A growing chorus of elected officials and reporters has sought to tie the Merrimack Valley gas explosions to inadequacies in the state’s natural gas infrastructure and regulatory regime. A number of state representatives have now called for hearings to explore the extent to which chronic shortages of state gas inspectors as well as a host…
Author: Rob A. DeLeo
After Merrimack: What Comes Next?
Less than 24-hours after explosions rocked the Merrimack Valley, Massachusetts residents are struggling to make sense of the tragic incident that resulted in more than 60 fires, at least 25 injuries, and one death. The months ahead will pose an innumerable number of challenges for the residents of Lawrence, Andover, and North Andover. From rebuilding…
Will Progressive Newcomers Reshape the Legislative Agenda?
Last Tuesday’s primary has been deemed a watershed moment for Massachusetts progressives. From Ayanna Pressley’s defeat of 10-term incumbent Michael Capuano to Nika Elugardo’s victory over Ways and Means Chairman Jeffrey Sánchez, progressive candidates notched a host of impressive wins. For context, 15 out of the 30 candidates endorsed by Progressive Massachusetts won their primary…
The Environmental Bond Bill: Good Policy, Great Politics
With all the talk about late budgets, overtime scandals, and, of course, contested primaries, the Massachusetts environmental bond bill (H.4613/S.249) has garnered little attention. At first glance, the bond bill, technically entitled An Act Promoting Climate Change Adaptation, Environmental and Natural Resource Protection, and Investment in Recreational Assets and Opportunity, looks rather innocuous. The most…
Seaport Undermines Climate Resilience
For those interested in climate change adaptation policy, 2018 will no doubt be remembered as a banner year for Massachusetts. Spurred by the historic flooding caused by this winter’s bomb cyclone, policymakers redoubled their efforts to promote climate resiliency. In June, the Massachusetts House of Representatives passed a sweeping $2.2 billion climate adaptation bond bill,…