Attention Mystic advocates! We need your help to get an important bill passed.
Most of the time it is safe to boat on the Mystic. But when sewage is discharged into waterways during heavy rain events—known as a Combined Sewer Overflow, or CSO—it can be dangerous. Thousands of gallons of raw sewage enter our river annually due to CSOs—and Massachusetts does not require anyone to alert the public when a discharge occurs.
Raw sewage entering waterways is a public health threat—and we all deserve to know when this happens. House Bill 4921, An act promoting awareness of sewage pollution in public waters, would require Massachusetts sewage treatment plants to alert the public in a timely manner whenever a Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) occurs.
The bill is currently stuck in the Senate Ways and Means Committee. If it can be voted out of that committee, it will move to the Senate, where it is very likely to pass. This is where you come in—
Please write a letter or email, or make a phone call, to your Senator to urge Senate Ways and Means Committee to move the bill. Find your Senator here.
Here's a sample script:
“Dear Senator ______,
My name is ___________ and I am a resident of ___________. I am writing-calling to request that you urge your colleagues in Senate Ways & Means to report H. 4921, An act promoting awareness of sewage pollution in public waters out of committee so that the full Senate may vote to notify families when their local waterways are polluted.
This bill, which passed unanimously in the House this past summer, would let Massachusetts residents know when there has been a local sewage discharge, warning them to stay away from waters that pose a public health hazard. This bill couldn't be more timely as people have been spending more time outside near their local waterways during the pandemic, while Massachusetts discharges the most sewage of any state in New England.
I support this bill, and hope you will encourage your colleagues in Senate Ways & Means to move the bill before the session ends. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
_____________”
Thank you for your help!
