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 Hyannis wastewater plant is dumping sewage and pollutants directly into the ground, which invariably reaches nearby ponds, bays, and streams. Barnstable officials are running the Town’s sewage facility without a federal permit and have taken little action to stem this crisis and protect the Cape’s waters. We need to solve this problem once and for all, as the region’s bays and ponds are heading past the point of no return.”
“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.
CLF’s Great Bay–Piscataqua Waterkeeper brings together partners and dozens of volunteers on annual cleanup to remove polluting debris from the estuary’s shoreline.
As eversource plows ahead with plan to build a dangerous electrical substation in East Boston, CLF and GreenRoots continue with fight to stop it.
“Rebecca Tepper is a proven leader and an excellent choice for Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs,” said CLF President Bradley Campbell. “Tepper has the expertise and experience Massachusetts needs to lead on climate while helping communities facing toxic emissions, more polluted waters, and rising energy costs. Secretary Tepper’s first task must be to build a leadership team of comparable stature ready to meet this moment head-on.”
Vermont can do more to protect residents and communities from the devastating impacts of flooding.
“These iconic rivers are suffering because of the EPA’s consistent foot-dragging,” said Heather Govern, CLF’s Vice President of Clean Air and Water. “Despite all the evidence linking stormwater pollution to dirty and unsafe water, the agency has failed to take legally required steps to address this growing problem. We have waited over three years for them to regulate the pollution, and these rivers cannot wait any longer.”
“Septic pollution is driving Cape Cod’s waters to disaster,” said Christopher Kilian, Vice President of Strategic Litigation at CLF. “The state has finally taken this concern seriously, but we will be reviewing the proposal to assure that it is strong and effective in solving this problem. Toxic nitrogen pollution destroys our waters, sickens people, and threatens the region’s tourism economy, and it has no place in Cape Cod’s waters.”
