Henri must be a wake-up call for our community and for companies like Shell. We must confront the impacts of the climate crisis. Flooding and sea level rise are only going to get worse. Now is the time to prepare for these impacts and mitigate the potential damage, not after a neighborhood and iconic waterway are inundated with toxic chemicals.
The past year has shown us what we can accomplish when faced with unprecedented upheaval. Now we are focused on driving forward a future that is equitable and healthy for all – while also confronting the most urgent environmental threats in the here and now. The work we do together in the next five years… Continue reading Conservation Matters Summer 2021: Year in Review
I grew up in communities that needed environmental justice the most. I also lived in neighborhoods that already had the resources and ability to make change. Still, I didn’t understand the difference or know what the environmental world called the movement until later in life. I could only connect the dots when I had more access to education and a framework for understanding the issue.
We don’t have time to wait for Shell Oil to get around to fortifying this dangerous facility. The families and businesses that call the Washington Park neighborhood of Providence home are at risk of being inundated with a stew of toxic chemicals, oil and ethanol, which would change their neighborhood and Narragansett Bay forever.
“Today’s decision means we will have our day in court on unlawful Shell decisions that left Providence families and all of Narragansett Bay at imminent risk of catastrophic oil and toxic chemical spills,” CLF President Bradley Campbell said in a statement. “The company has for years deceived regulators and the public about the global and local risks of the climate crisis.”
“Today’s decision means we will have our day in court on unlawful Shell decisions that left Providence families and all of Narragansett Bay at imminent risk of catastrophic oil and toxic chemical spills,” said CLF President Bradley Campbell. “The company has for years deceived regulators and the public about the global and local risks of the climate crisis. CLF will now have the opportunity to hold Shell accountable for years of neglect and outright deceit at the expense of this public safety.”
The impacts of Hurricanes Harvey and Laura on oil and chemical facilities in Texas and Louisiana were foreseeable. Yet, Big Oil giants like ExxonMobil and Shell have left their facilities there vulnerable – and now the surrounding communities are paying a terrible, long-term price. It is difficult to grapple with such a massive corporate failure. We can’t risk the same happening here in New England.
“Climate change is real. The impacts of climate change are actionable,” Chris Kilian, a lawyer for the foundation, said at a hearing in the case on Thursday. “Climate change is already having documented and major impacts in Rhode Island and, more specifically, has been identified as a present and increasing threat in the Port of Providence.”
“Big oil has known about the risks of the climate crisis for decades, and their silence and inaction speak volumes,” said Brad Campbell, President of CLF. “The communities surrounding these terminals are constantly at risk of being inundated with a stew of oil and toxic materials. It’s long past time for these companies to step up and prepare their facilities for flooding and extreme weather. The courts must hold them accountable under current law to avoid catastrophe.”
Shell Oil is putting Providence and the iconic Narragansett Bay at risk.
