“Every year, vehicle emissions are linked to thousands of deaths in the northeast,” said Heather Govern, Director of CLF’s Clean Air and Water program. “Large bus companies must be held accountable for ignoring idling laws designed to limit toxic emissions and protect public health. CLF filed this appeal to continue the fight for cleaner air in our communities.”
“The DPU absolutely came to the right conclusion here: dangerous, polluting fossil fuel gas and so-called renewable natural gas are not the future of heating,” said Caitlin Peale Sloan, Vice President of CLF Massachusetts. “It will take huge investments to make this transition, and we cannot increase the burden on low- and moderate-income families in the process. We still have a lot of work to do to reach our climate and emissions goals, but today’s order puts us on the right path for years to come.”
“We welcome ExxonMobil’s decision to resolve this litigation, make the facility closure permanent, and market the site for cleaner and safer uses,” said CLF President Brad Campbell. In settling the case, CLF has obtained an enforceable prohibition on the property ever being used for polluting bulk fossil fuel storage.
“Low-income neighborhoods have lacked access to critical resources like healthy food for decades, and About Fresh aims to change that,” said Gina Foote, CLF’s Director of Impact Investment. “Supporting this small business with an innovative high impact investment has the potential to build a healthy community. We’re proud to support a thriving small business like About Fresh trying to improve their neighborhood.”
“Governor Healey’s commitment to transparency around the state’s climate goals is a much-needed change of pace from the previous administration,” said Caitlin Peale Sloan, Vice President of CLF Massachusetts. “The data shows that we are clearly missing the mark in some critical areas, and it’s so important that we do not leave frontline communities behind in this process. The report card is a good baseline, but it’s time to put in place some new regulations to get us where we need to go on slashing emissions and preparing our communities.”
“It is unconscionable that anyone would build such a dirty power plant right across the street from a residential neighborhood,” said CLF attorney Johannes Epke. “Inefficient biomass plants like the one proposed here don’t make sense anywhere in 2023, and especially not in a community in Springfield already overburdened by air pollution. Burning wood for electricity worsens asthma and other respiratory conditions and sets us back in reaching mandatory climate goals, and the court made the right decision.”
“It’s plain and simple: burning wood pollutes our air and worsens the climate crisis,” said Elena Mihaly, Vice President of CLF Vermont. “McNeil is a dirty facility that’s approaching the end of its life, and this proposal will give it a lifeline to pollute for years to come. From a climate perspective, we have no choice but to move past burning wood for electricity in favor of clean energy like wind and solar.”
“It’s about time this multi-billion-dollar company complied with the law,” said CLF attorney Chelsea Kendall. “Toxic runoff from Schnitzer’s facilities has been contaminating waters that people depend on for drinking and recreation. This $3 million settlement will go a long way towards cleaning up these rivers and ensuring the company ends this harmful pollution”
“While Shell tries every trick in the book to avoid coming clean about its involvement in the climate crisis, our community is in danger” said Darrèll Brown, Vice President of CLF Rhode Island. “The evidence we have seen shows that the company has left this facility woefully unprepared for extreme weather. Major risks exist now and they’re only going to get worse as the oceans rise and storms intensify.”
“It’s critical that we separate fact from fiction when it comes to biofuels,” said Caitlin Peale Sloan, Vice President of CLF Massachusetts. “The fossil fuel industry is pushing solutions like renewable natural gas as a silver bullet to confront the climate crisis with little evidence. The truth is these fuels will still pollute our climate and our air, and they must be used only in limited cases.”
