The Boston-based environmental law firm contends this unimpeded flow of nutrients into these water bodies must be regulated under the Clean Water Act, which imposes much higher standards of pollution control than the state permit. Nutrients such as nitrogen spur rapid algal growth, destroying pond and bay ecosytems, rendering them unfit for swimming, fishing or marine life.
“Nitrogen pollution is destroying Cape Cod’s bays and beaches and damaging the Cape’s economy,” said Chris Kilian, Vice President of Strategic Litigation at CLF. “Illegal sewage discharge from Wychmere Beach Club is wreaking havoc on water quality.”
A battle underway in Barnstable could have serious repercussions for the health of Cape Cod’s waters.
The day after the election, CLF President Brad Campbell joined Staff Attorney Emily Green and special guest Jamie Hoyte – former Massachusetts Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs and currently Senior Advisor with Tremont Strategies Group – to talk through what the election results mean for New Englanders.
“The state’s Powder Mill hatchery is endangering public health by illegally polluting the iconic Merrymeeting River,” said Tom Irwin, Director of CLF New Hampshire. “Residents and visitors flock to New Hampshire’s rivers and lakes every summer to swim and boat, not to be told to stay out of the water, and certainly not to be sickened by toxic cyanobacteria outbreaks. Protecting public health must be the primary concern among our state leaders, and they must put a stop to the pollution coming from this facility.”
Vermonters are concerned about the health of Lake Champlain. Whether you’ve got five minutes, an hour, or more, you can get involved in clean water advocacy to help the lake.
Residents are working with the Conservation Law Foundation to sue the state over the problem. That lawsuit is due out in the coming days. CLF attorney Tom Irwin and others argue the federal Clean Water Act requires the state to reduce current pollution from the hatchery up to the limits of current technology, and to… Continue reading Residents Urge State to Fix Water Pollution From New Durham Hatchery
Pollution from stormwater runoff is one of the biggest threats to clean water in New England. A new permitting rule could improve stormwater pollution in Vermont.
Decades ago, Fred Quimby taught his children how to fish and canoe in Jones Pond near his home in New Durham, New Hampshire. But this year, Fred had to go someplace else to teach his grandchildren to fish. That’s because Jones Pond, part of the Merrymeeting River, has suffered yet another outbreak of cyanobacteria –… Continue reading Protecting New Hampshire’s Rivers and Lakes from Toxic Blue-green Algae
“Nitrogen pollution is killing the Cape’s beautiful waterways,” said Christopher Kilian, Vice President of Strategic Litigation at CLF. “Fish kills, unpleasant odors and scum are becoming the norm, threatening to drive away the millions of tourists that flock to the area every year. These resorts should be leaders in protecting our precious waters, instead of flushing our health and our economy down the drain.”
