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
NOAA Fisheries Approves Coral Protections
“Fragile deep-sea corals play a critical role in the marine ecosystem and must be protected,” said CLF Senior Attorney Erica Fuller. “Coral provide essential habitat for many important commercial and recreational fish species, and they are highly vulnerable to disturbances with any damage taking decades or centuries to recover. This rule is a good step in protecting some corals in select areas, but more must be done to expand these protections in the Gulf of Maine.”
Janet Coit Named Fisheries Leader
“With the climate crisis threatening ocean life as we know it, we are depending on our leaders to treat this situation with the urgency it demands,” said CLF President Bradley Campbell. “By appointing a highly regarded expert from New England, President Biden will have a NMFS leader who understands the perils our ocean faces and the promise it holds in a resilient future. CLF looks forward to working with Administrator Coit to restore healthy fisheries in New England and protect critical ocean species and habitat.”
State and Towns Failing to Protect Cape Cod Water
“For years, our state and local leaders have allowed wastewater systems to cause the scourge of toxic algae in Cape Cod’s bays and ponds,” said Christopher Kilian, Vice President of Strategic Litigation at CLF. “It’s time to turn off the tap and stop the flow of wastewater pollution into the Cape’s waters. Residents and visitors deserve to enjoy healthy bays and ponds, and officials need to solve this problem once and for all”
The Seaport Cost Billions To Build. What Will It Take To Save It?
“This ad hoc, parcel-by-parcel, project-by-project resilience approach is not a long-term solution,” she said, asking instead for “a better strategy” to bring the development community into conversation and leverage new development to build protections that benefit the entire neighborhood.
Biden Administration Set to Repeal Trump Clean Water Rollback
“With our nation’s waters under siege from polluters, today’s announcement is a step in the right direction,” said Heather Govern, Director of CLF’s Clean Air and Water Program. “But the Biden Administration must move quickly to officially overturn Trump’s irresponsible dirty water rule. Officials need to get to work redefining Waters of the United States to ensure clean water for current and future generations.”
New Hope For N.H.’s Great Bay As Towns, Scientists Begin Collaborating On Restoration
Melissa Paly, the Great Bay-Piscataqua Waterkeeper with the Conservation Law Foundation, said it didn’t help that for years, towns and stakeholders fought over who was responsible and who should pay. Now, they’re finally ready to get to work on more ambitious solutions.
Advocates say Massachusetts water toxicity proves R.I. needs to regulate PFAS ‘forever chemicals’
The Conservation Law Foundation called for state officials to “prohibit or suspend distribution and use of Anvil, Mavrik, Permanone, and any other pesticides shown to contain PFAS” and to develop a plan to test all pesticide products registered in Rhode Island for PFAS contamination.
Conservation groups set to sue major hydro plant owner over Kennebec dam operations
“Right now they are operating those facilities in violation of the Endangered Species Act, because they don’t have authorization to kill Atlantic salmon, which is what their dams do,” said Sean Mahoney, executive vice president of the Conservation Law Foundation. “So they need to apply to get that authority or they need to remove the cause of the killing or taking of Atlantic salmon, which are the four dams.”
Legislators Throw Wrench in Connecticut Bottle Bill Update
“Our legislators had the opportunity to pass a strong bill to reduce waste, increase recycling rates and slash pollution in our communities,” said Kevin Budris, Zero Waste Attorney at CLF. “While this bill includes some important updates, it’s not nearly as strong as it should have been. At the eleventh hour, legislators have handed the beverage industry the keys to the state’s bottle return system and significantly compromised the effectiveness of the legislation.”
Time to reform Connecticut’s waste mess (with a new bottle bill)
Modernizing the bottle bill will not instantly solve every part of Connecticut’s waste crisis, but it is a proven, cost-effective step forward at a time when the state needs to take advantage of every tool in its toolbox. We can—and must—protect our communities and our environment, and save money, by reducing and diverting waste and improving recycling. This legislation is key to these efforts.