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VIDEO · 09 MARCH 2016

EPA's Charles River Two-Step (Video Content)

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At least since the Standells' Dirty Water in 1966, cleaning up the Charles River has been on the mind of Bostonians (and Cantabrigians and those farther upriver).

United StatesEnvironment
Seth Jaffe
Seth Jaffe
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At least since the Standells' Dirty Water in 1966, cleaning up the Charles River has been on the mind of Bostonians (and Cantabrigians and those farther upriver).  Notwithstanding significant recent progress, there remains work to do.  The questions are, as always, how much and who pays?  Is this largely a municipal infrastructure problem?  Is it just a matter of better implementation of some simple best management practices?  Is it a private sector problem?

One thing we do know.  It's not easy and won't be cheap.

EPA has been caught in the crossfire – pressured by CLF to do more, by the municipalities to recognize the strain on municipal budgets, and by developers and other private sector interests not to try to solve the problem on their backs.  What's EPA's current thinking?  Two developments this week give a pretty good idea.

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