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Legislators, towns urge swift passage of omnibus PFAS bill and remediation fund
Summary
Municipal leaders, health experts and state lawmakers testified in favor of omnibus PFAS legislation that would phase out certain PFAS uses and create a remediation trust fund to help cities and towns pay for costly water treatment and cleanup.
Chairmen and witnesses told the Joint Committee on Public Health on May 20 that Massachusetts must act now to curb PFAS pollution and help municipalities pay for remediation. Connor Reed, town manager of Easton, described his town’s response to PFAS contamination after routine tests detected PFAS in 2019: “Since then, we've spent significant time and effort navigating a changing state and federal regulatory landscape,” Reed said, noting Easton built three PFAS water-treatment facilities that went online in February 2023. He said capital costs totaled about $16,000,000 and annual operations now exceed $500,000, driving water rates up more than 30 percent for residents and businesses. The bill before the committee,…
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