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
Encore Boston Harbor, bus operators could face penalties over ‘excessive idling’
“We already know that this know that this kind of pollution is terrible for our upper respiratory system for things like asthma and lung disease,” said Alyssa Rayman-Read, vice president and director of CLF Massachusetts. “Encore and all these different companies have a responsibility to the communities that they’re in not to exacerbate existing public health crises.”
Encore Casino Shuttles Polluting Nearby Neighborhoods
“The casino is a brand-new neighbor, and it’s already wearing out its welcome,” said Alyssa Rayman-Read, Vice President and Director of CLF Massachusetts. “There’s no excuse for shuttle buses sitting in already-vulnerable neighborhoods pumping toxic fumes into the air. These companies must prove that they care about the health of their neighbors and put an end to this dangerous, unlawful idling immediately.”
Excessive idling by Encore Boston Harbor shuttles sparks lawsuit threat
“The casino is a brand-new neighbor, and it’s already wearing out its welcome,” said Alyssa Rayman-Read, director of CLF Massachusetts. “There’s no excuse for shuttle buses sitting in already vulnerable neighborhoods pumping toxic fumes into the air.”
At Legal Food Hub, attorneys help food businesses, pro bono
“We saw a trend and a growing need in the farming and food entrepreneur community for affordable legal services,” says Phelps Turner, a staff attorney who manages the Maine hub. “So we leveraged our connections in the legal community throughout New England to create this program. We identified attorneys and law firms willing to volunteer their time and provide free legal services to farmers and food entrepreneurs.”
R.I. may enact more stringent drinking water standards
Amy Moses, Rhode Island director of the Conservation Law Foundation, said that at a minimum any regulations in the state must have an enforceable drinking water standard at the lowest possible level for some of the most common PFAS chemicals. But she said it’s not enough to target only a few of the compounds when there are thousands of slightly different variations in the PFAS family.
It’s official: Invenergy Defeated
“As we said in June, this is a huge victory for Rhode Island and for the health of our communities,” said CLF Senior Attorney Jerry Elmer. “In the face of climate emergency, opening a fossil fuel plant that will spew carbon pollution for decades is simply reckless. After years of lies and misinformation, Invenergy’s efforts to pave over a forest to build this dirty plant have been dealt a substantial loss. This is proof that communities can stand up to big gas and win.”
Toxic chemicals can be dumped into Merrimack River, federal and state officials say
“It’s really unconscionable that the system allows this to continue,” said Caitlin Peale Sloan, also a senior attorney at the Conservation Law Foundation in Boston. “These forever chemicals enter your body, and don’t leave, and they compound. Protecting the public from these chemicals should be an urgent concern.”
A ‘challenge’ to cut personal waste is actually a challenge to the entire system
“Yeah, it’s a good thing if you’re creating less waste in your home or business, but the most important part of the challenge is understanding that the system is broken,” said Kirstie Pecci, a senior fellow at the Conservation Law Foundation. “We don’t need to make each of ourselves perfect in how we handle our waste – that’s not possible. We need to make a better system.”
MBTA Board Votes on Long-Term Commuter Rail Plan
“Finally, this is the bold action we’ve been waiting for from the MBTA,” said Staci Rubin, Senior Attorney at CLF. “The region clearly needs people to ditch their cars and get onto trains before our highways turn into parking lots. Electrifying the commuter rail, especially in communities serving environmental justice populations, will go a long way in making that a reality. Fares must also be affordable for all so that riding the rails is a cheaper alternative to getting in the car.”
Second Victory for Right Whales this Week
“After a series of devastating deaths this summer, pushing paper will not protect right whales from extinction,” said Erica Fuller, CLF Senior Attorney. “We need to use the force of the law to put this species on the path to recovery. The judge absolutely made the correct call: right whales simply can’t wait any longer for the federal government to get around to doing their job.”