A Dog’s Life on the Line: Blue-Green Algae Threatens Pets and People
CLF’s top dog calls for action on toxic pollution that can kill dogs and sicken people

CLF’s top dog calls for action on toxic pollution that can kill dogs and sicken people
The Charles, Neponset, and Mystic Rivers are one step closer to getting cleaned up, thanks to action by CLF.
Here are six ways that urban forestry can help our communities if we choose to invest in it.
Numerous beach closures in the summer of 2023 were a result of climate change and stormwater pollution.
“These iconic rivers are inundated with stormwater pollution that makes boating, fishing, and swimming unsafe,” said Heather Govern, CLF’s Vice President of Clean Air and Water. “The court’s decision today sets a timeline to clean up this problem that has plagued the Charles, Mystic, and Neponset Rivers for far too long. EPA is now on the hook to issue draft permits by September 2024, which is a clear victory for clean water in Greater Boston.”
Since 2019, CLF has been fighting alongside Bethlehem residents to stop an unnecessary landfill expansion. Now, our fight against Casella heads to the New Hampshire Supreme Court.
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.
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 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.