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
Vermont Releases Climate Action Plan
“The climate crisis is putting Vermont’s communities at risk as we speak,” said Elena Mihaly, Vice President of CLF Vermont. “The Climate Action Plan is a huge first step in slashing polluting emissions, building smarter, and prioritizing communities overburdened by climate impacts. We’ll be pushing to make sure the implementation of the plan prioritizes cleaning up our transportation systems and transitioning to truly clean heat and electricity. Our homes, land, and critical resources can’t wait.”
MA Supreme Judicial Court Takes Up Downtown Harbor Plan Case
“The public’s right to access the waterfront has been guaranteed for generations, and we must fight any attempts by unauthorized state officials to undermine it,” said Peter Shelley, Senior Counsel at CLF. “The politicized, developer-driven process that led to Boston’s harbor plan was fundamentally flawed. The lower court was correct to conclude that the state agencies did not have the authority to approve it. We’re confident the justices will uphold that decision to send Boston’s unlawful plan back to the drawing board.”
Massachusetts Pauses Transportation and Climate Initiative
“TCI was never going to be enough to address the impacts and needs of the region’s transportation systems,” said Staci Rubin, Vice President of Environmental Justice at CLF. “Transportation is the largest source of planet-warming emissions in New England, and our current systems have overburdened communities of color with air pollution for decades. We must overhaul the way we move people and goods, and it must be done in a way that recognizes and addresses these historic inequities and brings everyone to the table in finding a solution. CLF will continue to work with impacted communities and our states to move that process forward.”
State Would Deny Saugus Ash Landfill Expansion
“State officials would be absolutely right to deny the expansion of this already massive, polluting landfill,” said Kirstie Pecci, director of CLF’s Zero Waste Project. “No new landfills or expansions of landfills are allowed in an Area of Critical Environmental Concern. The Saugus Ash Landfill is in the middle of one of these areas, so it is not allowed to expand vertically. End of story.”
Court Reinstates Gulf of Maine Lobstering Restriction to Protect Endangered Right Whales
“Reducing entanglements by prohibiting fishing in this area is critical to ensuring the survival of right whales,” said Erica Fuller, a senior attorney at Conservation Law Foundation. “This decision affirms that science matters. The First Circuit got it right: entanglements often can’t be traced, so where whales, lots of lines, and heavy fishing lines coincide, we need fishing restrictions now.”
Federal appeals court reinstates lobster gear restrictions off Maine’s coast
A federal appeals court is reinstating restrictions on fishing gear in a nearly 1,000-square-mile swathe of ocean off Maine’s coast. It’s a blow to Maine’s lobstermen and a victory for advocates for the endangered North Atlantic right whale.
Federal appeals court allows government to block lobstering off Maine
Erica Fuller, a senior attorney at Conservation Law Foundation, one of the environmental groups involved in the appeal, said the court’s “decision affirms that science matters.”
Court Rejects Federal Attempt to Sink Right Whale Ship Strike Lawsuit
“At this juncture, the fact NMFS hasn’t already addressed deaths due to vessel collisions is beyond incomprehensible,” said Erica Fuller, a senior attorney at Conservation Law Foundation. “We hope this will force the agency to take emergency action rather than wait until next spring to start a new rule-making process. That kind of delay does little to protect the moms traveling up and down the coast now.”
CLF Brings Free Legal Services to New Hampshire Farmers and Food Entrepreneurs
“Local farmers and food businesses are essential pieces of a healthy and thriving community,” Sara Dewey, Director of CLF’s Farm and Food Initiative. “Too often, high fees and complicated legal issues are a barrier to entrepreneurs and farmers getting their businesses off the ground. Communities, residents, and our climate benefit when these businesses prosper, and it’s time they are given the tools they need.”
Groups Urge Boston Mayor-Elect Wu to Focus on Climate, Justice
“Boston has the opportunity to be a national leader in tackling these overlapping crises head-on,” said Caitlin Peale Sloan, Vice President of CLF Massachusetts. “Climate, justice, and transportation issues affect everyone in Boston, and we’ve historically seen little progress on these issues. It’s time for Mayor-Elect Wu to make these issues a priority and commit to real progress that will positively impact the entire city.”