Aug 14, 2020

Protecting the Charles River from Polluters

“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.” 

Aug 06, 2020

Cape Cod Facilities Contributing to Scourge of Toxic Algae

“Cape Cod’s bays and ponds are facing disaster,” said Chris Kilian, Vice President of Strategic Litigation at CLF. “As these facilities continue to dump harmful levels of nitrogen, the climate crisis is warming these waters and making them even more susceptible to toxic algae outbreaks. We will continue to hold these polluters accountable until every last one has stopped pouring pollutants into waters that belong to all of us.”

Aug 06, 2020

Vessel Speed Limits Needed to Protect Endangered North Atlantic Right Whales

“Right whale recovery has been plagued by two major threats: entanglements and vessel strikes,” said Erica Fuller, Senior Attorney at Conservation Law Foundation. “In the Northeast, we’ve been addressing entanglement risks for several years, and we must address the risk of ship strikes. Preventing entanglements but not vessel strikes is like paying your mortgage but not your taxes. You need to do both if you want to keep your house.”

Jul 31, 2020

Massachusetts House Passes Critical Environmental Legislation

“The science is clear: we only have a few years to avert a climate disaster and protect the marginalized communities that are bearing the brunt of its devastating impacts,” said Caitlin Peale Sloan, Acting Massachusetts State Director at CLF. “It is now for the House and Senate to move together, with urgency, to pass this historic legislation. Only then can we hold the Commonwealth accountable for slashing climate-damaging emissions and giving residents a say in what happens in their own communities.”

Massachusetts State House
Jul 29, 2020

New Haven Fuel Terminals Putting City at Risk

“Big oil has known about the risks of the climate crisis for decades, and their silence and inaction speak volumes,” said Brad Campbell, President of CLF. “The communities surrounding these terminals are constantly at risk of being inundated with a stew of oil and toxic materials. It’s long past time for these companies to step up and prepare their facilities for flooding and extreme weather. The courts must hold them accountable under current law to avoid catastrophe.”

New Haven harbor
Jul 27, 2020

CLF and Sierra Club File Appeal of EPA’s Backwards Water Permit

“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.” 

Merrimack Station in Bow, New Hampshire
Jul 16, 2020

Federal Energy Regulators Stand Up for Solar

“This decision is a huge win for solar power in New England,” said Phelps Turner, CLF Senior Attorney. “The petition never should have been filed, and FERC absolutely made the right call in dismissing it. Net metering saves people money and helps slash carbon emissions, and it should not be used as a political pawn.”

Jul 15, 2020

Trump Finalizes Rollback of Critical Environmental Rule

“Once again, President Trump is sacrificing the public good at the altar of the fossil fuel industry, pretending to sit on a throne rather than executing the laws as written by Congress,” said CLF President Bradley Campbell. “Instead of expediting worthy projects, Trump’s overreach and disregard of the law will mean more lawsuits and greater distrust of agency actions, while eliminating what is often the only avenue for the public to understand, help shape, or oppose ill-advised projects that put their health and their communities at risk.”

Photo: Shutterstock
Jul 14, 2020

States Pledge to Increase Electric Truck and Bus Usage

“Electric cars, trucks, and buses are the future,” said CLF Senior Attorney Emily Green. “Cutting transportation emissions to zero is a critical piece of confronting the climate crisis and protecting public health from toxic exhaust. This is yet another example of states leading the way while the federal government turns back the clock on environmental progress.

Jul 09, 2020

Right Whales Declared Critically Endangered

“This is a barometer and the forecast for right whales could still go either way,” said CLF Senior Attorney Erica Fuller. “With a calf recently found dead of blunt trauma caused by a vessel strike, we’re one step closer to extinction. While this new status doesn’t  change legal obligations here at home, it’s a reminder that to save this species, we can’t wait any longer for necessary long term protections.”

right whale aerial shot