The Conservation Law Foundation has asked to help defend the Department of Environmental Services in a lawsuit brought by a coalition of Great Bay area communities.
The suit is an attempt to block rules that would require the towns to upgrade their wastewater treatment plants.
The CLF’s Director, Tom Irwin, says the suit is a stalling tactic, aimed to delay measures needed to help the Great Bay recover its health.
"The science is well settled" Irwin says, "Our view is it’s time to stop haggling over the science and time to start implementing the solutions that are needed."
Dover, Portsmouth, Rochester, Exeter and Newmarket say DES did not conduct the proper public hearings when it created new water quality standards.
They say the upgrades required by those standards will cost the towns several million dollars.
The Conservation Law Foundation says these upgrades are necessary to prevent the collapse of the Great Bay Ecosystem.