| CLF in Rhode Island
The inlets and islands of Rhode Island’s coastline and its strong historical character combine to create a unique place to visit and live. People travel from all over to explore Rhode Island’s history, sail its waters and enjoy its beaches.
But the coast is in danger from rising sea levels caused by climate change. Seventy-six percent of the state’s coast is in low-lying areas that could be devastated. Sprawling development is draining resources from cities where they are badly needed and is altering the character of Rhode Island’s towns and villages. While downtown Providence has been revitalized in recent years, many nearby neighborhoods have been left behind.
Since 1966, CLF has been standing strong with Rhode Islanders and overcoming our region's greatest environmental obstacles.
CLF's current Rhode Island initiatives and cases include:
- Brayton Point Air Pollution: Protecting Southern New England from the devastating effects of thermal pollution caused by the Brayton Point Power Plant, dubbed one of New England's "Filthy Five" polluters.
- CRMC Oversight: Urging greater scrutiny of the Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC) in Rhode Island.
- Champlin's Marina: Safeguarding Block Island's fragile Great Salt Pond by opposing the application of Champlin's Marina to expand its facility.
- LNG Terminal Siting: Examining the impacts of proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) sites across New England, ensuring a full environmental review.
- Mercury Initiative: Reducing toxic mercury emissions by enforcing long ignored federally mandated mercury pollution control requirements.
- Decoupling: Litigating in the Public Utilities Commission since early 2008 in favor of a proposal that would fully decouple natural gas rates in Rhode Island.
Rhode Island accomplishments and victories:
- Stopped construction of three coal-fired power plants in Rhode Island and Massachusetts and forced smog-reducing technology at Merrimack Station, New Hampshire's dirtiest power plant.
- Imposed a rigorous pollution reduction strategy to cleanup the Blackstone River.
- Forced the state to issue one of the most advanced and stringent pollution discharge permits for an airport in the nation at T.F. Green, thereby protecting the ecologically important Buckeye Brook.
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