Who is a member?
Our members are the local governments of Massachusetts and their elected and appointed leadership.
On July 31, the House and Senate passed a $2.2 billion environmental bond bill that would fund capital accounts for land and water conservation, water and wastewater infrastructure, and clean energy and energy efficiency initiatives.
The bill includes $52 million for renovating existing parks and establishing new ones, a new $111 million fund for parks in underserved communities, a new $30 million tree planting program, $125 million for coastal facility improvements, $66 million for water and air quality protection, including $5 million for the Sustainable Water Management Initiative, and $57 million to replenish the state revolving loan fund for municipal water infrastructure projects.
The bill would also update the municipal Dam and Seawall Repair or Removal Fund (created by Chapter 448 of the Acts of 2012), originally a $20 million fund to address inland and coastal infrastructure needs. The bill would provide $49 million specifically for the repair or removal of municipal dams and would invest an additional $120 million in critical coastal infrastructure, such as seawalls.
The bond bill also attempts to address some of the MMA’s concerns about costs associated with implementing the proposed Sustainable Water Management Initiative. The language would allow the Legislature to examine the overall costs of these new regulations on communities as well as their effectiveness.
The bill would also require the Department of Environmental Protection to conduct a comprehensive review of the impact on municipalities within three years after the implementation of the SWMI regulations, and to submit a detailed analysis of communities affected and rate increases required to comply with the new regulations.
The MMA has argued that the costs of implementing the SWMI would be borne almost exclusively by ratepayers and taxpayers because it would limit water withdrawals, thereby reducing revenue and imposing additional costs on water suppliers.
The bill has been sent to the governor, who has 10 days to consider it.