People & Justice Archives

Sep 03, 2026

Judge Hears Arguments in New Bedford Trash Facility Proposal

The Board of Health rejected the massive facility last year.

A group of people stand on a set of steps posing for a picture in front of a stone building in Boston, MA.

Aug 12, 2026

Federal Appeals Board Sides with CLF in Fight Over PFAS Pollution in Merrimack River

The Merrimack River and the people who depend on it deserve better than unchecked PFAS pollution.

The Merrimack River flowing through Manchester, New Hampshire, beneath a highway bridge, with former mill buildings along the riverbank and two people walking on a riverside path in the foreground.

Aug 10, 2026

Court Orders Markley to Pause Lowell Data Center Expansion

With this pause, the court recognized Lowell residents’ concerns and has given the community some protection from further expansion while that fight continues.

A residential street in Lowell lined with closely spaced homes, parked cars, utility poles, and overhead wires leads toward the Markley data center. The facility’s massive, windowless black exterior rises above and behind the neighborhood, dwarfing the surrounding houses.

Aug 04, 2026

Fighting the Unchecked Expansion of Lowell’s Markley Data Center

In Massachusetts’ first lawsuit challenging a data center expansion, Lowell residents are fighting a state permit that would allow more diesel pollution near homes, parks, and a school. The case also challenges a process that let the company operating the facility move ahead before residents had a fair chance to be heard.

Jul 30, 2026

Victory for Community Advocates: Rhode Island’s Legislature Takes a Big Step Forward on Public Transit

After years of funding shortfalls and service cuts, Rhode Island riders and advocates won a major victory. The state’s new budget closes RIPTA’s projected gap, prevents another round of cuts, and invests in paratransit, bus shelters, and cleaner buses – putting public transit on firmer ground for the year ahead.

A RIPTA Route 54 bus to Woonsocket at Kennedy Plaza in Providence, with a bicycle on its front rack and riders waiting nearby.

Jul 29, 2026

Judge Hears Arguments in Challenge to Lowell Data Center Expansion

Lowell residents are seeking to pause activities related to the air permit approval and prevent Markley from operating and constructing additional diesel generators and cooling towers while the lawsuit proceeds.

Lowell residents, community advocates, and attorneys outside the Cornelius F. Kiernan Judicial Center after a hearing on the Markley data center expansion.

Jul 20, 2026

Court Orders EPA to Implement National Soot Standard

This victory means the EPA must follow the law and implement strengthened standards for dangerous soot pollution.

Jul 17, 2026

Rhode Island’s Biggest 2026 Legislative Wins

Advocates made significant progress in the legislature for our Rhode Island communities and environment.

Jul 02, 2026

Trump’s EPA Offers Tips, Not Protections, on PFAS-contaminated Sludge

Trump’s EPA released draft guidance that leaves PFAS protections voluntary and shifts responsibility for avoiding contaminated sewage sludge onto farmers, families, and communities.

tractor pulls a biosolids spreader across farmland in the Mississippi Delta, illustrating how PFAS-contaminated sewage sludge may be applied to agricultural land.

Jun 29, 2026

Progress Report: Making Energy Siting in Massachusetts Fairer

For too long, the way Massachusetts approved energy projects failed to fully consider what communities already live with before adding new infrastructure. New energy siting rules taking effect July 1 mark a major step toward a fairer process. CLF and our partners helped win these reforms so residents have more say and decision-makers take a fuller look before approving major projects.