The Coalition for Buzzards Bay and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, co-defendants in litigation surrounding the Massachusetts Oil Spill Prevention Act, have successfully shielded an attempt by the federal government and oil industry groups to have the Court decide the case in their favor based solely on initial pleadings. On January 23, 2006, federal District Court Judge Joseph L. Tauro entered an order denying the plaintiffs’ motions for judgment on the pleadings. The decision is a procedural victory for the Coalition and the Commonwealth in a case whose outcome will determine whether the State can regulate the movement of oil through environmentally significant waters where the federal government has failed to do so...Read more here

Photo credit: Natalie Garfield

YSI Environmental is keenly aware of the ever-growing scarcity of clean water. That is why providing "pure data for a healthy planet" is much more than just a slogan; it’s their mission. The Ohio-based company and Coalition for Buzzards Bay Corporate Partner develops and manufactures sensor equipment that is used worldwide—and even in our own backyard—to measure and monitor water quality.

YSI Environmental has been a committed supporter of the Coalition for six years, providing both cash and in-kind donations. “From a business standpoint and from a moral standpoint, we're very interested in the Coalition’s work because it not only promotes our business, but it also propagates what YSI is all about—keeping the water and the environment clean,” explains Kevin McClurg, general manager of Endeco/YSI, the Marion, Massachusetts-based subsidiary of YSI. “In many ways, the Coalition is driving coastal water quality monitoring in our region..." Read more here

Photo courtesy of YSI Environmental

The Coalition’s advocacy program pursues the restoration and protection of the Bay ecosystem through the regulatory and legal process at the federal and state levels and at the local level. Here is an update on a few local projects we are working on from Falmouth to Westport—and points in between.

• West Falmouth: We are advocating for an alternative to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ proposal to open a disposal site in the waters off of West Falmouth for dredged material from the Cape Cod Canal, New Bedford Harbor, and other harbors around the Bay. Our recommendations to the State aim to avoid the negative environmental impacts that opening this disposal site will have on Buzzards Bay.

• Wareham: We are preparing comments on the Final Environmental Impact report for the Wareham Crossing development, a new commercial, retail, restaurant project at the intersection of Route 28 and Interstate 195. The project is in the final phases of the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act permitting process. We are concerned about the vast amount of impervious surfaces proposed as well as the management of the stormwater and impacts to adjacent wetlands...Read more here

This past Wednesday night, over 70 local residents joined the Coalition and the Marion Institute for the first of four lectures in our series: Global Warming: What Can I Do? This series is the Coalition and the Institutes’ attempt at continuing the conversation, begun at last October’s Bioneers By the Bay conference, on the issue of global warming and resulting climate change.

The evening began with a keynote address by Greg Watson, Vice President of Sustainable Development & Renewable Energy with the MassTech Collaborate. Greg reminded us that despite the way we talk about this issue, it is not a concern of saving the planet – but rather saving ourselves. Citing a variety of nature phenomena confirming this trend - from shrinking ice caps, to historically high temperatures around the world, to increased storms in the Atlantic, Greg brought the reality home when he reflected that insurance companies have discontinued the policies on thousands of Cape Cod homeowners due to the increased likelihood of "storm events"...Read more here

Click [here] for more information and to view the lecture schedule.

The Coalition for Buzzards Bay is a member of the international Waterkeeper Alliance.