” said Elena Mihaly, director of the Conservation Law Foundation in Vermont. “We have a lot of concern that the structure right now is not set up for success.”
“Is bottom trawling really compatible with the primary objective of resource protection? I would say probably not,” said Priscilla Brooks, director of ocean conservation at the Conservation Law Foundation. “Many sanctuaries are really sanctuaries in name only.”
“I think it’s time for Maine to go above and beyond what this federal proposal does, and to lead us in a direction that’s not only in compliance with its climate law but also good for the health of the Maine people and the economy,” says CLF’s Greg Cunningham.
Runoff from large parking lots, big box stores, and strip malls is not currently regulated by the EPA. However, these properties contribute significant runoff to nearby wetlands, streams and rivers, CLF officials said.
In Massachusetts, landfills are reaching capacity, and the costs for waste disposal are growing. But expanding landfills or shifting our burden onto others will not fix the problem. Instead, we must produce less trash.
