“The last thing the asthma capital of the U.S. needs is a plant spewing air pollution and further imperiling public health,” said Caitlin Peale Sloan, Interim Director of CLF Massachusetts. “Springfield residents made their opposition to this polluting plant clear, and DEP officials have handed them a win today. The fact is that burning biomass is neither clean nor renewable and it should be left in the past with fossil fuels.”
On December 2, 2020, a ship carrying plastic waste from abroad was being unloaded when 5,000 pounds were lost to Maine’s Penobscot Bay. The spill sparked outrage and left many people asking the same question: Why is the U.S., which generates the most plastic waste globally, importing even more plastic waste?
“Public access to Boston’s beautiful waterfront won today,” said Peter Shelley, Senior Counsel at CLF. “State officials acted unlawfully in coming up with the Downtown Municipal Harbor Plan and handed private developers a free pass to create new rules to benefit themselves. The judge saw right through this effort and affirmed that only the state’s Department of Environmental Protection can make decisions that protect the public’s centuries-old right to access the water and waterfront.”
“The last thing the asthma capital of the U.S. needs is a plant spewing air pollution and further imperiling public health,” Caitlin Peale Sloan, interim director of the Massachusetts Chapter of the Conservation Law Foundation, said in a statement. “Springfield residents made their opposition to this polluting plant clear, and DEP officials have handed them a win today. “
No state here in New England has required its utilities to assess their vulnerability to climate change – or take action to prepare for it. With our homes, lives, and livelihoods at stake, allowing utilities to be so unprepared is irresponsible and simply too big a risk to take. CLF is pushing to change that – starting with Massachusetts.
“Massachusetts is already seeing the impacts of the climate crisis so we must continue to lead on bold climate policy,” said Caitlin Peale Sloan, Interim Director of CLF Massachusetts. “As this bill becomes law, we can finally begin the essential work of slashing emissions and creating a safer, more sustainable future for all residents. Governor Baker must work quickly to implement new rules that ensure the state’s ambitious climate goals are realized.”
The Springfield City Council will challenge Palmer Renewable Energy’s decade-old building permit with the help of the nonprofit Conservation Law Foundation of Boston.
“This legislation, passed with veto-proof majorities, is a momentous step forward in confronting the climate crisis and protecting communities that suffer first and worst from climate change,” said Caitlin Peale Sloan, Interim Director of CLF Massachusetts. “The Legislature honored its pledge to return the bill quickly to Governor Baker’s desk and incorporated changes to address administration concerns without weakening the bill. It’s past time for Governor Baker to sign the bill into law and get on with the important work of cutting emissions and forging the path to a safer and more sustainable future.”
The heart of environmental justice is ensuring that we all have equal access to power when it comes to decisions that directly affect our lives. CLF connected with two of our Massachusetts-based partners to talk about their vision for a community where residents feel empowered to shape the future, and what it would mean for environmental and climate protections to be just.
With organic waste recycling on the rise, many cities and towns are looking to invest in infrastructure that will repurpose our food waste and yard clippings. But which method should they invest in – industrial composting or anaerobic digestion?
