The Royal River runs about 30 miles from its headwaters in New Gloucester, Maine, to its outlet in Casco Bay in Yarmouth. Like many of New England’s coastal rivers, the Royal drove vital economic growth during the region’s industrial era, when dams built along its route harnessed water to power mills, tanneries, and more. While… Continue reading Taking On Dams on Maine’s Royal River
Water was a hot topic of the 2018 Vermont legislative session, with many bills that touched on clean water challenges. We made some progress, but we’re still too far behind when it comes to the long-term funding we need to make true progress on cleaning up Lake Champlain and other ailing waters across the state.
EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt has his sights set on unraveling the Clean Water Act, one of our best tools for protecting our lakes, rivers, and oceans. CLF is working to make sure that the law, which is critical to our work, continues to protect our waters.
Every year, alewives and blueback herring return to their native waters to spawn. But thousands of dams have cut these fish off from thousands of acres of freshwater bodies, thwarting reproductive cycles that had been ongoing for eons. The impact of these dams, on top of threats from pollution and overfishing, have led to a drastic decline in river herring populations – threatening their survival.
“It’s essentially an admission on Shell’s part that the risks we’ve identified in our case are real and imminent,” said Bradley Campbell, president of the CLF, which filed the lawsuit against the oil giant last August.
The nonprofits say state water testing data proves Bethlehem’s landfill is illegally putting heavy metals, leachate and a suspected carcinogen called 1,4 dioxane into the Ammonoosuc River.
A pair of conservation groups on Monday sued the owners/operators of a Bethlehem landfill, alleging they violated the Clean Water Act by discharging pollutants, including a “likely human carcinogen” known as 1,4 dioxane, into the Ammonoosuc River without a permit.
“Casella must finally be held responsible for its illegal discharges of pollutants into the Ammonoosuc River,” said Tom Irwin, Director of Conservation Law Foundation New Hampshire. “Unfortunately, this pollution is another sign that landfills are dangerous and not a sustainable solution to our waste problems. It’s time to stop expanding toxic landfills and start protecting communities by reducing waste at its source through recycling and other efforts.”
Two environmental groups have filed a federal lawsuit alleging that a landfill in New Hampshire is leaking toxic chemicals into a nearby river.
The Great Bay-Piscataqua Estuary is an incredible place. It’s home to numerous fish and bird species and provides spectacular fishing, boating, and recreation for the people of New Hampshire, Maine, and beyond. But persistent high levels of nitrogen pollution have disrupted these waters, and while progress is being made, some municipal officials are fighting against the changes that can save Great Bay.
