Special to the Independent
Senator DiDomenico secured $10 million for the Island End River Coastal Resilience Project in the Mass Ready Act, an environmental bond bill recently passed through the Senate. The project is located between Everett and Chelsea, and this investment will ensure these two communities can address and prevent severe flooding along the coastline.
“Climate change is bringing severe and more frequent flooding to my district, so I am proud to bring funding directly to my communities to support their project that will protect residents and businesses along the coast,” said Senator DiDomenico, Assistant Majority Leader of the Massachusetts Senate. “The importance of this resilience project is without question and despite federal funding cuts, I am heartened to see so many government leaders and community partners continuing to work together and fight for this essential development.”
The environmental bond bill also takes action to support the removal of ‘forever chemicals’ from drinking water, help municipalities withstand floods and droughts, and make outdoor recreation possible for more residents through improved trails and parks. In an effort to preserve the natural world and cut down on pollution, the legislation would remove single-use plastic bags from retail checkout counters and take other steps to curb unnecessary and wasteful reliance on single-use plastics.
The bill—S.3050, formally known as An Act to build resilience for Massachusetts communities—features policy proposals such as the preservation of public beach access, expedited timelines for culvert replacement projects, and requirements to inform prospective homebuyers and renters of flood risks, in addition to $3.94 billion in bonding authorizations.
The bonding measures would allow strategic state borrowing, including $120 million for PFAS remediation in public water supplies and private drinking water wells, $500 million for the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) program to help prepare for extreme weather and climate challenges, and $50 million for MassTrails grants to support the development of recreational trail systems across Massachusetts.
The Senate’s Mass Ready Act would authorize state borrowing to invest in a resilient environment and an accessible natural world. Bonding authorizations support priorities in five key areas:
• Guarding Against Climate Change and Extreme Weather Events. Highlighted by $500 million for the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) program, supporting climate resiliency planning in cities and towns.
• Protecting Clean Drinking Water and Soil. $450 million for the Massachusetts Clean Water Trust to protect access to clean water across the Commonwealth, in addition to $120 million for PFAS remediation in public and private wells. $125.5 million to support resource conservation and preservation initiatives, including $5.5 million for the Healthy Soils Grant Program.
• Investing in Infrastructure. $225 million for coastal infrastructure and resilience. $800.5 million for properties and roadways owned and managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR). $521.6 million for state and municipally owned dams across the Commonwealth.
• Conserving the Natural World. $30 million for tree-planting initiatives across the Commonwealth. $50 million for MassTrails Grants, including $10 million for accessibility upgrades that protect access to trails for all Massachusetts residents. $20 million to support the biodiversity goals of the Department of Fish and Game (DFG).
• Supporting Farmers and Nutritional Food Access. $20 million for capital investments to support the growth and economic competitiveness of the Commonwealth’s agricultural, commercial fishing and cranberry-growing sectors. $132.5 million for the Food Security Infrastructure Grant (FSIG) program including $7.5 million for the Massachusetts Food Trust Program (MFTP) to increase access to healthy, affordable food.
A core policy in the Senate’s Mass Ready Act would respond to increasing amounts of litter and pollution by prohibiting single-use plastic bags at retail stores. Shoppers would instead be able to check out with a recyclable paper bag or a reusable plastic bag.
Massachusetts residents are estimated to use billions of plastic bags per year. A plastic bag tossed to the side of a road can pose immediate risks, such as the suffocation or starvation of wildlife, while also fragmenting over time into microplastics that pollute the earth.
During the course of today’s debate, Senators voted to amend the bill with additional significant policies and bonding authorizations, including:
• Ensuring Clean Water in Schools. Dedicates $15 million for a grant program administered by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to address PFAS, lead, and other contaminants in schools and childcare centers through the installation of filtered water stations and faucets. Priority for the award of funds may be given to school districts or childcare centers in low income or environmental justice communities. (Amendment 2)
• Preventing PFAS Pollution. Focuses on proactive prevention of PFAS or ‘forever chemical’ pollution with $5 million to promote the use of safer alternatives to PFAS in products and manufacturing. Funds research, technical assistance, and a competitive grant program. (Amendment 87)
• Protecting Wildlife from Unintended Poisonings. Creates a local-option mechanism for towns and cities to choose to ban anticoagulant rodenticides. While anticoagulant poisons are targeted at killing rodents, they can prove a danger to pets or travel up the food chain and harm or kill other animals such as eagles and hawks. (Amendment 3)
• Monitoring Ocean Health. Protects natural wildlife and supports commercial fisheries by requiring more robust, centralized data collection around ocean acidification. Ocean acidification is caused by rising carbon levels in the air and other factors such as stormwater runoff and fertilizer pollution—and leads to damaged marine biodiversity and smaller shellfish crops. Authorizes $500,000 in bonding to establish a monitoring system. (Amendments 222 and 262)
The Senate passed the bill on a 36-3 roll call vote and sent it to the House of Representatives for further review.