Boston Harbor cleanup nears completion: CLF pushes for swimmable beaches.

• Position: Massachusetts; Conservation Law Foundation - Brief Article

THE LONG BATTLE for swimmable beaches in South Boston may finally be over. For more than 20 years, CLF has been fighting to clean up Boston Harbor through a combination of legal advocacy and community organizing. Today the waters are vastly improved. Sadly, there are still days when the beaches in South Boston are closed to swimmers. After heavy storms, the sewer system cannot handle all the sewage and stormwater, resulting in a combined sewer overflow. The pipes overflow, releasing raw sewage and polluted stormwater directly into North Dorchester Bay. In addition, stormwater that bypasses the sewer system, carrying bacteria, oil, trash and toxic heavy metals, also causes beach closings.

After CLF applied pressure through the courts, participated in public...