Not For The First Time, Mass. Governor Pushes To Run Federal Water Program
The Connecticut River from Mt. Sugarloaf. Photo by Ben Byrne / Creative Commons
Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker is again pushing an environmental bill that — if funded — would allow the state to take the reins of a federal water protection program.
Massachusetts is one of four states that leaves it to the federal government to administer a clean water permit program. New Hampshire is another.
Baker’s bill, which failed last session , would increase staff at the state Department of Environmental Protection, allowing sewage permits, for instance, to be more frequently reviewed, and water to be tested more often.