“This has been a long and contentious road to reduce nitrogen pollution in the estuary,” Paly said. “After many, many years, it’s really gratifying to see municipalities coming together, working more collaboratively with CLF and other stakeholders to start down a new path, and hopefully the estuary will be the better for it.”
“Nitrogen pollution is a scourge on our Great Bay estuary, including the many bays and rivers that are part of it,” Melissa Paly, Great Bay-Piscataqua Waterkeeper at CLF, wrote in a separate statement. “This agreement gives the communities surrounding Great Bay flexibility in how they will reduce this harmful pollution, but also accountability to ensure real progress.”
“Nitrogen pollution is a scourge on our Great Bay estuary, including the many bays and rivers that are part of it,” said Melissa Paly, Great Bay-Piscataqua Waterkeeper at CLF. “This agreement gives the communities surrounding Great Bay flexibility in how they will reduce this harmful pollution, but also accountability to ensure real progress. We’re looking forward to working together with these communities to advance innovative solutions to combat this problem and create healthier waterways for everyone.”
CLF is asking the court to rule that Barnstable is in violation of the Clean Water Act: This would trigger the requirement of a federal permit, which comes with stricter limits on nutrients and other contaminants.
“Sewage and harmful pollutants are leaking from this wastewater plant directly into nearby estuaries, bays, and streams,” said Christopher Kilian, Vice President of Strategic Litigation at CLF. “For too long, Town officials have skirted legal requirements and taken no action to prevent nitrogen pollution and protect the Cape’s waters. The area’s water pollution crisis demands action now.”
“Pollution from the state’s Powder Mill hatchery continues to poison the Merrymeeting River,” said Kenta Tsuda, CLF Staff Attorney. “It’s time the state is finally held accountable for undermining the river’s ecosystem and imperiling public health. The court’s ruling is an important step forward in cleaning up and protecting this river once and for all.”
“Not only have we lost 10 years of opportunities to clean these waters up, we have in fact made the problem significantly worse by allowing new systems to come into these waterways that are already terribly degraded,” said Chris Kilian, Vice President of Strategic Litigation at CLF.
From multimillion-dollar investments to win-win collaborations, good news from New Hampshire’s Great Bay give us reasons to celebrate in 2020. Taken together, these stories remind us that when communities act boldly, we can turn the tide on pollution and restore the health of the rivers, bays, and coast in the Seacoast region and beyond.
The effects of the new water rule will also be felt in the Northeast, said Heather Govern, vice president and director of the clean air and water program of Conservation Law Foundation. She sees the rule as another battle in the war between environmentalists and those defending industrial interests.
“It is in no way a solution to say we’re going to post warnings around these beloved waters and allow them to be degraded and that will keep the public safe,” declared Christopher Kilian, a senior attorney with the Conservation Law Foundation (CLF).
