Late on January 12, Governor Baker signed H.4921 into law! This is an excellent step in protecting public health, water quality, and a first step towards upgrading our aging water infrastructure.
Screenshot from Mass.gov
Mass Rivers will be meeting with the Department of Environmental Protection to figure out how this bill will be implemented, and how the public can make sure they receive sewage spill alerts. Stay tuned for that information!
For now, this is a huge victory for our community! Many organizations, legislators, and individuals have worked on this over the years - we are so grateful for your support!
We would like to thank the bill’s tenacious sponsors, Representative Linda Dean Campbell, Representative Provost, and Senator Patricia Jehlen, for getting the bill through the legislative session.
Thank you to these legislative leaders for prioritizing public health and safety:
Senate President Karen Spilka,
Former Speaker Bob DeLeo and current Speaker Ron Mariano,
House Ways and Means Committee Chair Aaron Michlewitz and Vice Chair Denise Garlick,
Senate Ways & Means Committee Chair Michael Rodrigues and Vice Chair Cindy Friedman,
Environment, Natural Resources, and Agriculture Committee Chairs Anne Gobi and Smitty Pignatelli,
Thank you to our supporters and champions in the legislature: Senator Will Brownsberger, Senator Joanne Comerford, Senator Diana DiZoglio, Senator James Eldridge, Senator Feeny, Representative Mindy Domb, Representative James Kelcourse, and Representative Lenny Mirra.
Thank you to Gabby Queenan, our former Policy Director, for her efforts over the years.
A huge thank you to our incredible watershed associations who advocated tirelessly over the years: in particular, the Mystic River Watershed Association, the Charles River Watershed Association, the Merrimack River Watershed Council, the Neponset River Watershed Association, and the Connecticut River Conservancy.
To our statewide partners: Sierra Club Massachusetts, the Nature Conservancy, the Environmental League of Massachusetts, and Environment Massachusetts.
Last but not least, thank you, our individual members, for calling and emailing your legislators, for staying on top of the issue, and for advocating for a cleaner future.