Stakeholders say MassDEP plan must fix data and capacity gaps: 'Access' is not the same as 'served'

Several municipal officials at the MassDEP Household Hazardous Products work group meeting pressed staff to correct how the draft plan reports service coverage, arguing that current tables conflate theoretical access with actual household participation.

Jan (participant name on file) flagged language in the draft tables that lists items and shows percentages described as households “served.” Jan said that reporting access as “served” can give the false impression of high participation; she and others emphasized that many one‑day events reach only a small share of households. “I report how you know, that my facilities collect fire extinguishers or they collect electronics,” Jan said; “just because I report on the data sheet doesn't mean that it's a hazardous waste.”

Stakeholders asked MassDEP to:

- Replace or clarify the metric “served” with a clear distinction between households with access to a service and households who…