Massachusetts Environmental Groups Host Legislative Briefing on Key Climate Bills

BOSTON, MA. – On Tuesday June 6, nine influential state environmental groups hosted a well-attended legislative briefing covering bills that, if passed, will establish a moratorium on new, large gas infrastructure and a climate change superfund of $75 billion over 25 years from profits of Massachusetts’ big corporate polluters. 

The bills at the center of the Mass Power Forward coalition’s Make Polluters Pay and Put Gas in the Past campaigns are: An Act Establishing a Climate Change Superfund Promoting Polluter Responsibility (H.872 /S.481), the Polluter Responsibility Superfund Bill, and An Act Establishing a Moratorium on New Gas System Expansion (S.2135/H.3237), also called the Gas Expansion Moratorium Bill.

The superfund will support state-wide climate adaptation projects that help to protect our communities from worsened storms, extreme heat, sea level rise, and other devastating impacts of climate change. To ensure an equitable distribution of funds, 40% of the $75 billion is marked for projects that directly benefit environmental justice communities.

True to its name, the Gas Expansion Moratorium Bill would put a moratorium on all new gas system expansion projects, saving ratepayers from bad investments, and ensuring cleaner air for our children and neighbors. This act will allow the state time to create a transition plan off gas and is in line with the state’s recommendations for necessary actions to meet our climate goals.

The passage of both the Polluter Superfund Bill and Gas Expansion Moratorium Bill is vital to bettering public health, preserving our state’s ecosystems, and ensuring a livable, breathable Massachusetts for generations to come.

Following the legislative briefing at the Massachusetts Statehouse, coalition members, and bill sponsors issued the following statements: 

"In order to stave off the worst of the climate crisis, we must rapidly transition," said Jess Nahigian, Political Director of the Massachusetts Sierra Club. "Although we’ve taken first steps, we are not on track to meet our goals. Over 80 organizations have chosen to prioritize the Polluter Responsibility Superfund and Gas Expansion Moratorium Bills because they are well suited to fit the urgent needs of our moment. The Gas Expansion moratorium will allow us to immediately align new investment with our state decarbonization goals while protecting ratepayers from unnecessary charges and environmental justice communities from new burdens. The Polluter Responsibility Superfund will make the biggest emitters of greenhouse gases start to compensate the people of Massachusetts for the harm they’ve caused through the years and allow Massachusetts to prepare for the inevitable impacts of climate change.”

“Environmental justice communities like Springfield are paying the price for continued expansion of gas infrastructure,” said State Senator Adam Gomez (D-Springfield). “Instead of building new pipelines through one of the ‘asthma capitals’ of the United States, we should be focusing on how to justly transition our energy and economy over to renewable energy. Investing into more gas pipelines works against the Commonwealth’s net zero carbon goals, nor does such expansion guarantee that ratepayers will see a drop in their gas bills.”

“People underestimate how dangerous fossil gas is," said State Representative Adrianne Ramos (D-North Andover). "In 2018, a reckless error led to large explosions in three communities by over-pressurized gas, including in my district. The explosions caused 80 fires, drove 50,000 people from their homes, injured 25 people, and resulted in one death.  At least 131 structures were damaged. After the explosions, my children slept in our bed for a week. Our community has yet to recover fully. We need to put a moratorium on new gas expansion and to hold utilities accountable.” 

“In my view, a state climate Superfund can absolutely be designed to accord with current legal precedent on the constitution that concern polluter’s liability for environmental harms,” said Rachel Rothschild, Assistant Professor at the Michigan School of Law.”

“There is strong empirical evidence that climate change will impact the energy sector via shocks to demand and supply,” said Peter Howard, Economic Director for the Institute for Policy Integrity. “So investing in adaptation now is likely to decrease future energy prices. In short, the act is consistent with the Polluters Pay principle, and it is unlikely to significantly shift energy prices in Massachusetts. In fact, it is possible the action could reduce long term energy prices through its investments in climate change adaptation.”

“With your support for Polluters Pay, not only will the state receive $75 billion worth of funds for climate adaptation projects but you will also be sending a message to the youth, who are relying on you, to ensure us a vibrant future,” said Alicia Wu, Our Climate. "That we are finally holding fossil fuel companies accountable. That we are setting in motion the path for a just, equitable and sustainable tomorrow in Massachusetts.”

“Growing up in Acton, it was discovered that a company called WR Grace had contaminated at least two of the public wells," said State Senator James Eldridge (D-Marlborough). "Therefore those wells had to be shut down by the town of Acton. It was only because of the Superfund Law, which was passed in the 1970s, that — then —  there was an ability to charge, to fine, that company to clean up the devastation made to the community... (The Polluter Responsibility Superfund Bill) really is sort of based on that model and the Superfund sites throughout the country where this model continues. So (The Polluter Responsibility Superfund Bill) is applying (the Superfund Law) to the climate impacts of Exxon Mobil and other oil companies.” 

“The average American, we emit about 16 tons of carbon dioxide,” said State Representative Steve Owens. “What we are asking is if you have managed to somehow be responsible for a billion tons, that you would be responsible to help mitigate the impact that your emissions have had on the climate. Exxon Mobil, for example, made a profit of $56 billion last year… That's about the size of the (state) budget we were about to ask. So one year of Massachusetts is how much money that they made last year... You could replace every single registered motor vehicle in the United States with a Tesla Model S ($100,000) and then do it again. That's how much money $56 billion is. They have been making this money and they have known for decades the impact these emissions would have on climate change.”