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
Mayor Janey Withdraws Boston’s Downtown Municipal Harbor Plan
“Mayor Janey made the right decision today,” said CLF President Bradley Campbell. “Boston’s developer-driven MHP process is fundamentally flawed, and the Downtown MHP would have resulted in less public access to one of the city’s greatest treasures – Boston Harbor. It’s time to reform the planning processes for all waterfront neighborhoods to elevate the public’s voice and right to access the water. We look forward to working with the city to achieve this goal.”
On Board: Why The New MBTA Board Benefits Riders And The Environment
In late July, Governor Baker signed a law that establishes a new, permanent board to oversee the MBTA. This is a huge win for communities and riders who depend on the T to get where they need to go, and it has the potential to lead to much-needed changes within the transit system.
EJ communities finally get a say
Massachusetts has taken a huge step forward in ensuring that communities have a say in what happens in their neighborhoods. It’s long past time we stop forcing low-income communities and communities of color to bear the burdens of polluting infrastructure. But that doesn’t mean we simply move the pollution elsewhere. Wood-burning power plants do not belong in anyone’s community.
Kennebec River Dams Must be Removed
“Federal officials are threatening to wipe out the progress Maine has made restoring endangered Atlantic salmon,” said Sean Mahoney, Executive Vice President and Director of CLF Maine. “The state has found innovative solutions that both protect critical species and allow people to benefit from the river. FERC needs to start from scratch and admit that the only path forward is to remove these dams.”
Darrèll Brown to Lead CLF Rhode Island
“Environmental impacts touch every aspect of our lives and it’s time policies here in Rhode Island caught up with that reality,” said Darrèll Brown, Vice President and Director of CLF Rhode Island. “It’s no mistake or coincidence that incinerators and power plants are placed in poor and minority communities and that those residents get sick and die at higher rates. I’m eager to get to work supporting these communities and pushing for meaningful changes in the state house and the courtroom.”
Merrimack Station Permit Sent Back to Drawing Board
“The Merrimack Station coal plant is destroying the health of the Merrimack River and it’s time they’re held accountable,” said Greg Cunningham, Vice President and Director of CLF’s Clean Energy and Climate Change program. “The permit for this fossil fuel plant must do more to protect this iconic waterbody, and the appeals board clearly agrees. CLF will continue to work with the EPA to make sure the next iteration of this permit protects the wildlife that call the river home.”
Bill to Reauthorize Federal Fisheries Law Introduced in U.S. House
“With several New England fish populations in perpetual crisis, now is the time to strengthen the Magnuson-Stevens Act,” said Peter Shelley, Senior Counsel at CLF. “Congressman Huffman’s bill has the potential to address the impacts of the climate crisis on our fisheries and improve protection of important habitat from destructive fishing gear, but it also risks weakening core provisions of the law that are essential for rebuilding overfished species. We’ll be continuing our push to end overfishing and rebuild our region’s threatened fish populations as this bill moves through Congress.”
Environmental Group Seeks Stronger Water Protections For Norridgewock Landfill Expansion
“Building landfills just does not incentivize the actions you want to see. When you build this capacity, you’re not going to be recycling or composting or diverting as much as you should be,” Blair says.
Mass. Legislature Creates Permanent MBTA Oversight Board
“The era of kicking the can down the road at the MBTA is over,” said Staci Rubin, Vice President of Environmental Justice at CLF. “People in nearly 200 communities depend on the T to get where they need to go, and it’s time we get a reliable, affordable system that works for everyone. This bill will make sure that the oversight board understands the issues plaguing the MBTA and has the vision to create a better system for everyone.”
Rhode Island Denies Efforts to Burn Medical Waste
“Burning waste of any kind threatens our environment and poses unacceptable toxic risks to neighboring communities,” said Kevin Budris, Zero Waste Attorney at CLF Rhode Island. “Medical waste contains large amounts of plastic, as well as sharps, pathological waste, cleanup materials, and other biological waste. When this waste is burned with high-heat technologies, it emits some of the most dangerous pollutants known to humankind. Today’s decision aligns with Rhode Island’s new law to protect our communities, homes, schools, and waters from dirty, climate-destroying medical waste-burning facilities.”