In June 2023, the Clinic produced this report for the Environmental League of Massachusetts (ELM). The report considers how transitioning to clean energy has triggered concerns about the environmental justice implications of siting renewable generation facilities and transmission resources, identifies barriers that might inhibit EJ communities’ participation in the…
This July 2022 paper explores how the Massachusetts Energy Facilities Siting Board (EFSB) can or must use its existing authorities to better incorporate environmental justice (EJ) principles in its reviews of proposed energy facilities. This paper identifies the EFSB’s obligations and opportunities to advance substantive environmental…
Released in October 2010, the summary report represents a synthesis of the main points and arguments that emerged from the discussion at the Clinic’s June 21, 2010, expert workshop on CCS liability, oversight, and trust fund issues.
Released in November 2010, this working paper proposes a detailed liability framework for carbon capture and sequestration to provide certainty, assuage public concerns, and remove barriers to CCS projects.
The Clinic assisted in developing the legal content for this report from the Conservation Law Foundation and the Boston Green Ribbon Commission. The report focuses on how potential liability may advance or inhibit implementation of adaptation approaches, synthesizes the workshop discussions, and concludes with recommended next steps for addressing barriers…
This white paper, published in April 2012, examines ways in which municipalities such as the City of Boston can work with the insurance industry to promote climate adaptation.
The Clinic issued this white paper in August 2011, as part of its ongoing collaboration with the City of Boston in the City’s climate adaptation planning. This paper analyzes legal options available to the City to respond to the effects of climate change, with a particular focus on the impacts…
This white paper, published in June 2012, is the first step in a multi-semester project of the Clinic to make recommendations for the effective regulation of offshore drilling in the Arctic. Based on a review of 40 domestic and international regulatory programs in the areas of health, safety, environment, and…
Released in December 2012 in collaboration with the Environmental Law Institute (ELI) and the Ocean Foundation, this paper posits that while offshore aquaculture is still a nascent industry, EPA can—and should—develop appropriate tools to establish adequate oversight of these facilities in federal ocean waters. In particular, the paper recommends that…
This June 2013 white paper reviews the applicability of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA) to aquaculture and makes several recommendations for ways in which the National Marine Fisheries Service can better apply the MSA to minimize the environmental impacts of offshore aquaculture. This paper is also part…
