Media Contact
Jake O’Neill, Press Secretary
Office: 617.850.1709
joneill@clf.org
CLF has experts available throughout New England on a variety of local, regional, and national issues, including climate change, clean water, environmental justice, ocean conservation, and renewable energy. For more information, see our list of experts and contact Jake O’Neill.
CLF Press Releases and News Clips
Massachusetts Reverses Rollback to Critical Clean Energy Policy
“Dirty, industrial biomass pollutes our neighborhoods and has no place in our clean energy future,” said Kirstie Pecci, Interim Director of CLF’s Environmental Justice program. “Massachusetts residents deserve clean air and a livable future. The Commonwealth should not subsidize power plants or incinerators that will harm communities already bearing the brunt of local pollution and climate impacts.”
Vermont House Advances Bottle Bill Upgrade
“Updating Vermont’s bottle bill is a win-win for our communities and our environment,” said Jen Duggan, Vice President & Director of CLF Vermont. “These changes to the bottle bill will result in less climate pollution and waste in our landfills, more green jobs, and millions of dollars for the state’s clean water fund. Passing this legislation into law is just plain common sense.”
Vermont Fails to Regulate Toxic Forever Chemicals
“The decision not to regulate more of these toxic chemicals in our water is deeply disturbing,” said Jen Duggan, Vice President and Director of CLF Vermont. “It doesn’t make sense to continue this whack-a-mole approach to removing these chemicals from drinking water. People’s health will suffer as a result of this decision.”
Governor McKee Signs Historic Climate Bill into Law
“With the climate crisis at our doorstep, this law comes not a moment too soon,” said CLF attorney James Crowley. “Slashing emissions and protecting frontline communities from devastating climate impacts must be our top priorities, and this new law ensures we do just that. Now we need to get to work turning Rhode Island’s climate goals into reality.”
Judge nixes downtown harbor plan, imperiling long-planned skyscraper on Harbor Garage
“They took a process that should be very public and very predictable and made it one that happens with a lot of private conversations between developers and cities and the secretary (of Energy and Environmental Affairs),” Shelley said. “We don’t think that’s good policy.”
Springfield Biomass Plant Permit Revoked
“The last thing the asthma capital of the U.S. needs is a plant spewing air pollution and further imperiling public health,” said Caitlin Peale Sloan, Interim Director of CLF Massachusetts. “Springfield residents made their opposition to this polluting plant clear, and DEP officials have handed them a win today. The fact is that burning biomass is neither clean nor renewable and it should be left in the past with fossil fuels.”
Judge Throws Out Downtown Boston Harbor Development Plan
“Public access to Boston’s beautiful waterfront won today,” said Peter Shelley, Senior Counsel at CLF. “State officials acted unlawfully in coming up with the Downtown Municipal Harbor Plan and handed private developers a free pass to create new rules to benefit themselves. The judge saw right through this effort and affirmed that only the state’s Department of Environmental Protection can make decisions that protect the public’s centuries-old right to access the water and waterfront.”
Seacoast Cities Settle With Nonprofit To Move Forward On Great Bay Restoration
“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.”
Biden Administration Announces Major Expansion of Offshore Wind
“After four years of Trump obstructing clean energy and promoting dirty fuels at every turn, President Biden’s focus on offshore wind comes not a moment too soon,” said Bradley Campbell, President of CLF. “Wind has the potential to power our homes, our green economy, and our transition away from polluting fossil fuels for good. However, projects must be responsibly sited to protect ocean life as well. Today’s announcement should be a boon to New England’s nascent wind industry and a strong start to the administration’s pledge to have a zero-emission grid by 2035.”
Great Bay deal: Dover, Portsmouth, Rochester agree to share EPA permit costs
“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.”