I am a senior attorney in NRDC's Water Program, working on a variety of issues pertaining to water quality in the Northeast, and at the national policy level. I focus especially on promoting the use of “green infrastructure” as a sustainable solution to polluted urban runoff and raw sewage overflows. I was previously a litigation fellow at NRDC and a clinical fellow in environmental law at the Georgetown University Law Center, and am a graduate of Yale Law School and Tulane University.
Posted November 12, 2012 by Larry Levine in Curbing Pollution, Health and the Environment
Superstorm Sandy absolutely battered the New York/New Jersey region two weeks ago. I count myself among the extremely lucky ones – my neighborhood in Brooklyn never lost power, and had little visible damage. So many others here were much less...continued→
Posted October 18, 2012 by Larry Levine in Curbing Pollution, Health and the Environment, U.S. Law and Policy
I just got back from the annual Urban Watershed Sustainability Leadership Conference in Cincinnati, hosted by the U.S. Water Alliance. The major theme was green infrastructure – things like roadside plantings, green roofs, and porous pavement that mimic the way...continued→
Posted April 10, 2012 by Larry Levine in Curbing Pollution, Environmental Justice, U.S. Law and Policy
Today marks a milestone for Philadelphia in its drive to become “America’s greenest city.” This afternoon, the head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will join Philadelphia’s mayor to announce a federal-local partnership to advance the city’s path-breaking Green City,...continued→
Posted April 5, 2012 by Larry Levine in Curbing Pollution, Health and the Environment, Living Sustainably, Solving Global Warming
Today’s post is co-authored with my colleague Ben Chou, water policy analyst and author of a new NRDC report on what all 50 states are doing to prepare for the water-related impacts of climate change. Across the Northeast we experienced...continued→
Posted February 1, 2012 by Larry Levine in Curbing Pollution, U.S. Law and Policy
Today NRDC released a new report on how local and state governments can stimulate potentially billions of dollars of private investment, to offset the costs of repairing our nation’s broken stormwater infrastructure. It’s worth a read for policymakers, investors, and...continued→
Posted January 24, 2012 by Larry Levine in Curbing Pollution, U.S. Law and Policy
A state court has ruled that New York State is failing to take legally required steps to clean up one of the biggest sources of pollution in its waterways -- stormwater runoff. The January 10th decision of the Westchester County...continued→
Posted January 6, 2012 by Larry Levine in Curbing Pollution, U.S. Law and Policy
The Supreme Court will hear a case on Monday in which a couple from Idaho claims the Environmental Protection Agency improperly ordered them to restore wetlands that EPA alleged they illegally destroyed near scenic Priest Lake. The couple, Mike and...continued→
Posted November 23, 2011 by Larry Levine in Curbing Pollution, Environmental Justice, Living Sustainably
As we all gather with our loved ones to celebrate Thanksgiving, we have so many things for which to give thanks. Family, friends . . . football. Last Sunday, I took a jaunt downtown to the “Canstruction” exhibit in New...continued→
Posted October 28, 2011 by Larry Levine in Curbing Pollution, Environmental Justice, Health and the Environment
There’s a LOT going on these days in the world of stormwater, sewage overflows, and green infrastructure in NYC. With a pair of proposals pending that could lock-in the city on a path towards greener neighborhoods and cleaner waterways --...continued→
Posted October 19, 2011 by Larry Levine in Curbing Pollution, Environmental Justice, Health and the Environment
Today, New York City and NY State released a proposed new plan to address the city’s 30 billion gallon-per-year sewage overflow problem. It would, for the first time, make “green infrastructure” solutions a core part of the city’s program for...continued→
Posted October 12, 2011 by Larry Levine in Curbing Pollution, Health and the Environment
Remember that four-alarm fire at a Harlem sewage treatment plant that dumped more than 200 million gallons of raw sewage over several days during a sweltering heat wave earlier this past summer? The incident left New Yorkers confused about the...continued→
Posted July 26, 2011 by Larry Levine in Curbing Pollution, Health and the Environment, Solving Global Warming
Today NRDC released “Thirsty for Answers,” a first-of-its kind compilation of findings from researchers about local climate changes and their water-related effects on major cities across the United States. NYC is one of a dozen cities profiled. While people may...continued→
Posted July 22, 2011 by Larry Levine in Curbing Pollution, Environmental Justice, Health and the Environment
Just last weekend, NRDC joined tens of thousands of New Yorkers in celebrating “City of Water Day,” an annual event that highlights the multitude of recreational, educational, and economic opportunities afforded by the rivers, bays, and open ocean waters that...continued→
Posted July 14, 2011 by Larry Levine in Curbing Pollution, Health and the Environment, Living Sustainably, Saving Wildlife and Wild Places
New Yorkers depend on water for nearly everything - from drinking and cooking, to fishing and swimming, to washing dishes. In a state with nearly 1,850 miles of coastline, thousands of lakes, rivers and bays, and two of the last...continued→
Posted June 27, 2011 by Larry Levine in Curbing Pollution, Reviving the World's Oceans, Saving Wildlife and Wild Places, U.S. Law and Policy
Today marks a critical milestone in the effort to restore Jamaica Bay -- the crown jewel of the city’s green spaces. With more than 25,000 acres of water, marsh, meadowland, beaches, dunes and forests in Brooklyn and Queens – and...continued→
Switchboard is the staff blog of the Natural Resources Defense Council, the nation’s most effective environmental group. For more about our work, including in-depth policy documents, action alerts and ways you can contribute, visit NRDC.org.
