Boston University (BU) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) are preparing a mandatory revised risk assessment for BU’s National Emerging Infectious Disease Laboratories (NEIDL), which has received substantial federal funding through NIH. I described the specifics of this risk assessment in an earlier post. The draft of that risk assessment is currently ready for public review. Though we reported in our last post that the public hearing for NIH’s draft risk assessment would be held February 16, that hearing was delayed by NIH. NIH recently announced that the hearing has been rescheduled for April 19 and that they are accepting public comments on the draft risk assessment. Your input in this public process is crucial – here is how you can get involved: Review the Draft Risk Assessment: The first read more…

Haphazard development, lack of coordination and poorly informed decisions can not only cause our beaches to be polluted and wildlife habitat to decline, but it can cost a loss of jobs and economic benefits to New England’s coastal communities. Continuing to have clean water and a healthy coast requires a bit of planning, as my colleague Peter Wellenberger pointed out in his post from last Thursday. An open, transparent planning process that uses the best scientific and local knowledge, fully involves all users and the public and protects the ecological capital that we all need to live, love, thrive and survive is the best way to go whether it is on the local, state, regional or national level. This is why CLF supports the National Ocean Policy. We want your help to advance this much read more…

This week's posts on TalkingFish.org: CLF requests federal fisheries disaster relief for Gulf of Maine cod fishermen; an interview with Portsmouth chef Evan Mallett, and a weekly roundup of fish stories in the news. read more..

We often hear that increasing the amount of impervious cover – surfaces such as roadways and parking lots – leads to more stormwater runoff and declining water quality. So how does a community grow and avoid adding new pollution sources? One key strategy is directing new, appropriate development into existing town centers and downtowns. The City of Dover recently announced a major development project that renovates an old mill complex in the heart of Dover’s downtown. The redevelopment of existing buildings is a welcome alternative to the sprawl that has occurred around the Seacoast in recent decades – sprawl that has led to a staggering increase in impervious cover in New Hampshire’s coastal watershed from 28,710 acres in 1990 to 50,352 acres in 2005. The Cocheco Millworks building has been read more…

Earlier this month I was pleased to join Boston Neighborhood Network (BNN) to discuss the MBTA’s proposed fare hikes and service cuts. See below for a copy of that interview.  

We appreciate Northern Pass spokesman Martin Murray’s comment on my prior post regarding recent research on the greenhouse gas emissions of hydropower and the implications for the Northern Pass project. We are also grateful for Hydro-Québec environment advisor Dr. Alain Tremblay’s comment, to which I responded here. Although we welcome the feedback and dialogue, we are discouraged that Mr. Murray’s comment addresses none of the substantive points raised by the Synapse report (PDF) or my post discussing the report. We are disappointed as well that the comment dismisses the fundamental need identified by the Synapse report – an honest and credible accounting for the effect of new imports on overall greenhouse gas emissions. Instead of working on providing such an accounting and engaging in a real dialogue about this issue, read more…

Gulf of Maine cod, the lifeline of our inshore fishing fleet up and down the coast of New England, is in a biological crisis. That is why I wrote today to the Honorable John Bryson, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce, calling for federal fisheries disaster relief and interim emergency action. You can read a copy of the letter here, or scroll down to read it below this post. My letter follows the latest scientific data – data that shows that cod stocks are much more heavily depleted than earlier assessments had indicated. According to the 2011 assessment, based on an improved scientific model, three additional years of survey data and more accurate weights-at-age estimates, Gulf of Maine the spawning cod estimates fell to 12,561 metric tons from 33,877 read more…

A bill giving citizens more information about, and more say over, environmental enforcement cases in Vermont was signed into law by Gov. Peter Shumlin yesterday, the successful conclusion of a several-year-long effort by Conservation Law Foundation. Under current law in Vermont, when environmental pollution cases brought by the state are settled, citizens often don’t know about it, and even if they do they have little chance to bring evidence they may have to light – even when they have been directly affected by those violations. In July, when the newly signed act goes into effect, that will change. Anyone with an interest in such cases will be able to file comments, and those who can demonstrate that an interest of theirs was harmed by the pollution will be able to read more…

CLF's take on the agreement, grows out of our deep involvement in the merger proceeding, and our engagement of many issues that are addressed in the settlement including the Cape Wind project and the questions about the net environmental impact of large hydroelectric power, including the study that Syre discusses, and a related analysis that highlights the existential threat to New England-based renewable power from designating large hydropower as eligible for financial incentives under our renewable energy laws. read more..

This week's posts on TalkingFish.org: news on Gulf of Maine cod regulations; end of this year's Gulf of Maine shrimp season. read more..