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This Issue:
> Nation Follows New England’s Lead on Clean Cars
> ME Officials Step In On Proposed LNG Facility
> CLF Ventures Chosen By New Hampshire OEP To Boost Energy Efficiency of State Municipalities
> CLF Says Offshore Drilling is Wrong Solution To Energy Independence and Climate Change
> CLF Joins International Partnership to Study Impacts of Hydro Power
> CLF Demands Increased Transparency On Vermont Yankee Investigation
> CLF and WBRU Team Up On "Trash Talk"
> New At CLF
> CLF Scoop: Monthly Blog Roundup
CLF News in Brief:
MA: One Step To Reduce Flooding
ME: Board Takes Jurisdiction Over Proposed LNG Project
RI: A Race To Reap Energy From the Ocean Breezes
VT: Ripples of Lake Cleanup Are Wide
CLF Calendar:
Earth Night 2010
Saturday, April 10
7-11 p.m.
Back Bay Event Center, Boston, MA
Join CLF and hundreds of other community leaders from around the state as they share how they’re helping the Massachusetts environment at Earth Night 2010, hosted by the Environmental League of Massachusetts (ELM). Meet other environmentalists, have some good green fun and learn about the environmental issues right in your own backyard. Don’t forget to stop by CLF’s table.
For more information or to buy tickets, call (617) 742-2553 or visit www.environmentalleague.org.
Green Economy Conference
Tuesday, May 11
7:45 a.m.-4 p.m.
Hynes Convention Center, 900 Boyleston St., Boston, MA
Come listen and learn from a distinguished group of environmental leaders in New England, including CLF President John Kassel, at the 2010 Green Economy Conference. The conference brings together leaders from all sectors, disciplines, and perspectives to promote the role of multiculturalism, sustainability, corporate responsibility, and green jobs in developing a viable and sustainable green economy. CLF is also a conference sponsor.
To register, call (617) 267-0234 or visit www.greeneconomyboston.com.
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![Earth Day Thermometer]() Help CLF Secure $40,000 for New England's Environment!
In honor of Earth Day’s 40th anniversary, a generous donor has contacted CLF with a challenge: Secure 400 donations before midnight on Earth Day, and he’ll donate an additional $40,000 to our work.
Last week, we launched the challenge and, to date, we’re at 108 donations. It’s a great start—but we can’t win this challenge without you. Today, we’re asking you to be our 109th donor by giving a gift of $10.00. Please act now to support our work—the Earth Day deadline is fast approaching.
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Nation Follows New England’s Lead on Clean Cars
![Traffic]() On April 1, the Obama administration announced new standards for automobile fuel economy and global warming emissions. The announcement was a major victory for CLF, capping off more than three decades of pushing for tougher emissions regulations nationwide on motor vehicles, including landmark legal action in Vermont and Rhode Island in 2008 that led to the implementation of clean cars standards in those states and 11 others, including Maine and Massachusetts.
Now, the new federal standards will bring to the rest of the country the stringent emissions standards pioneered here in New England. The new standards will reduce gasoline consumption by as much as 11.6 billion gallons per year in 2016, reducing global warming pollution and saving consumers money.
Learn more:
ME Officials Step In On Proposed LNG Facility
![Maine Board of Environmental Protection]() CLF hailed the March 18 decision by the Maine Board of Environmental Protection to take jurisdiction over, and hold a public hearing on, a liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility and associated pipeline being proposed for Washington County.
CLF opposes the project. Sean Mahoney, CLF vice president, and director of its Maine Advocacy Center, notes that there is no projected increased demand for gas from current levels in Maine, and therefore moving forward with the project is a waste of resources and is pulling the state’s focus away from developing realistic solutions to its energy and economic challenges, such as developing offshore renewable energy.
Learn More:
CLF Ventures Chosen By New Hampshire OEP To Boost Energy Efficiency Of State Municipalities
CLF Ventures, CLF’s nonprofit affiliate, and renewable energy developer Peregrine Energy Group were selected by New Hampshire’s Office of Energy and Planning (OEP) to develop and implement a program to increase energy efficiency in the state’s municipalities. They’ll also engage the state’s regional planning commissions and nonprofit Clean Air-Cool Planet to build on existing energy planning efforts and create jobs in the state.
Funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act’s Energy and Community Block Grant, the 30-month project is intended to provide New Hampshire’s 234 towns and 10 counties with customized strategies and the technical services they need to build their energy efficiency plans.
CLF Ventures is responsible for coordinating efforts to conduct outreach and educate municipalities about the program. CLF Ventures’ Eric Halter will manage the project out of CLF’s Concord, NH office.
Learn More:
CLF Says Offshore Drilling is Wrong Solution To Energy Independence and Climate Change
![Oil Rig]()
On March 30, President Obama announced new plans for offshore drilling. Since 1977, CLF has led efforts to block offshore drilling in the North Atlantic, particularly in the area of Georges Bank.
Priscilla Brooks, PhD, Director of CLF’s Conservation Program, stated that offshore oil and gas drilling threatens underwater habitats, fisheries and marine wildlife and will not help the U.S. achieve energy independence or address climate change.
“If we are to break our country’s addiction to fossil fuels, we need to go boldly down the path of clean energy like greater efficiency and renewable power from wind, waves and sun and not be diverted by these distractions,” Brooks stated. “We reject the notion that continuing to pursue extraction and burning of fossil fuels over a long time horizon is a necessary component of a comprehensive energy and climate solution.”
Learn More:
CLF Joins International Partnership to Study Impacts of Hydro Power
On April 8, CLF announced a partnership with Équiterre, the Canadian Boreal Initiative, and the Pew Environment Group to conduct a series of scientific studies to answer key outstanding questions about the impacts of hydro power, and to make policy recommendations on the proper role for, and constraints on, energy from Quebec as a part of meeting Northeast energy demand.
Proposed expansion of hydro-power contracts with the northeastern U.S. have previously been met with great controversy over social and environmental impacts. However, the Government of Quebec has recently embarked upon the Plan Nord, a large-scale land use planning project, partially to increase capacity to export power, hydro and other renewables to the northeastern United States. There’s also increasing concern regarding the impact of global warming on a region heavily dependent on fossil fuels. For those reasons, the groups feel the time is right to re-examine the role of energy exports from Quebec to New England, including how to properly address concerns and ensure a positive transition to a clean energy economy.
Learn More:
CLF Demands Increased Transparency On Vermont Yankee Investigation
![Leak]()
Entergy, owner of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant that has been leaking radioactive tritium into nearby waterways for over two months, claims it has identified and stopped the source of the leak. However, bigger problems may on the horizon. Last week, officials found traces of Cesium-137, a much more dangerous radioactive isotope than tritium, which it attributes to failed fuel rods. More pertinent, however, may be everything we don’t know. In its investigation, Entergy has requested permission to withhold all information from public view that is not directly related to the issue of underground piping that carries radioactive isotopes at the plant.
On April 1, CLF, along with the New England Coalition and the Vermont Public Interest Group, jointly filed papers with the Vermont Public Service Board opposing Entergy’s request to keep undisclosed portions of its investigation secret.
Learn More:
CLF and WBRU Team Up On “Trash Talk”
![WBRU]() CLF is thrilled to partner with Rhode Island radio station WBRU to raise awareness of CLF and Rhode Island’s trash problem with a media campaign called “Trash Talk.” The campaign’s goal is to educate Rhode Islanders about the state’s limited trash capacity—the state has a grand total of one landfill—and get them to start thinking about how to recycle or dispose of their trash in new ways. CLF submitted a proposal for Trash Talk in January and was selected as WBRU’s 2010 Service Partner. Radio spots are running now.
New at CLF
CLF welcomes Elaine McGrath to CLF’s Boston office as executive assistant to CLF President John Kassel, and Eric Halter to CLF’s Concord, NH office as project manager for CLF Ventures.
In addition, CLF staff will shift this spring as senior attorney Tom Irwin steps into his new role as director of the New Hampshire Advocacy Center, taking over from Melissa Hoffer. Melissa will focus on building the Healthy Communities and Environmental Justice program in her role as program director, and continue her work on the Merrimack Station coal plant and other important clean energy advocacy. Meanwhile, Yan Au has been named office manager in CLF’s Boston office.
CLF Scoop: Monthly Blog Roundup
![Click Here to Visit the CLF Scoop]() Here are just a few of our favorite recent blog posts from the CLF Scoop:
To check out the CLF Scoop and find out what you've been missing, click here. To subscribe to our blog, click here.
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