Initiatives to Help the Environment in the Spotlight for Earth Day
Earth Day and Arbor Day provide us all with an opportunity to reflect on how
we affect our environment, and consider how we can improve the world we will
pass on to our children.
In the Senate, I have worked hard to preserve our environment. My colleagues
and I are working on a number of initiatives that will further that goal
with a common sense approach.
As policymakers, we must take the lead and set the example for conservation.
With this in mind, I support setting the ambitious goal of improving energy
efficiency in our state government by twenty percent. I have sponsored many
initiatives that will help us meet that goal. For instance, I am supporting
a bill that calls for the installation of water conserving plumbing fixtures
in residential, municipal and state-owned buildings. It would also provide
technical assistance to municipalities to improve water efficiency.
An ever-growing need for energy and a limited supply of traditional fuels
require us to focus on conservation while moving towards alternative fuels.
Following the lead of the federal government, both New York and Connecticut
are currently working on providing tax incentives for alternative fuel
vehicles and we should adopt a similar plan here in Massachusetts. I
co-sponsored a measure to exempt hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles from
the Massachusetts sales tax to reward those who pay more to keep our
environment cleaner.
Recycling is an integral part of protecting the environment. According to
the Environmental Protection Agency, recycling has diverted 68 million tons
of material away from landfills and incinerators in 2001; up from 34 million
tons in 1990. Curbside programs, along with drop-off and buy-back centers,
resulted in a diversion of about 30 percent of the nation’s solid waste.
This is remarkable progress, but we must do better.
I have co-sponsored a number of measures to provide additional incentives
for recycling, including a 2-year tax exemption for the sale of goods made
with at least 70 percent recycled material, along with a number of other tax
credits to encourage recycling and industrial development in the
Commonwealth. I have also co-sponsored a bill to investigate creating the
Community Based Recycling Program to recycle debris from public construction
or demolition projects. This environmentally friendly concept could also
save the Commonwealth tens of millions of dollars a year.
Despite increased awareness, air pollution continues to be a problem. I
authored the School Bus Emissions Act, which is legislation to study the
environmental effects of diesel-powered school buses. Under the bill, a
legislature-appointed commission would consider the feasibility of switching
to environmentally friendly buses like those the MBTA utilizes, and whether
proposing tax incentives for such improvements would increase the
effectiveness of the program and assist bus companies with the transition.
Diesel exhaust is just one of many commercial pollution problems we face. I
co-sponsored a bill that would establish a process for replacing ten of the
most toxic chemicals, many found in household products, with safer
alternatives. This bill passed the Senate, but is still awaiting action in
the House. I also support requiring companies to file a waste oil removal
plan before they can accept waste oil from commercial entities.
As responsible stewards of the environment, we cannot overlook the
importance of nature conservancy; we must preserve open land to protect
wildlife and scenic areas. I am also supporting a bill to allow the
Department to create a trust so that they may generate federal and private
funds to support their invaluable conservation and wildlife protection
efforts.
In my efforts to help individuals be more environmentally sensitive, I have
also filed legislation that adds the sale of trees during the last week of
April to the list of items that are exempt from the state sales tax in
recognition of Arbor Day. This bill is a gesture from the Legislature to our
communities that we are committed to the continued beautification of the
Commonwealth and improvement of our air quality.
I am a strong supporter of conservation set-asides. I co-sponsored a measure
that would allow the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs or other
local agencies to designate certain areas within a community as areas of
critical scenic preservation where no development could take place that
would obstruct the view of the scenic area. I am also supporting an
initiative that allows landowners or estates to give the Commonwealth an
agricultural preservation restriction on land, in lieu of real estate taxes
owed.
These reforms all represent a step in the right direction, but much more
remains to be done. We must ensure that the environment is healthy not just
for today, but for future generations as well. I promise to continue to work
towards a healthier and cleaner Commonwealth.