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2016 had its high points
All across the internet and throughout holiday conversations, everyone seems to be talking about what an awful year 2016 was. Between celebrity deaths and the election of Donald Trump, it definitely had some real black strikes against it. But as I’m looking back on the accomplishments of Clean Water Action in Massachusetts, I’m finding some real reasons to celebrate as well.
Here’s a reminder of some of 2016’s better moments!
The Massachusetts legislature passed a comprehensive energy bill that included guaranteed purchase of 1600 megawatts of offshore wind (the largest amount in the US)Boston, Time to Bring Your Own Bag
This past Tuesday, December 13, Boston City Council hosted a public hearing to address a proposed "bring your own bag" ordinance seeking to reduce waste from plastic bags. Unimaginable numbers of plastic bags are used daily, for an average of 12 minutes before they are discarded. Unfortunately, less than 5% of single-use plastic bags are in fact recycled. Many people do not know how to deal with plastic bags. Really the only option for consumers is a bin in the occasional grocery store. But, like I said, only 5% of these bags ever make it to a recycling center.
The other 95% of plastic bags
Boston City Council Votes Yes to Fixing Gas Leaks!
December 14, 2016 marks a historic day in the campaign for to fix aging gas distribution pipelines: an ordinance filed by Councilor Matt O’Malley’s ordinance passed 12-1 in the Boston City Council. The ordinance passing is a huge success and big step in the right direction for riding the city of dangerous methane leaks from our aging gas infrastructure. The ordinance is especially exciting in that it addresses concerns about worker safety, promotes infrastructure coordination, and promotes environmental protection.
The ordinance uses the city’s permitting authority to condition, coordinate and
Massachusetts House Releases "Ominous" Energy Bill, and It's Not Scary At All!
The Massachusetts Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy released a much-anticipated energy "omnibus" bill on May 23rd. The current language focuses on offshore wind and hydropower, with state senators vocally pushing for more comprehensive legislation that includes energy efficiency and storage. Notably––after months of advocacy––the bill omits language on gas pipelines contained in earlier drafts. Read the summary or full bill text here.
As written, the bill requires the state to procure 1200 megawatts of offshore wind energy by 2027. To our knowledge, this is the largest
Fighting Back Toxic Flame Retardants
Marley Kimmelman is an Environmental Health and Justice Intern with our Massachusetts office
The last time you heard from me I was just beginning my internship with Clean Water Action. That was 5 months ago.
Even before stepping foot in to the Clean Water Action office in downtown Boston I had already gotten involved in the fight to phase out flame retardants when I testified at a city council hearing as a concerned college student. The public pressure paid off, and the city council voted in March to update our fire code to match the rest of the state. This allows schools, universities