Last month, on a covered bridge spanning New Hampshire’s Ammonoosuc River, I stood beside our partners from Toxics Action Center as we announced the filing of a federal lawsuit against Casella Waste Systems for ongoing water pollution from its massive landfill in Bethlehem, New Hampshire. Our suit tackles Casella’s longstanding, and continuing, violations of the…
Jun 15
2018
2018
May 14
2018
2018
What’s Wrong with Burning Our Trash, Anyway?
Incinerator companies have done a great job green-washing their true impacts on communities by implying that so-called “waste-to-incineration” facilities are good neighbors offering a safe process that eliminates waste, allows for robust recycling programs, and generates renewable energy. Nothing could be further from the truth. The reality is burning waste harms the health, environment, and economy of many communities. The perceived benefits simply aren’t worth the risk.
May 9
2018
2018
Environmentalists And Town of Saugus Appeal State Approval Of Ash Landfill
“The Wheelabrator landfill is the most dangerous in Massachusetts, and it is putting the health of nearby residents at risk,” said Kirstie Pecci of the Conservation Law Foundation in a written statement announcing the appeal.
May 9
2018
2018
Are You Composting Yet? If Not, Spring Is a Good Time to Start!
Over the last few years, the push to get food waste out of landfills and incinerators has become the new kale. Or cupcakes. Or bone broth. You get the picture. And rightfully so! As a nation, we waste a staggering amount of food every year: about 40 percent of what we produce. That’s more than…
May 9
2018
2018
CLF Files Appeal to Stop Expansion of Ash Landfill
“The Wheelabrator landfill is the most dangerous in Massachusetts, and it is putting the health of nearby residents at risk,” said Kirstie Pecci, director of the Zero Waste Project and a Senior Fellow at CLF.
May 9
2018
2018
Public Concerns Ignored in Approval of Massive Landfill Expansion
Update May 9, 2018: Conservation Law Foundation has filed an appeal to stop the expansion of the Wheelabrator Saugus ash landfill. When the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) this week gave its final okay for an ash landfill in Saugus to expand, it signaled that polluting our communities and our environment is perfectly fine…
Apr 9
2018
2018
Baker Administration Allows Expansion of Most Dangerous Landfill in Massachusetts
“By issuing this permit, the Baker administration has clogged our community’s air, water, and land with another 500,000 tons of toxic ash in Rumney Marsh,” said Kirstie Pecci, Director of the Zero Waste Project at Conservation Law Foundation. “We will all be able to breathe easier when the Commonwealth stops pandering to dangerous landfills and starts protecting public health by enforcing its zero waste regulations.”
Mar 27
2018
2018
Residents Reject Expansion of Bethlehem Landfill
Local residents have defeated ballot questions aimed at allowing Casella Waste Systems to expand the Bethlehem Landfill. Now CLF and Toxics Action Center have announced a lawsuit to hold the landfill operator accountable for water pollution into the Ammonoosuc River.
Mar 23
2018
2018
Deadline Looms for Decision on Expansion of Dangerous Landfill in Saugus
As we close out a month in which the Massachusetts coast was hit with three nor’easters – and narrowly missed a fourth – Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) is still considering whether to allow Wheelabrator to continue dumping huge quantities of ash from its trash incinerator into its adjacent landfill in Saugus. The Agency’s…
Mar 8
2018
2018
Environmental Groups to Sue Casella Waste Systems Over Releasing Toxic Pollution From Leaking Landfill Into Ammonoosuc River
“The Bethlehem landfill is dumping dangerous pollutants into the Ammonoosuc River, one of New Hampshire’s treasured and iconic waterways,” said Tom Irwin, Director of Conservation Law Foundation New Hampshire. “Expanding this landfill is not only illegal but a menace to the health and wellbeing of North Country residents living in its shadows. It is time to stop expanding toxic landfills and start protecting communities by reducing waste at its source through recycling and other efforts.”