Sep 15, 2023

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. 

Image shows the cover of a newsletter with the words Conservation Matters and Conservation Law Foundation at the top. A photo shows three smokestacks spew white clouds of smoke against a blue sky. "The Dirty Truth about Greenwashing" is written against a swatch of bright green paint.
Jul 07, 2023

Saving Cape Cod’s Waters

Cape Cod’s waters are at risk from nitrogen pollution but the region’s towns have been slow to implement solutions.

Jun 21, 2023

Mass. Releases New Rules to Clean Up Cape Cod Pollution

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.”

Aerial view of algae mats in Prince Cove (north of North Bay) in Marston Mills, Massachusetts.
Feb 16, 2023

Cape Cod Town Failing to Protect Waters

“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.”

Aerial view of algae mats in Prince Cove (north of North Bay) in Marston Mills, Massachusetts.
Jan 01, 2023

A Toxic Stew on Cape Cod: Human Waste and Warming Water

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.

Oct 28, 2022

State Releases Draft Plan to Clean Up Cape Cod Wastewater

“Septic pollution is driving Cape Cod’s waters to disaster,” said Christopher Kilian, Vice President of Strategic Litigation at CLF. “The state has finally taken this concern seriously, but we will be reviewing the proposal to assure that it is strong and effective in solving this problem. Toxic nitrogen pollution destroys our waters, sickens people, and threatens the region’s tourism economy, and it has no place in Cape Cod’s waters.”