Make a Call Today for our Rivers!

Governor Baker's administration is making a final push to pass a bill (H.2777) that would permanently transfer water pollution control in Massachusetts from the federal government to the state. The environmental community has taken a strong stand for rivers by opposing this bill.

NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) permits limit pollution into our rivers, lakes and ponds. In Massachusetts, under the Clean Water Act, the federal EPA and the MassDEP issue these permits jointly, but the EPA has final word.

We oppose the transfer of NPDES permitting from the EPA, placing it solely in the hands of MassDEP.
Here's why it would hurt our rivers:

  • Due to a decade of budget cuts, water pollution control programs at MassDEP are severely underfunded and understaffed. They are not meeting their current responsibilities and are not equipped to take on even more.
  • This program would cost state taxpayers a minimum of $5-10 million every year. The EPA currently provides this program at no cost to the state.
  • Those in favor of this change are hoping MassDEP will be more "flexible" than EPA, allowing more pollutants in our rivers, streams, and coastal waters.

The current system has dramatically cleaned up our rivers over the past two decades - let's not ditch it.

Please call Joint Committee on Environment members and ask them to oppose H.2777 (read the bill).
Look up Committee members here.

Thank you!
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Sample Script:

"Hello, my name is _________ and I live in ________. I am calling to ask Representative/Senator ________ to oppose House bill 2777, an Act to enable the Commonwealth's administration of the Massachusetts Pollutant Discharge Elimination System.

I am worried that this could hurt water quality in Massachusetts. Mass EDP does not have the resources to take on this new program and I think it should remain with the EPA. Thank you."
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Check out the Boston Globe editorial on why delegating water pollution control permitting from the EPA to the state would be bad for our rivers.