Earth Day is almost here! It’s our moment to honor our planet by taking concrete action to preserve the environment and fight climate change. After all, as the saying goes, there’s no Planet B. So, this year, let’s celebrate Earth Day by pairing our small local efforts with BIG collective actions that can really… Continue reading 5 Things To Do On Earth Day
Connecticut just took a big step back in its commitment to recycling. In 2021, legislators voted to modernize and expand the state’s bottle return program by raising the deposit fee and making more types of beverage containers eligible. Last month, these same legislators inexplicably chose to weaken the program by approving a measure that will… Continue reading Connecticut’s New Bottle Law Kicks the Can Down the Road
“EPA has finally set drinking water standards for two of the dozens of toxic PFAS compounds being found in drinking water across the country and adopted a risk-based algorithm for others,” said CLF President Bradley Campbell. “Applause should be muted. The federal government dithered on this issue decades, as a generation of children drank unsafe water, and EPA did so even as many states acted more urgently to adopt more protective standards.”
Runoff from large parking lots, big box stores, and strip malls is not currently regulated by the EPA. However, these properties contribute significant runoff to nearby wetlands, streams and rivers, CLF officials said.
The derailment of a train carrying toxic petroleum-based chemicals in East Palestine, Ohio in February is a sad consequence of the fossil fuel industry’s deadly plastics push.
Dock foam pollution harms wildlife and water quality – that’s why we must take action to ban it in Vermont and regionwide.
We spoke with Fred Tutman, Patuxent Riverkeeper, about his experiences as the nation’s only Black Waterkeeper –and the challenges and triumphs of diversifying the fight for clean water.
“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.”
“The rivers and streams flowing into Great Bay are being inundated with polluted stormwater every time it rains,” said Melissa Paly, Great Bay Piscataqua Waterkeeper at CLF. “The nitrogen in this stormwater runoff is harming the waterways that make New Hampshire’s Seacoast such a special place to live and visit, and it cannot be allowed to continue. Many of our communities have made great strides in reducing pollution from wastewater, now it’s time to step up and reduce pollution in stormwater.”
A new graphic novel for kids explores how and why blue green algae break out on Vermont’s Lake Champlain.
