SENATOR DON HUMASON
BOSTON — The Massachusetts Senate has unanimously approved a $1.9 billion, four-year environmental bond bill.
The legislation is intended to help preserve and improve land, parks and renewable energy resources. During Thursday’s debate, senators added $200 million to the bill, which was originally $1.7 billion.
Among the dozens of spending projects is $100 million for the dredging of Boston and New Bedford harbors and another $100 million for the Department of Conservation and Recreation for the design, construction and preservation of forests, parks, harbor islands, and other recreational facilities.
The bill would also require state environmental officials to identify areas where deer overpopulation is harming forestation, water resources, or plant growth on state land and to develop a plan to cull deer herds by October.
House and Senate negotiators will now hammer out a single compromise bill for final passage and consideration of the Governor.
“This bill will authorize the Governor of the Commonwealth to spend funds on these very worthwhile and necessary projects. I was happy to work with local leaders and municipalities to identify projects in need of funding throughout my district,” said Senator Don Humason (R – 2nd Hampden & Hampshire District). “It is gratifying to see the projects I advocated for included in the final Senate version of the bill.”
Senator Don Humason secured the following district priorities in the bill:
– $1,000,000 for the completion of the downtown corridor phase of the Columbia Greenway project in the city of Westfield
– $1,000,000 to protect public health and reduce the existing threat of sewerage overflow discharged into the Connecticut River as part of the Dwight/Heritage/Front street combined sewer improvement project in the city of Holyoke
– $10,000,000 to clean up the Connecticut River
– $350,000 to construct stormwater improvements to improve the quality of water entering the Little River and Westfield River in the area of Mainline drive and United States highway route 20 in city of Westfield
– $600,000 for engineering, planning, construction and related infrastructure for stormwater drainage management at Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport
– $1,200,000 for flooding control, dredging and eradication of nonnative plat species at Canal brook, an outlet of Lake Congamond in the town of Southwick
