Cape Wind completes state environmental review

After more than five years of review by over a dozen state and federal agencies, Cape Wind is now one step closer toward finally providing clean, renewable energy to Massachusetts. On Friday, March 31, Environmental Affairs Secretary Ian Bowles announced that the Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) submitted by Cape Wind Associates “adequately and properly complies” with the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act.

The project must also receive approval from the federal Minerals Management Service before moving forward. The Minerals Management Service is scheduled to release their draft review some time later this year, so a final federal review will not be completed until early next year. If all reviews stick to current expected timelines, Cape Wind could be operational in 2010, nine years after it was initially proposed.

Hearings on global warming regulations

State environmental officials are moving forward with detailed regulations to cut global warming pollution from power plants in Massachusetts, putting the state back on track with RGGI, the regional climate change agreement of the Northeast states.

The regulations will require plant owners to meet the pollution reduction targets agreed to by Gov. Deval Patrick in January, when he announced that the state would rejoin RGGI. Emissions of global warming pollution from power plants will be capped starting in 2009, and will be reduced to 10 percent below 2009 levels by 2018. Environment Massachusetts staff are working with other environmental and consumer groups to block changes being proposed by power plant owners that would provide them with windfall profits and open new loopholes.

Bill to curb diesel pollution in legislature

We all want cleaner air in Massachusetts—air that won’t make children sick when they play outside or wait for the school bus. Environment Massachusetts is working with a coalition to curb diesel pollution and restore air quality in the Commonwealth.

Diesel soot pollution from trucks and buses is part of our air pollution problems. The chemicals in diesel emissions are linked to hundreds of early deaths and thousands of cases of asthma in Massachusetts every year.

Fortunately, we can start cleaning up diesel pollution right now. Pollution controls can reduce over 90 percent of diesel emissions. That’s why Environment Massachusetts, along with Alternatives for Community & Environment (ACE), Clean Water Action, Environment Northeast and other organizations launched the Diesel Pollution Solution Campaign.

We’re working to pass legislation, filed by Sen. Jack Hart (Boston) and Rep. Cheryl Coakley-Rivera (Springfield), that would reduce diesel emissions in Massachusetts.