HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 4204        FILED ON: 5/13/2019

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 3851

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Kate Hogan and Jennifer E. Benson

_________________

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 establishing an interagency PFAS task force.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Kate Hogan

3rd Middlesex

5/13/2019

Jennifer E. Benson

37th Middlesex

5/17/2019

Julian Cyr

Cape and Islands

5/14/2019

Joanne M. Comerford

Hampshire, Franklin and Worcester

5/14/2019

William L. Crocker, Jr.

2nd Barnstable

5/14/2019

Kimberly N. Ferguson

1st Worcester

5/14/2019

Nika C. Elugardo

15th Suffolk

5/14/2019

Dylan A. Fernandes

Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket

5/14/2019

Maria Duaime Robinson

6th Middlesex

5/14/2019

Jack Patrick Lewis

7th Middlesex

5/15/2019

Timothy R. Whelan

1st Barnstable

5/15/2019

Randy Hunt

5th Barnstable

5/15/2019

Brian W. Murray

10th Worcester

5/15/2019

Hannah Kane

11th Worcester

5/15/2019

David K. Muradian, Jr.

9th Worcester

5/15/2019

Carolyn C. Dykema

8th Middlesex

5/15/2019

Michael J. Soter

8th Worcester

5/16/2019

David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf

17th Worcester

5/16/2019

Natalie M. Blais

1st Franklin

5/16/2019

David Paul Linsky

5th Middlesex

5/16/2019

Linda Dean Campbell

15th Essex

5/16/2019

Christine P. Barber

34th Middlesex

5/16/2019

Michelle L. Ciccolo

15th Middlesex

5/16/2019

Ryan C. Fattman

Worcester and Norfolk

5/16/2019

Ann-Margaret Ferrante

5th Essex

5/16/2019

Donald F. Humason, Jr.

Second Hampden and Hampshire

5/16/2019

Tricia Farley-Bouvier

3rd Berkshire

5/16/2019

Bradley H. Jones, Jr.

20th Middlesex

5/16/2019

James B. Eldridge

Middlesex and Worcester

5/16/2019

Sarah K. Peake

4th Barnstable

5/17/2019

Tami L. Gouveia

14th Middlesex

5/17/2019

Lindsay N. Sabadosa

1st Hampshire

5/20/2019

John C. Velis

4th Hampden

5/20/2019

Paul R. Feeney

Bristol and Norfolk

5/21/2019

James K. Hawkins

2nd Bristol

5/21/2019

Carole A. Fiola

6th Bristol

5/21/2019


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 4204        FILED ON: 5/13/2019

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 3851

 

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-First General Court
(2019-2020)

_______________

 

An Act establishing an interagency PFAS task force.

 

Whereas, The deferred operation of this act would tend to defeat its purpose, which is to address the emerging crisis of PFAS contamination, therefore it is hereby declared to be an emergency law, necessary for the immediate preservation of the public health.
 

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

There shall be an interagency PFAS task force to review and investigate water and ground contamination of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances across the Commonwealth. The task force shall consist of 18 members:  2 members who shall be appointed by the senate president, one of whom shall serve as co-chair; 1 member who shall be appointed by the minority leader of the senate; 2 members who shall be appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives, one of whom shall serve as co-chair; 1 member who shall be appointed by the minority leader of the house of representatives; the attorney general of Massachusetts or their designee; the secretary of the executive office of energy and environmental affairs or their designee; the secretary of the executive office of public safety and security or their designee; the commissioner of the department of environmental protection or their designee; the commissioner of the department of public health or their designee; the commissioner of the department of agricultural resources or their designee; the director of the Massachusetts emergency management agency or their designee; the fire marshal of the department of fire services or their designee; the executive director of the Massachusetts municipal association or their designee; the executive director of the Massachusetts water resources authority or their designee; the executive director of the Massachusetts water works association or their designee; and a scientist with expertise in per-and polyfluoroalkyl substance-contaminated water appointed by the governor.

The task force shall: (i) gather and review information regarding known locations of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances detection and create response plan strategies; (ii) identify significant data gaps in the knowledge of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances and develop recommendations to address the gaps; (iii) identify opportunities for public education regarding per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances contamination and the effects of its exposure on public health and the environment; (iv) identify the sources of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances contamination and exposure pathways that pose the greatest risk to public health and the environment; (v) examine the benefits and burdens of various treatment and disposal options for per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances contaminated media; (vi) assess how state agencies can most effectively use their existing authority and resources to reduce or eliminate priority risks from per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances contamination; (vii) determine the inventory and use of fluorinated aqueous forming form in firefighting and fire training activities and evaluate effective non-fluorinated alternatives; and (viii) examine data regarding per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances contamination in freshwater fish and marine organisms and determine whether further examination is warranted; and (ix) examine and estimate the cost to mitigate per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances contamination in known locations across the Commonwealth.

The task force shall file a report of its findings and recommendations, together with drafts of legislation necessary to carry those recommendations into effect, by filing the same with the clerks of the senate and the house of representatives, the chairs of the senate and house committees on ways and means, the senate and house chairs of the joint committee on environment, natural resources and agriculture, the senate and house chairs of the joint committee on public health, the senate and house chairs of the joint committee on the judiciary, the senate and house chairs of the joint committee on public safety and homeland security not later than December 31, 2020.