SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1347        FILED ON: 1/19/2017

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 478

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Marc R. Pacheco

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act relative to a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

 

Marc R. Pacheco

First Plymouth and Bristol

 

Carmine L. Gentile

13th Middlesex

1/23/2017

Marjorie C. Decker

25th Middlesex

1/30/2017

Paul R. Heroux

2nd Bristol

1/31/2017

James B. Eldridge

Middlesex and Worcester

2/1/2017

Michael D. Brady

Second Plymouth and Bristol

2/2/2017


SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1347        FILED ON: 1/19/2017

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 478

By Mr. Pacheco, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 478) of Marc R. Pacheco, Carmine L. Gentile, Marjorie C. Decker, Paul R. Heroux and other members of the General Court for legislation relative to a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing.  Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture.

 

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 2309 OF 2015-2016.]

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninetieth General Court
(2017-2018)

_______________

 

An Act relative to a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing.

 

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

SECTION 1. Section 26A of chapter 21 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2014 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the word “effluent”, in line 67, the following words:- , hydraulic fracturing fluid.

SECTION 2. Section 27 of said chapter 21, as so appearing, is hereby amended by adding the following clause:-

(14) Enforce restrictions on drilling, waste treatment and disposal and mining activities which have been enacted to protect the water quality and the natural resources of the commonwealth.

SECTION 3. Section 42 of said chapter 21, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after the word “commonwealth”, in line 3, the following words:- ,or into an injection well or into a treatment works in the commonwealth.

SECTION 4. (a) As used in this section, the following words shall have the following meanings unless the context clearly requires otherwise:-

“Fluid”, any material or substance which flows or moves whether in semi-solid, liquid, sludge, gas or any other form or state.

“Gas”, all natural gas, whether hydrocarbon or nonhydrocarbon, including hydrogen sulfide, helium, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, hydrogen, casinghead gas and all other fluid hydrocarbons not defined as oil.

“Hydraulic fracturing”, the process of pumping a fluid into or under the surface of the ground in order to create fractures in rock to produce or recover oil or gas.

“Oil”, crude petroleum, oil and all hydrocarbons, regardless of specific gravity, that are in the liquid phase in the reservoir and are produced at the wellhead in liquid form.

“Oil and gas”, oil and gas collectively, or either oil or gas, as the context may require to give effect to the purposes of this chapter.

(b) For the period from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2027, inclusive, a person shall not engage in hydraulic fracturing.

(c) For the period from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2027, inclusive, a person shall not collect, store, treat or dispose of wastewater hydraulic fracturing fluid, wastewater solids, drill cuttings or other byproducts from hydraulic fracturing.