A state plan to loosen a nearly quarter-century moratorium on new waste incinerators is renewing a long-simmering trash war in Massachusetts over how to deal with the vast amounts of garbage that residents and businesses generate each day.

State officials say landfill space is already so tight that Massachusetts is forced to export significant amounts of trash. By the end of the decade, space will be so scarce that the state could export as much as 18 percent of the garbage it generates.

To ease the landfill crunch, officials want to allow new technologies on a limited scale that would turn waste into energy and not emit as many harmful air pollutants as traditional incinerators.

SOMERSET, Mass. -- Three environmental groups announced on Friday that they intend to sue the owner of Brayton Point Station for alleged violations of the federal Clean Air Act.
Conservation Law Foundation, Clean Water Action and Toxics Action Center said they notified Dominion Energy New England that they will file a lawsuit over emissions from the 50-year-old coal- and oil-burning plant.

The plant, according to a press release, is exceeding limit on soots, nitrogen oxides, carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide, and is violating acid rain restrictions.

Every day garbage trucks dump paper, wood, bottles and cans and other recyclables into landfills, incinerators, or transfer stations. It’s a terrible waste—but did you know it’s also against the law?

Businesses, schools, municipalities —and residents too— are not supposed to trash material that is easy to recycle. But the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) regularly turns a blind eye when trucks full of banned materials show up at waste facilities. What’s worse, now the state is saying we need more incinerators because we’re running out of landfill space.

Tell the MassDEP Commissioner that it’s time to enforce the waste ban laws and keep the ban on the construction of new incinerators! Send a message today!

Massachusetts Cushions Included in National Testing

(Boston, MA)  A new peer reviewed study published today in Environmental Science and Technology shows a carcinogen has been used to replace banned toxic flame retardants in the majority of couches sampled across the United States including couches from Massachusetts. Most couches (85%) contained toxic or untested flame retardants in their foam. Levels of flame retardants found were up to 11% of the weight of the foam.

The numbers are in, and the chemical lobby has spent millions in this election to back candidates for Senate. We need your help to fight back and make sure Senator Scott Brown and Elizabeth Warren know that you care about increased oversight on toxic chemicals!

Will you join Americans across the country to contact Brown and Warren and ask them to support the platform of Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families, our national partners in updating the country's chemical laws?

Click here to thank Elizabeth Warren for her stance on toxic chemicals.

Click here to tell Senator Scott Brown that we expect him to do more to protect families. 

See our sample letter to candidates below.

Brown Not Supporting Key Chemical Reform Legislation

 

The Water Alliance, Cape Cod Commission, and US EPA are collaborating on a two-day conference in Hyannis Oct 22-23, 2012. Cape Cod has become a center of innovative technologies and practices to address nutrient pollution in sustainable and affordable ways. Clean Water Action is proud to support the event and recognize the participation of many of our wonderful partners, including the Silent Spring Institute.

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Phone Bank with Clean Water Action
Clean Water Action has endorsed Elizabeth Warren for U.S. Senate. Massachusetts families need a pro-environment candidate we can count on, and Elizabeth's commited to stand up for healthy, safe communities.

BOSTON — Children may be at greater risk for mercury from tuna than previously thought, according to a new report.  

Watch the TV report online

The Tuna Surprise report, released by Mercury Policy Project and Clean Water Action, examined the mercury levels of canned tuna sold to schools and assessed children’s exposure from the canned meat.

Canned tuna is by far the largest source of methylmercury in the average American diet and accounts for nearly one-third of total exposure to the toxic mercury compound, the report said.

MPP tested the mercury content of 59 samples, representing eight brands of tuna, sold to schools in 11 states around the country, including Massachusetts.