This past year was big for clean water in Vermont. The pollution limits for Lake Champlain were finalized, and a slew of new rules for agriculture, development and wastewater were established. CLF fought hard to shape these new policies to protect the environment and to ensure we have regular check-ins and honest accounting on how…
Feb 9
2017
2017
Jan 11
2017
2017
CLF Sues the Pease Development Authority to Clean Up Toxic Stormwater Pollution
CLF has filed a lawsuit against the redeveloper of the site of the Pease Air Force Base in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, for violating the Clean Water Act. Pollution from the site is fouling local waterways, including the Great Bay estuary, with numerous pollutants, including toxic chemicals of growing concern. From Air Force Base to a…
Jul 12
2016
2016
Warning – Our Lake is Toxic
“Mixed condition. Watch and avoid cyanobacteria blooms.” This is the warning posted on the Vermont Department of Health’s website for Lake Champlain. When I read about beach closures, such as the one last Thursday at one of Burlington’s most popular beaches, I feel outraged, dumbfounded, horrified. How could we have let it get so far…
Jul 6
2016
2016
Heavier Rains Are Coming – But Are Vermonters Ready?
It’s been a wet summer so far in Vermont. And, according to climate scientists, Vermonters should get used to it – more rainfall and even more intense storms are predicted as a result of our changing climate. But, just because we know what’s to come doesn’t mean Vermont is prepared to deal with it. To find…
Jun 28
2016
2016
Great Bay–Piscataqua Waterkeeper Vessel Launched for 2016!
The Great Bay-Piscataqua Waterkeeper vessel is back on the water for its third season. Following our launch earlier this month, the weather did not cooperate until last week. Interest is keen from folks who want to climb aboard and explore Great Bay and the Piscataqua River to identify and discuss the challenges facing our local…
Sep 30
2015
2015
See for Yourself How Polluted Stormwater Reaches Mashapaug Pond
It’s raining in Providence right now. And that means water is running across the city’s rooftops, roads, and parking lots, picking up pollutants like oil and animal waste, and depositing them into water bodies like Mashapaug Pond. The term for this polluted rainwater is stormwater runoff, and it’s one of the reasons Mashapaug Pond has…
Sep 16
2015
2015
Video: Nitrogen Reductions Around Great Bay
A weight of evidence has made clear that excessive nitrogen is detrimental to the health of Great Bay, with vast acreages of eelgrass – the cornerstone of the ecosystem – having disappeared. In fact, it would be highly unlikely to find any eelgrass at all from New Castle all the way upriver and to Adams…
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 16
2015
2015
Blue-Green Algae Causes Burlington Beach Closure
Monday’s closure of two popular beaches in Burlington is a stark reminder of why Vermont’s focus on water quality is so timely and important. Sightings of blue-green algae along the Burlington shoreline prompted low alert warnings last Friday and led to beach closures in the area earlier this week.
Mar 12
2015
2015
Defending the Charles River from Stormwater Pollution
In February, CLF and the Charles River Watershed Association filed a notice of intent to sue the EPA for failing to uphold the Clean Water Act and requiring large, privately owned stormwater polluters to obtain permits for their dirty discharge. EPA’s responsibility is clear: to ensure that our waterways are safe for drinking, swimming, and fishing. The…