Note: This blog post has been updated in light of the March 9 vote. Thanks to your advocacy and an amazing outcry of public support for rooftop solar and net metering, an improved version of House Bill 1116 passed the New Hampshire House Science, Technology, and Energy Committee unanimously, and on March 9 passed the…
Mar 10
2016
2016
Feb 9
2016
2016
Why Have Presidential Candidates Been Silent on Northern Pass?
The next president of the United States will decide only one issue that uniquely affects New Hampshire residents. Yet as candidates of both parties blanketed the state in the final weeks before today’s primary, that issue received scant attention. The next president will decide whether to authorize the cross-border connection to Canada’s Hydro-Québec needed for…
Jan 8
2016
2016
Northern Pass Enters a New Phase
The Northern Pass transmission project has entered a new phase, as the New Hampshire Site Evaluation Committee begins an extensive state permitting process for the controversial project. Northern Pass as proposed will span 192 miles, traveling from the Canada/U.S. border in Pittsburg, through New Hampshire’s north country, down the spine of the state to Concord, and,…
Jan 8
2016
2016
Exeter Forges Ahead on the Fertilizer Front
The Healthy Lawns-Clean Water committee in Exeter, NH, is forging ahead with new fertilizer restrictions in the town. Established by the Town and funded by a grant from the Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership (PREP), interested folks – myself included – have convened numerous times to give serious thought to how to reduce nitrogen discharge in…
Nov 5
2015
2015
New Hampshire Oil Spill Practice Deployment
What happens if there is an oil spill at a power plant or distributor on the Piscataqua River in Portsmouth or Newington, New Hampshire? If the first responders at these facilities fail to immediately control the spill, who responds as that oil moves upriver and into Little Bay and Great Bay? Enter the New Hampshire…
Sep 2
2015
2015
Great Bay is Cleaner Today
On August 13th, Seven Rivers Paddling of Newmarket and Timberland of Stratham teamed up with Jeff Barnum, CLF’s Great Bay–Piscataqua Waterkeeper, to patrol several areas of the estuary, picking up whatever refuse they could find. “Great Bay is an estuary of national significance – one of only 28 in the U.S. – and deserves our…
Jul 14
2015
2015
Childhood Lead Poisoning Bill Signed into Law
On July 13, Governor Maggie Hassan signed a new law to better protect New Hampshire kids from the tragic and avoidable problem of lead poisoning. Passage of this important legislation is the culmination of a strong bipartisan effort, as well as the hard work of a broad group of stakeholders, including CLF. In New Hampshire…
Jul 2
2015
2015
Local Engagement, Local Waters
As Great Bay–Piscataqua Waterkeeper, I consider local public engagement to be key to restoring the health of the Great Bay estuary, and it’s a major part of my work. But even for those already aware of the value of our local waters and the challenges of achieving clean water, getting engaged often is not easy. People…
Jun 22
2015
2015
Portsmouth to Proceed with Long-Awaited, New Sewage Treatment Plant
The Portsmouth, New Hampshire, City Council recently reaffirmed its commitment to build a new sewage treatment plant at the site of the present antiquated facility on Peirce Island. Completion of the long-awaited upgrade may still be a few years away, though it could have happened sooner if the City had elected to shift its plans…
May 21
2015
2015
Lead Law Moving Forward in New Hampshire Legislature
While many of us believe childhood lead poisoning is a thing of the past, the sad truth is that it’s not. In fact, every year, more than 1,000 New Hampshire children are poisoned by lead, with deteriorating lead-based paints the primary cause. The impacts of lead poisoning can be devastating and lifelong. Children can suffer…