SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1236        FILED ON: 1/17/2019

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1997

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Patrick M. O'Connor

_________________

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 compressor stations.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

 

Patrick M. O'Connor

Plymouth and Norfolk

 

Mark J. Cusack

5th Norfolk

1/24/2019

Josh S. Cutler

6th Plymouth

1/25/2019

James K. Hawkins

2nd Bristol

2/2/2019

Michelle M. DuBois

10th Plymouth

1/29/2019

Joan Meschino

3rd Plymouth

1/30/2019

Rebecca L. Rausch

Norfolk, Bristol and Middlesex

1/30/2019

Walter F. Timilty

Norfolk, Bristol and Plymouth

1/31/2019

James M. Murphy

4th Norfolk

1/31/2019

Mathew J. Muratore

1st Plymouth

1/31/2019

Kathleen R. LaNatra

12th Plymouth

2/1/2019

John F. Keenan

Norfolk and Plymouth

2/1/2019

Mark C. Montigny

Second Bristol and Plymouth

2/1/2019

Bruce J. Ayers

1st Norfolk

2/1/2019


SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1236        FILED ON: 1/17/2019

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1997

By Mr. O'Connor, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1997) of Patrick M. O'Connor, Mark J. Cusack, Josh S. Cutler, James K. Hawkins and other members of the General Court for legislation relative to compressor stations.  Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy.

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

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

_______________

 

An Act relative to compressor stations.

 

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. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, no new natural gas compressor stations shall be located in an area which is less than 0.5 miles in linear distance from: (i) a playground;(ii) a licensed day care center; (iii) a school; (iv) a church; (v) an environmental justice population neighborhood; (vi) an area of critical environmental concern as determined by the secretary of environmental affairs under 301 CMR 12.00; (vii) a waterway preserved and protected for water-dependent uses under chapter 91; or (viii) an area occupied by residential housing. Linear distance shall be measured from any point along a natural gas compressor station to the outermost point of buildings or areas in clauses (i) to (viii), inclusive; provided, however, that repairs or replacements that do not increase the capacity of a natural gas compressor station in operation prior to January 1, 2019, shall not be subject to this section. For the purposes of this section, “environmental justice population neighborhood” shall mean a neighborhood with an annual median household income of not more than 65 per cent of the statewide median income or with a segment of the population that consists of residents that is not less than 25 per cent minority, foreign born or lacking in English language proficiency based on the most recent United States census.”; and

by adding the following section:-

“SECTION 33. Section 22A shall take effect upon a determination by the attorney general that the section is constitutional.”