New England Currents | Spring Update 2013www.CleanWaterAction.org

2013 new england legislative roundup

n CT News, pages 4 and 5 n MA News, pages 6 and 7n Rhode Island News, pages 8 and 9INSIDE

Continued on page 3

connecticutCampaign drives are under way to sup-port clean energy and chemical safety advances.

TOXICS: Clean Water Action supports bills to protect children’s health by eliminating toxic chemicals from con-sumer goods in daily use.

Toxic Disclosure and Innovation for Healthy Children: Would identify chemi-cals of concern to children’s health and start getting the worst of them out of consumer products by requiring:

• Identification of chemicals of con-cern to children.

• Reporting by manufacturers that sell children’s products in the state on which priority chemicals are present in their products.

• Development by manufacturers of product innovation plans that dem-onstrate a shift to safer alternatives.

House Bill 6332 – Ban on toxic flame retardants in children’s products: Would restrict use of the Tris flame retardant chemicals TDCPP, TDCP, TCEP or TCPP which have been shown to be both toxic and ineffective as flame retar-dants.

Senate Bill 16 – Labeling of food and beverage products that are packaged in materials that contain bisphenol-A (BPA): Would help families make informed decisions about their food purchases. Food can linings are among the most egregious, preventable sources of BPA exposure.

Learn more at www.safehealthyct.org. Sign up at www.cleanwateraction.org/webform/help-us-create-safer-and-healthier-connecticut for the Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut newsletter and updates on these bills. We’d love to talk with you about how you can get involved!

ENERGY: The high cost of heating oil is prominent in this year’s energy debates, which center around the state’s new Comprehensive Energy Strategy.

Governor’s Bill 6360 – An Act Concern-ing Implementation of Connecticut’s Comprehensive Energy Strategy: Among other things the state is call-ing for a large expansion of pipelines throughout the state to convert more heating oil customers to natural gas. Given the role natural gas, like oil and coal, plays in climate change and serious environmental and health impacts from gas drilling and hydraulic fracturing (fracking), Clean Water Action and allies are pushing for changes, including:

Providing heating oil customers with a full range of options. The state should provide programs and financing options to give heating oil customers a full range of choices to reduce heating costs, including energy efficiency and the use

Clean Water Action’s New England team is promoting a suite of innovative measures to protect health, stimulate the green economy and advance environmental justice. Together with Clean Water Action members, community partners and allies, we’re making a big push to make progress throughout the region in 2013. This overview covers the latest from your state. Please join Clean Water Action and speak out in support of clean air, clean water and healthier communities.

New England currents Spring update 2013

2 New England Currents | Spring Update 2013 www.CleanWaterAction.org

Why Go Solar Today? 750 Good ReasonsElectricity costs skyrocket each summer, whenever your air conditioning powers up to tackle the heat. Our members in New England have a great chance todo something about this today. Our partnership with Sungevity makes it easier than ever to go solar with a rooftop solar electric system.

Here’s the 750-reasons deal:1) Sungevity will give you $750 when you sign up for a zero-down solar lease, and 2) they’ll also donate $750 to Clean Water Fund.

ÒÒ Good for the planet. And for your budget!ÒÒ You’ll get $750. And so will we.ÒÒ You’ll pay nothing up front. ÒÒ It’s the first step towards energy independence.ÒÒ Installation and maintenance are FREE, and your savings start on day one.

How It Works: Sungevity puts solar panels on your home for no money down. You pay a monthly lease rate—usually the same or less than your old electric bill. Best of all, you’ll get $750 for signing up, and we’ll get the same amount for Clean Water.

Ready to Go Solar? Visit sungevity.org/clean-water-fund to request your free iQuote and learn how much you could save.

from the Director of New England Clean Water Action

Cindy Luppi

Dear Clean Water Action Friends and Members:

New England likes to pride itself on innovation, on sparking new ideas and inventions. Basketball? Invented in 1891 in Springfield, Massachusetts. The first American subway system hit the rails in Boston, 1898. First printed newspaper? Hartford Courant, published in 1764. First frisbee? Thrown on New Haven Green, 1920. The first circus launched in Newport, Rhode Island in 1774.

As Clean Water Action enters into its 41st year, our New England team is carrying on in that spirit of innovation. And we draw inspiration from top scientists and neighborhood leaders alike. This February, an international team of experts reported that evidence linking bisphenol-A (BPA) and other hormone-mimicking chemicals to human health problems has grown stronger over the past decade. This is now a “global threat” that should be addressed, http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/news/2013/who-report

Connecticut was one of the first states to phase BPA out of food and beverage containers such as baby bottles and we’re continuing to push for advances that will protect children and families (see page 1).

Spurred on by concerns from neighborhood allies and leaders about natural gas leaks, our Massachusetts team is partnering with scientists at Boston University and Conservation Law Foundation. Until those leaks are fixed, the escaping gas is wasting as much energy as is saved by the state’s first-in-the-nation energy efficiency programs (see page 6).

Our “Ocean State” team is pioneering solutions to the twin problems of marine debris and packaging waste with a new bill that brings inspiration from the European Union to Rhode Island (see page 8).

Thanks for raising your voices with us in support of smart, innovative solutions to the health and environmental problems plaguing the region and the country. With your help, we’ll keep growing the list of New England “firsts” that will make our neighborhoods healthier and our future more secure.

New England Currents | Spring Update 2013 3www.CleanWaterAction.org

legislative round-up Continued from page 1

of ductless or geothermal heat pumps.

Requiring energy efficiency with natu-ral gas conversions. To avoid wasting natural gas in inefficient buildings, the state should require improvements to the building shell and use of high-efficiency heating equipment where gas conversions are planned.

Including environmental costs when making decisions on natural gas main expansions. The analysis needs to include the pollution and climate costs from gas extraction, transport and use.

Ensuring stable funding for heating oil efficiency. For heating oil customers to continue to access rebates and financ-ing for insulation and new boilers, Con-necticut needs to dedicate funding for this purpose. A small (3.5 cents/gallon) surcharge on all heating oil sold in the state would match contributions natural gas and electric ratepayers are already making.

maSSachuSettSClean Water Action’s Bay State priorities include efforts remove toxic chemicals from consumer products, make manu-facturers responsible for products that would otherwise go in the trash, promote green jobs, and transition energy sys-tems to be safe, efficient, and clean.

For more than a decade Clean Water Action has worked to protect workers and children from toxic chemicals by supporting An act for healthy families and businesses (HB 235, SB 354) and to keep computers and TVs out of inciner-ators and landfills with An act to require producer responsibility for collection, reuse and recycling of discarded elec-tronic products (HB 803, SB 357). It’s time for these common sense solutions to become law.

In 2012, Clean Water Action blocked thermostat and light bulb manufactur-

ers from getting their way in the legis-lature with a weak, ineffective mercury recycling bill (see p. 7). This year, Clean Water Action hopes to win strong effec-tive programs to keep mercury out of the waste stream by passing An act relating to the collection and disposal of mercury-added thermostats (HB 802) and An act relative to producer respon-sibility for mercury-added lamps (HB 814).

On clean, safe energy and green jobs, Clean Water Action supports:

An act to transition to a clean energy Commonwealth (HB 2935) to encour-age a gradual and responsible transition from coal-fired electric generation in Massachusetts.

An act regarding community access to energy efficiency programs and green jobs (HB 2979, SB 1575) to help ensure that benefits from energy efficiency programs reach all communities, keep the state on track to reach its climate emissions reduction goals, and guide the fair distribution of efficiency jobs in the state.

An act enhancing natural gas pipeline safety (HB 2933) to fix many of the 20,000 known leaks in the state’s natu-ral gas delivery pipes.

More information is at www.CleanWaterAction.org/MA-Legislative-Priorities-2013-2014

rhode iSlandClean Water Action’s 2013 Ocean State priorities include waste reduc-tion and public transit for strengthen-ing the state’s economy and protecting public health and the environment.

Marine Debris and Producer Respon-sibility for Printed Paper & Packaging Materials – With eighty percent of marine debris coming from the land

and two-thirds of that being made of packaging material, Clean Water Action supports the Marine Debris Reduction Act. Marine and beach debris pose a particular threat to Rhode Island’s ocean-focused tourist economy. Rhode Island can no longer rely on volunteer-led shoreline clean-ups. Incremental gains in existing recycling collection programs will not solve the problem. This bill offers com-prehensive solutions but giving brand owners a financial incentive to reduce the volume of packaging material that ends up trashing shorelines. It will also provide dedicated funding for local and statewide recycling programs to keep valuable materials out of the landfill. For more information, see www.cleanwateraction.org/action/help-clean-marine-debris

Invest in Public Transportation – Smart transportation investments encour-age dynamic and accessible communi-ties where residents can walk, bike or take transit to get where they need to go. Clean Water Action supports the Transportation Investment and Debt Reduction Act (O’Grady, Miller) to cre-ate sustainable investments in public transit and reduce the amount of bor-rowing through bonds.

Promote Producer Responsibility for Mattresses – When manufacturers are responsible for collecting and recycling their products, they have the incentive to design products that are less toxic, more durable and more recyclable. Clean Water Action supports Producer Responsibility Programs for Mattresses (Handy, Ruggerio) as a comprehensive product stewardship approach to managing this bulky, hard-to-dispose of product that is highly recyclable and otherwise creates financial liabilities for consum-ers and municipalities.

4 New England Currents | Spring Update 2013 www.CleanWaterAction.org

connecticut

emo over nor’easter nemo?The media described Nor’easter Nemo as the worst blizzard in New England since the winter storm of 1978 and it sure was wild! With the effects of Nemo and Hurricane Sandy still being addressed, it is hard not to feel that the intensity and frequency of destructive storms in New England have been increasing.

The International Panel on Climate Change predicts that as climate change continues, wet places will tend to get wet-ter and dry places will tend to get drier. New England can expect to see an increase in precipitation from rising ocean surface temperatures as climate patterns shift. Data from The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reveals that precipitation levels from the heaviest rain and snow events in the Northeast have increased by 74 percent over the last half century. This is a greater increase in mois-ture than any other region in the United States.

Winter impactsThe projected increase includes more precipitation in winter in New England as well. When the precipitation falls as snow, homes are at greater risk for structural damage from roof collapses and ice damming. When precipitation falls as rain due to a rise in average winter temperatures, there is a greater risk for flooding. Extreme weather events like Hur-ricane Sandy and Nor’easter Nemo overwhelm stormwater and wastewater systems, causing water pollution. Sea level rise can also lead to more salt water contamination of our groundwater and drinking water in coastal areas.

tackling this crisis the new england WayTo protect water and engage residents as part of the solution to climate change, Clean Water Action is educating neigh-bors on how they can reduce energy waste in their homes. More than half the energy used in communities comes from homes, and most homes were not built with efficiency in mind. A few simple steps such as air sealing with a home energy assessment and adding more insulation can reduce your home’s carbon dioxide emissions by thirty percent. By reducing residential energy waste, everyone can do their part to curb carbon consumption and reduce the intensity of climate change for future generations.

Neighbor to Neighbor Energy Challenge Program

Extreme Snowfall from Nor’easter Nemo in New Haven, CT.

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clean Water action after Work casualWe want to meet(up) with you! Clean Water Action will be hosting FREE after Work casual meet-ups throughout the state. You can get together with like-minded people, share experiences and learn new ways to help your community. Our first After Work Casual was held at Cask Republic

in New Haven, and we are looking to host more. Want to see where we will be next? Visit our Facebook Events page at https://www.facebook.com/CleanWaterActionCT/events to see future dates and locations.Do you want us to come to your community? Email Shannon McAvoy, CT Development Coordinator, smcavoy@cleanwater.org

New England Currents | Spring Update 2013 5www.CleanWaterAction.org

connecticut

A simple glass of water. It was the pool-water smell that stopped filmmaker Ed Brown from taking a sip and wonder what was in the liquid that he was about to drink. Three years of exploration later and the film Unacceptable Levels is ready for its public debut. And Clean Water Action is bringing this film to New England in a series of benefit screenings this spring and summer.

“I’m so excited to share this important piece of filmmaking,” said Shannon McAvoy, Connecticut Development Coordinator. “This film focuses on the industrial waste being emitted and getting into our bodies. It’s a must see.”

As an added bonus, the filmmaker will attend select Connecticut screenings and hold Q&A sessions after the film’s showing to share behind the scenes perspective on his journey. “We are currently looking at a scenario that is compromised in many ways, and that’s why an organization like Clean Water Action is of the utmost importance.” said Mr. Brown. “We need an ‘all hands on deck’ approach to this issue, because our lakes, rivers, oceans and our bodies are waging a battle, and they need our help starting right now.”

In addition to Unacceptable Levels, Clean Water Action will host screenings of A Fierce Green Fire: The Battle For a Living Planet, the first big-picture exploration of the environmental movement — grassroots and global activism spanning fifty years from conservation to climate change. Select screenings will feature Skype conversations with filmmaker Mark Kitchell.

Dates and locations for screenings are at www.cleanwater.org/ct or LIKE us at www.facebook.com/CleanWaterActionCT page and get the latest information.

See the trailers! Unacceptable Levels: www.unacceptablelevels.com and A Fierce Green Fire: www.afiercegreenfire.com.Special thanks to GreenTowns (greentowns.com) and Fairfield County Community Foundation (FCCFoundation.org) for helping host the series.

2013 Clean Water Action Environmental Film Series

Clean Water Action’s 40th benefit party in Connecticut was a smashing success. Thank you to everyone who attended, supported and volunteered for making our second annual event so special.

We’re already working on our 2013 event! Keep a lookout for the early October, Save the Date announcement in our next newsletter. We are planning something very special you won’t want to miss.

Be a Sponsor! Early sponsors will be featured in pre-event announcements, listed in our program and receive other benefits. Contact Shannon McAvoy, CT Development Coordinator, smcavoy@cleanwater.org for information and sponsor packages.

40 Years of action for clean Water

CT CWA staff at the 40th benefit party.

Reps. Mushinsky and Steinberg presenting a proclamation to CWA.

6 New England Currents | Spring Update 2013 www.CleanWaterAction.org

What do recent natural gas explosions in Fitchburg, Springfield, Winthrop and Fall River have to do with the Department of Envi-ronmental Protection’s proposal to allow more trash burners in the Bay State? Gas leaks and garbage incinerators both raise public health and safety concerns. But there’s a subtler link between them. Both reflect serious inconsistencies on the part of the state:

• An inconsistent commitment to conserving energy and mate-rial resources; and,

• A troubling disregard for Massachusetts residents’ pocket-books.

Massachusetts proudly touts its history of innovation. Yet even as the state leads the nation forward in so many areas, its policies are wasting power and empowering waste:

• On energy, a lack of monitoring and repair means that aging natural gas pipes now leak fuel at a rate that exceeds the state’s total efficiency savings.

• In the waste arena, a lack of enforcement of disposal regula-tions means that huge volumes of paper, cardboard, bottles and cans, electronic and other valuable resources are landfilled or incinerated. Those materials are wasted instead of going to recycling or composting businesses.

Smarter actions on both fronts would generate new jobs, increase public safety, and improve the health of Massachusetts’ commu-nities. $38.8 million in natural gas is lost or unaccounted for (1.7 billion cubic feet), and utility companies dump those costs onto ratepayers. Those costs alone are unacceptable, but the threats to public safety, to fuel reserves and to the global climate amount to a crisis. The state should respond with improved monitoring, higher service quality standards and targeted system repairs. These actions would create jobs and move the Commonwealth toward a 21st Century infrastructure. It would also strengthen the state’s claims about responding effectively to the climate challenge.

Those gas leaks and losses under Boston and statewide add up to 5% of total greenhouse gas emissions. But the negative climate impacts are even greater, since the gas being leaked is methane. Methane in the atmosphere traps heat at twenty times the rate of carbon dioxide, the other major climate-changing pollutant. So fixing those leaks will reduce potent greenhouse gas emissions, protect public safety and ratepayers’ checkbooks, and create good, local jobs. Clean Water Action and allies are working for the best possible solutions.

massachusettsMassachusetts Regulators: Waste Not, Want Not

No More Massachusetts Incinerators!Trash incinerators pollute air and water with mercury, lead, dioxin, and other toxic emissions. For the past twenty-two years, thanks to successful campaigning by Clean Water Action and allies, Massachusetts has had a rule against building new incinerators. Now, Gov. Patrick proposes to change that rule to allow new garbage burners, opening the door for more pollution and wasted resources in Massachusetts.

The state’s landfills are filling up with things that are easy to recycle or compost — paper, bottles and cans, leaves, and more — materials which are already banned from both landfills and incinerators. But instead of enforcing existing waste ban regulations to conserve landfill space, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is proposing to allow new incinerators to be built.

In addition to their air, land and water pollution, incinerators also waste energy and resources, and emit more carbon dioxide per megawatt hour than coal. The technologies that the Patrick Administration favors have been tried and failed in the United States and around the world since World War II.

During a public comment period in January and February, Clean Water Action organized hundreds of concerned citizens to submit comments to the DEP opposing this polluting plan. A final decision is expected by the end of the year.

New England Currents | Spring Update 2013 7www.CleanWaterAction.org

In the last ten days of 2012, in the mostly empty halls of the Massachusetts legislature, Clean Water Action engaged in a heated battle over the fate of toxic mercury found in light bulbs and thermostats. If it is thrown into the trash, that mercury will pollute the water and the fish.

Clean Water Action supports legislation to make manufacturers responsible for getting these products recycled. But manufacturers have been working for a weak bill that would accomplish little and hinder future efforts to reduce mercury pollution. Environ-mentalists and many legislators opposed this week bill, but its backers brought it up for a vote in August 2012 with no advance notice, when most lawmakers were absent. That bill passed with no opposition.

The weak, industry-supported bill then lay dormant until December 20, when it was brought to the Senate floor. Again, proponents of the weak bill hoped no one was watching. Fortunately, public health champions in the legislature were watching. They showed up in force, held the line and kept this bad bill from becom-ing law during five sessions in the last ten days of the year. Clean Water Action was there, too, putting pres-sure on lawmakers, recruiting and strategizing with allies, and negotiating.

Clean Water Action is committed to winning this battle because of the harm mercury pollution poses to chil-dren’s health and future generations. The heroes of this story included State Sens. Jamie Eldridge (D-Acton) and Sonia Chang-Diaz (D-Boston), and Reps. Ellen Story (D-Amherst) and Frank Smizik (D-Brookline). They recognized that passing industry’s bill would have saddled Massachusetts with the weakest law of its kind in the country. Instead, they stood up for public health and the democratic process in 2012.

The story isn’t over, yet. The mercury lobby is back in 2013 and more dirty tricks are expected. Clean Water Action members’ continued still support will be needed for passage of a strong measure to hold mer-cury product manufacturers responsible and reduce toxic mercury exposures.

massachusettsOf Villains and Heroes: Combating the Shenanigans of the Mercury Product Industry

hearts Skip a Beat for clean Power:“Clean Water Action is grateful for all Governor Patrick has done for clean energy, but he’s just got to do the right thing and phase out dirty, polluting coal!”

Clean Water Action teamed up with Coal Free Massachusetts on February 14 to bring the Governor Valentines and ask that he follow his heart. Clean Water Action’s Becky Smith delivers the message at Gov. Patrick’s Boston office.

clean Water action endorses ed markey for u.S. SenateOver Rep. Markey’s decades of ser-vice, he has been at the forefront of every major movement to protect our drinking water, air quality and community health and safety. A short list of his leadership efforts include leading the drive for a smart response to the climate crisis, repeatedly protecting the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts from industry attacks, leading efforts to prevent harm to our health from toxic chemicals ranging from ban-ning the notorious chemical bisphenol A (BPA) to phasing out dangerous chemicals in personal care products, being the most effective and persistent watchdog of nuclear safety issues and more.

“Clean Water Action is proud to endorse Ed Markey for the U.S. Senate,” said Cindy Luppi, New England Director. “As a longtime constituent of his, I know firsthand that he is a perfect choice for Massa-chusetts’ next senator. It’s hard to imagine anyone more qualified, more effective or more committed to health, environment and community justice.”Paid for and authorized by Clean Water Action, www.CleanWaterAction.org. For more information, please call (617) 338-8131.

With more than 400 miles of coastline Rhode Island relies on the Narragansett Bay as a primary driver of its tourist and commercial economy. The growing problem of marine debris on the shores and in the open ocean is an interna-tional threat to ocean health. As reports of offshore plastic “gyres” have spread from the Pacific to the North Atlantic, Clean Water Action has begun to look at ways local actions can help solve this larger problem.

A look at Rhode Island’s own shores provides one snapshot of where the marine debris problem starts. Data from beach cleanups and litter studies show that as much as eighty percent of the garbage in the ocean and along the shore stems from poor disposal practices on land. Two-thirds of all this litter began as packaging materials for food and consumer products. Food and consumer product packag-ing waste makes up much of the garbage in the ocean and ocean shorelines.

Solution at hand Clean Water Action and expert waste managers have put forward a “producer responsibility” program for packag-ing materials. This approach shifts the financial burden of providing convenient access to recycling off of municipal

budgets and back onto the brand owners of the packaging products. While this may sound complicated, it is actually a simple concept:

• Packaging use continues to increase as people’s con-sumption increases.

• When this packaging — cardboard, plastic bags, bottled water, soda cans, Dunkin’ Donuts cups, plastic blister packs, styrofoam take-out food containers, etc — is not properly collected, the litter travels from roads, through waterways, onto Rhode Island’s shores and into the ocean.

• For the packaging that is recyclable, companies sim-ply assume that cities and towns will pay for it to be collected, sorted and sold back to them to be used in recycled products.

• For packaging that is not recyclable, companies simply assume that cities and towns will pay landfill or trash incinerator costs.

• Producer responsibility shifts the waste burden away from cities and towns and into the hands of the brand-owners. In short, if you make it; you must make sure it is collected.

As with most new and bold ideas, there is push-back from companies who are comfortable with the status quo — even though status quo causes ocean pollution and leaves municipal governments quite literally holding the bag.

euroPe ShoWinG the WaY The tide is turning: producer responsibility is already working in the European Union. The EU model has also proven to be cost effective. When Europe decided to fund its packaging collection in this way, the price of a recyclable plastic bottle went up only $0.004, four-tenths of a cent. The alternative is paying through property taxes, which are already straining to cover schools, pension liabilities, fire and police and more.

What You can doRaise your voice for a smarter waste system that will make oceans and beaches cleaner. Contact your state legislators and urge them support the Marine Debris Reduction Act (Walsh, Cool Rumsey) and demand that the companies that produce our marine debris are part of the solution that Rhode Islanders’ Bay and oceans need.

8 New England Currents | Spring Update 2013 www.CleanWaterAction.org

Tackling Marine Debris in Rhode Islandrhode island

Food and consumer product packaging waste makes up much of the garbage in the ocean and

ocean shorelines.

Newport is the region’s hub for very popular events in the boating and music worlds and beyond. As a result, it is a perfect place to focus efforts on making tourism more sustain-able — less waste, smarter transport, less energy and water use, and more. Sustainable tourism means that every-one involved in the tourism indus-try — government, product owners and operators, transport operators, community services, tourists, local communities, and industry associa-tions – are all responsible for reducing and eliminating the industry’s nega-tive environmental and community impacts. Awareness is growing of tem-porary events’ impact and their lasting imprint on host communities.

Newport’s popularity as a tourist destination has stimulated significant private investment in retail shopping, hotels, timeshare units, restaurants, clubs and other tourist-support enter-prise. It is uniquely positioned to lead Rhode Island in establishing sustain-ability protocols for tourism and events. More analysis is needed in order to develop the most effective and efficient standards. Clean Water Action’s Lauren Carson is helping to lead the push to develop smarter models.

Newport is working on Sustainable Protocols and Practices for licensed events in the City, following examples from San Jose, Denver and Portland. The Newport Energy and Environ-ment Commission (NEEC) believes tourism’s environmental impact can be reduced and is exploring innovative models with many partners, including Clean Water Action and the Newport Clean City Program.

In December 2011, with support from the Newport City Council, the NEEC began a study of eight Newport-licensed events, both large and small.

Clean Water Action organized and managed recycling and composting at the Newport Folk and Jazz Festivals as part of the case study process, and gathered on-the-ground experience

from City stakeholders through the Newport Energy and Environment Commission. The effort includes out-reach to invested businesses, commu-nity organizations, local officials, state officials and event organizers to build pubic support for sustainable event protocols.

Clean Water Action is excited to be breaking new ground in this area, and advancing ways to enjoy this beauti-ful region that make more sense for New England’s unique communities and environment. The case study evaluation report, including sample checklists and protocols is available online, http://www.cityofnewport.com/city-council/boards-commissions/pdf/other/NEEC_sustainable_event_report_10-2012.pdf

New England Currents | Spring Update 2013 9www.CleanWaterAction.org

rhode islandHow Sustainable are Newport’s Events?

clean Water Superheroes: Providence canvass community outreach program leaders pose as superheroes, demon-strating the power of grassroots action for environmental and health protection.

New England CurrentsSPrinG uPdate 2013

Clean Water Action is a national citizens’ organization working for clean, safe and affordable water, prevention of health-threatening pollution, creation of environmentally-safe jobs and businesses, and empowerment of people to make democracy work.

Clean Water Action organizes strong grassroots groups, coalitions and campaigns to protect our environment, health, economic well-being and community quality of life.

managing editor: Jonathan Scott

President and ceo: Robert Wendelgass

Writers: Susan Eastwood, Anne Hulick, Jeff Knudsen, Cindy Luppi, Jamie Rhodes, Elizabeth Saunders, Roger Smith

design: ES Design

Reproduction in whole or part is permitted with proper credit.© Copyright 2013 All rights reserved.

National: 1010 Vermont Avenue NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20005-4918 | Phone 202.895.0432 | Fax 202.895.0438 | cwa@cleanwater.org Massachusetts: 262 Washington, Suite 301, Boston, MA 02108 | Phone 617.338.8131 | Fax 617.338.6449

10 New England Currents | Spring Update 2013 www.CleanWaterAction.org

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Visa® Rewards Card. Giving hasnever been easier, or more rewarding. Now you can apply or learn more by calling

1-888-922-1822, (reservation code 11122)or online at www.CleanWaterCard.org

Credit approval required. Terms and conditions apply. Offered by Capital One, N.A. © 2013 Capital One.

how to increase your support for clean water actionby doing what you already do, only even better:

Do you buy stuff online? Our partners at We-Care.com have a new tool you can use to shop for Clean Water Action and generate donations with every purchase you make at thousands of partici-pating stores. Join with more than 500,000 other Clean Water Action members and supporters (more than $400,000 raised so far!).

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