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

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

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Kate Hogan and Jennifer E. Benson

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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.

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PETITION OF:

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

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

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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

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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.