The Conservation Law Foundation has given the state of Vermont a D+ for poor progress toward a cleanup of Lake Champlain. Issuing its annual Lake Champlain Report Card on Monday, the environmental watchdog said, “The near-failing grade is the result of a consistent pattern of missed deadlines, weak treatment standards and a lack of investment in clean-up programs.”
Apr 24
2018
2018
Apr 24
2018
2018
Lake Champlain Report Card: State Gets a D+ for Its Clean-up Efforts
Vermont’s rivers and lakes are not healthy. Toxic cyanobacteria plague our waters year after year threatening the health of people, wildlife, and our economy. Too often throughout the summer, signs are posted at public beaches warning families to stay out of the water. This is an annoyance for the parents who heed the warnings, scary…
Apr 18
2018
2018
Conservation Matters Spring 2018: Year in Review
In this special issue of Conservation Matters, we want to take you behind the scenes of our work, to give you a glimpse into how we break down challenges and take advantage of opportunities to create a healthy, thriving New England – not just for today, but for generations to come.
Apr 15
2018
2018
Meet Alyssa Rayman-Read
What drew you to social justice work? Social justice has been a guiding force since I was a kid. My mom was a professor and my dad a psychologist, both with deep roots in social change communities and grassroots organizing. We had intense dinner table conversations with graduate students, professors, activists, and us kids about…
Apr 12
2018
2018
Help for Cape Cod’s Pollution Problem
No one would consider swimming, sailing, or fishing in a sewer, but that, in effect, is the choice facing people seeking to use polluted bays around Cape Cod. The Cape’s septic systems cause 85 percent of the nitrogen pollution plaguing our waterways. Every time a toilet flushes into a septic tank, our clean bays, our…
Apr 6
2018
2018
Saving Lake Champlain
If there’s one thing that most Vermonters can agree on, it’s that Lake Champlain is in trouble. The iconic lake is central to Vermont’s identity and its tourism economy. It provides drinking water and feeds thirsty farms throughout its large watershed. It’s also dying a slow death due to unchecked pollution. How to stop that…
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.”
Feb 23
2018
2018
Pruitt on the Clean Water Attack
Once again, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt and the Trump administration are taking aim at one of our most vital and effective environmental laws. On February 20, 2018, the Environmental Protection Agency issued a public notice asking for comments on the Clean Water Act’s coverage of pollution that enters our nation’s lakes, rivers, and oceans via groundwater.