Conservation Matters: Fall 2023
The fossil fuel industry spent billions to sabotage trust in climate science. Now, they’re spending billions to recast some fossil fuels as clean and sustainable.
The fossil fuel industry spent billions to sabotage trust in climate science. Now, they’re spending billions to recast some fossil fuels as clean and sustainable.
CLF’s top dog calls for action on toxic pollution that can kill dogs and sicken people
The Charles, Neponset, and Mystic Rivers are one step closer to getting cleaned up, thanks to action by CLF.
Numerous beach closures in the summer of 2023 were a result of climate change and stormwater pollution.
Cape Cod’s waters are at risk from nitrogen pollution but the region’s towns have been slow to implement solutions.
Ineffective septic tanks release high levels of nitrogen in wastewater which can cause toxic algae outbreaks in the Cape’s waters, which in turn place people at risk, harm fish and wildlife, and dampen tourism. CLF released the following statement in response to today’s news.
“Pollution from septic tanks has pushed Cape Cod’s waters to the brink of disaster,” said CLF attorney Maggie Nivison. “Toxic algae outbreaks destroy our waters, sicken people, and threaten the Cape’s critical tourism economy. The state has finally taken this crisis seriously, and these new rules are a tremendous first step in finally combatting this pervasive problem.”
“The Hyannis wastewater plant is dumping sewage and pollutants directly into the ground, which invariably reaches nearby ponds, bays, and streams. Barnstable officials are running the Town’s sewage facility without a federal permit and have taken little action to stem this crisis and protect the Cape’s waters. We need to solve this problem once and for all, as the region’s bays and ponds are heading past the point of no return.”
A new graphic novel for kids explores how and why blue green algae break out on Vermont’s Lake Champlain.
Christopher Kilian is a lawyer at the Conservation Law Foundation, a nonprofit that sued the state and Mashpee, arguing that Massachusetts law makes it illegal for towns to allow septic tanks that directly or indirectly release pollutants, including nitrogen, into surface water.
“Rather than leaving it to individual homeowners to upgrade their septic systems, communities should look at what’s happening in their watershed,” said Nivison. “That is going to be the least heavy lift for homeowners, and it should be the most efficient way to get those waters as clean as possible as soon as possible.”