NorthEndWaterfront.com

On Tuesday, December 1, the Massachusetts Joint Committee on the Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture will hold a hearing on a landmark bill to protect groundwater.  You can support this important legislation by:

1. Attending and, ideally, offering testimony in support of the need for groundwater protection;
2. Writing a letter in support of the legislation to the Committee (co-Chairs Senator Anthony Petruccelli and Representative William Strauss); and
3. Forwarding this information publicizing the hearing and encouraging others to attend the hearing.;

With your support – and that of over 15 other civic and neighborhood associations – awareness of the need for groundwater protection has come a long way during the last four years, culminating in this bill filed in January 2009 by Representatives Marty Walz, Byron Rushing, and Michael Moran. This landmark  legislation – developed collaboratively and with expert pro bono advice and legal assistance from Dewey LeBoeuf LLP and Mackie Shea O’Brien, PC – provides what we believe is a viable, self-enforcing mechanism to establish accountability for groundwater drawdown and offers important protections to property owners and relief to tax payers.   

Click here for a short summary of the bill’s provisions. 

A complete version of House Bill No. 852, “An Act to protect groundwater levels” can be viewed at: http://www.mass.gov/legis/bills/house/186/ht00pdf/ht00852.pdf.  

Comment from the Boston Groundwater Trust on this proposed legislation is available at: http://www.bostongroundwater.org/let114.html.

The hearing will be held in State House Room A on Tuesday, December 1 at 11:00am. Public attendance and comment is welcome and helps our legislators know this issue is important to constituents.

Letters should be sent to: Massachusetts Joint Committee on the Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture, State House, Boston Ma 02133 by the end of February, 2010.

See the Community Calendar for all meetings and events.

Related posts:
State Hearing Scheduled on Protecting Groundwater Levels