The State of Vermont and the owners of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power facility squared off in Federal Court this week.  It was a three day trial.  The days were long.  The testimony was often technical.  The lawyering was skilled.  Vermont Yankee’s owners say everything is about safety and only the federal government can regulate safety so Vermont’s laws are invalid.  It is a convoluted argument.  The dots don’t connect.  Vermont’s able lawyers went toe-to-toe with the owners every step of the way.  The State has a strong case.  Vermonters by nature are frank and direct.  Our laws say what they mean and mean what they say.   There is no decade-long grand conspiracy to hide intentions.  The Vermont Legislature acted well within its rights.  CLF has joined the case as a “friend of the read more…

Less than five years ago, in response to a CLF lawsuit, Massachusetts committed to building one thousand new “park and ride” parking spaces in the Commonwealth. The idea was to put the parking spaces near public transportation, making it easy for people to ride rather than drive to their destinations. The commitment was intended to reduce the number of cars on the roads and their emissions in order to help the Commonwealth come into compliance with the Clean Air Act. Currently, Massachusetts does not meet the national ambient air quality standard for ground-level ozone, a dangerous byproduct of vehicle exhaust that can trigger serious respiratory problems and cause permanent lung damage. Building parking spaces in the right locations, it has been proven, actually helps reduce air pollution. Originally, the Massachusetts read more…

Should Vermont have a say in the future of Vermont Yankee, an aging nuclear plant on the banks of the Connecticut River?  A trial to answer that question begins next week.  Vermont Yankee’s owner sued the State of Vermont in April.  Yankee’s owners want to avoid State oversight, and filed suit as a last ditch effort to keep the plant operating.      The State has a strong case.  For years, Vermont has responsibly overseen the economic, power supply and land use impacts of Vermont Yankee – matters within traditional state authority.  Vermont Yankee’s owners ignore this long history and want the Court to find all actions by Vermont are an attempt to regulate radioactive safety – something within exclusive federal authority.  Conservation Law Foundation provided a “friend of the court” brief read more…

Catch up with the latest news from TalkingFish.org, a blog brought to you by CLF and other organizations and individuals who want to see a sustainable fishing industry in New England and abundant fish populations for generations to come. TalkingFish.org aims to increase people’s understanding of the scientific, financial and social aspects at work in New England’s fisheries. Here’s what went on this week: September 7: “What happens to river herring in 2012?” – Populations of river herring are in serious decline across the Atlantic coast; some states have seen their populations drop by 99 percent or more.  Next year, the Atlantic States Marine Fishery Commission (ASMFC), the body that manages river herring fishing within state waters, is requiring states to declare a moratorium on fishing for river herring. Talking read more…

CLF issued the following statement in defense of the Cape Wind power purchase agreement, currently being disputed by opponents of the project. read more..

It is difficult to describe the depths of disappointment inspired by  the decision of the President to order the withdrawal of the draft standards for “ground level ozone” – a pollutant that causes massive harm to the public health, causing special harm to the elderly and children. The public health medical and advocacy communities have slammed this move – with good reason given the very real price in human health of this decision. It is especially a regrettable decision for New Englanders. Up here in the tailpipe of America we deal with bad air created not just by local pollution but also real harm created by air pollution coming from power plants, factories and cars across the continent, particularly the Midwest. And while this decision is bad enough the even read more…

Catch up with the latest news from TalkingFish.org, a blog brought to you by CLF and other organizations and individuals who want to see a sustainable fishing industry in New England and abundant fish populations for generations to come. TalkingFish.org aims to increase people’s understanding of the scientific, financial and social aspects at work in New England’s fisheries. Here’s what went on this week: August 31: “Fish Talk in the News – Wednesday, August 31″ – A weekly update of recent news stories that might interest TalkingFish.org readers. September 1: Overfishing 101: New England’s First Year of Fishing Under Sectors” – In the latest post in his Overfishing 101 series, Pew Environment Group’s Lee Crockett writes about the positive nature of the preliminary data from the New England groundfish fishery’s read more…

I’m new to Maine but one thing I’ve found very refreshing is how many of my new neighbors are dedicated to recycling and ‘go-green’ efforts.  Recycling bins are often as full, if not fuller than regular waste bins on trash day in my small neighborhood in South Portland. I am still pleasantly surprised when I receive cash back from dropping off bottles and aluminum cans through the CLYNK program when I grocery shop at my local Hannaford. And while helping my Grandmother move out of her home in Cape Elizabeth, I was practically in awe when we went to the Cape Elizabeth Recycling Center to drop off trash and recyclable materials. For many Southern Mainers, these resources are the cultural norm, but having lived in Washington, DC for 9 years read more…

Hurricane Irene did not do as much damage as had been feared in New York City, but it brought much more human and environmental trauma two hundred miles or so to the north in Vermont. The state is dealing with a second – and more damaging – round of historic flooding only a few months after Lake Champlain reached record levels in the spring. Three people were killed in the state due to the storm’s effects, and at least one more is missing. Vermont’s roads, bridges and other infrastructure were battered as well. Several of the state’s covered bridges were damaged or washed away despite having stood for a century or more. At one point it seemed likely that water would have to be released from the Marshfield reservoir in read more…

Catch up with the latest news on Talking Fish, a blog brought to you by CLF and other organizations and individuals who want to see a sustainable fishing industry in New England and abundant fish populations for generations to come. read more..