“Today’s decision is a huge win for the city of South Portland, and it proves that local action can make a difference,” said Sean Mahoney, Executive Vice President and Director of CLF Maine. “Big oil tried every legal trick in the book to try and invalidate this ordinance and they lost on every count.”
“By rolling back the Clean Power Plan, the Trump administration is once again ignoring science and turning its back on the American people,” said Greg Cunningham, Vice President and Director of CLF’s Clean Energy and Climate Change program. “Increased carbon emissions threaten our lives, our economy, and our environment. It is our government’s legal responsibility to reduce the public health menace that is carbon pollution. It is imperative for states to step up and stop this administration’s attempt to turn back time on clean energy progress.”
“It’s unthinkable what this State facility has done to the Merrymeeting River, degrading its health and putting the public’s health at risk with cyanobacteria outbreaks,” said Tom Irwin, Director of CLF New Hampshire. “During the heart of the summer, people want to swim, boat, and enjoy New Hampshire’s rivers and lakes. They don’t want to be told ‘stay out.’ It’s time for our leaders to protect the public health and the health of our waters by putting an end to illegal pollution from this facility.”
“The EPA and NHTSA are prioritizing fossil fuel interests over the health of our communities,” said CLF Staff Attorney Emily K. Green. “Strong vehicle emissions standards are critical to addressing climate change, and weakening them will put the health of millions of Americans at risk. This decision disproportionately harms the most vulnerable among us, while forcing families and businesses to pay more at the pump. We will continue to fight this rollback with every tool available.”
“Vermont cannot be a champion of conservation when state authorities are giving towns the green light to dump more toxic pollution into Lake Champlain,” said Elena Mihaly, Staff Attorney, Conservation Law Foundation. “Lake Champlain is a natural treasure and economic driver for Vermont and it is the agency’s obligation to protect our waters. Granting permits that will increase pollution flowing into this iconic lake is irresponsible, reckless, and unlawful.”
“This bill is a giant step backward for fisheries and fishing communities,” said Peter Shelley, Senior Counsel at CLF. “We need fishery management practices based on science and accountability, not the whims of politicians, and we applaud the representatives who voted against this bill. CLF will continue to fight for a national fisheries law with strong environmental protections that benefits our fisheries, fishing communities, and marine ecosystem.”
“We need to reduce our waste instead of looking for more places to bury it,” said Tom Irwin, Vice President and Director of CLF New Hampshire. “Waste Management is dumping about a million and a half tons of waste per year into the Turnkey landfill, putting nearby communities and waterways at risk. It’s time for the state to stop undermining waste reduction efforts by expanding landfills and instead focus on zero waste strategies that treat waste as a resource.”
“This plan unlawfully puts the interests of developers ahead of the public’s rights on the waterfront,” said CLF President Bradley Campbell. “Approval of this plan not only violates decades-old laws governing the waterfront, but also sets a dangerous precedent by signaling to developers that they can buy their way out of rules that have balanced public and private development interests for years. The state must stop disregarding the public’s rights when it comes to waterfront development.”
“Without clear information about what is safe to eat, people in the Lower Mystic River Watershed area are at risk,” said Alyssa Rayman-Read, vice president and director of CLF Massachusetts. “The advisory will ensure that people have the information needed to safely fish in the area. This kind of public-nonprofit collaboration should be a model for working on important environmental issues.”
“Self-driving vehicles have the potential to drastically change the way we travel,” said Alyssa Rayman-Read, Vice President and Director of CLF Massachusetts. “We have an opportunity to prevent traffic nightmares and negative environmental impacts by enacting smart policies ahead of time. As the study illustrates, we can’t afford to wait.”
