Help is on the way for beleaguered environmental enforcement agencies that have experienced severe budget cuts over the past few years. As reported here, the budgetary cuts at MassDEP have been especially deep. The Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) has stepped into the breach by suing businesses that CLF alleges are causing releases of pollution into the waters of the Commonwealth. Using a citizen’s enforcement provision found in the federal Clean Water Act, CLF recently sued five scrap metal businesses with facilities in southeastern Massachusetts. This isn’t the first time CLF has sued alleged polluters in federal court. Last year, CLF sued several businesses located near the Mystic River – those cases are in the process of being resolved. Judging from MassDEP’s refusal to comment on the CLF actions, it’s not clear whether CLF’s “help” is appreciated.
