HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2732        FILED ON: 1/14/2009

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 3670

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the Year Two Thousand Nine

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An Act to form a special commission to study pharmaceutical and personal care product contamination in our water supply..

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

Chapter 17 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 17, the following section:-

Section 18. There is hereby established a special commission to consist of 14 members to review and frame the public health threats resulting from pharmaceutical, medical and human waste, and personal care product contamination found in our water supply.  The special commission shall consist of the following members; the commissioner of the department of public health, or a designee, the commissioner of the department of environmental protection, or a designee; and 12 persons to be appointed by the governor, two of whom shall be academic experts with background in aquatic chemistry and public health, one of whom shall be a representative of the Massachusetts Pharmacists Association, one of whom shall be a representative of the Massachusetts Medical Society, one of whom shall be an oncologist licensed to practice in the Commonwealth, one of whom shall be a pharmacist licensed to practice in the Commonwealth, two of whom shall be representatives of manufacturers of pharmaceuticals and/or personal care products, one of whom shall be a representative of the Massachusetts Biotech Council, one of whom shall be a representative of the Massachusetts Water Works Association, one of whom shall be a representative of the Massachusetts Watershed Coalition, and one of whom shall be a representative of the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority.  The special commission shall be co-chaired by the commissioner of the department of public health, or a designee and the commissioner of the department of environmental protection, or a designee. 

In undertaking its review, the special commission shall examine among such areas it deems necessary, the following: statutory and regulatory changes to current processes contributing to pharmaceutical and personal care product contamination of our water supply, including, but not limited to methods of water filtration, waste water management, proper disposal of pharmaceuticals, medical and human waste, including that of patients on potent treatments such as chemotherapy, and personal care products.  The special commission shall submit a report to the joint committee on public health, the joint committee on environment, natural resources and agriculture, and the house and senate committees on ways and means within twelve months of the passage of this bill.