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Massachusetts

Massachusetts has historically been a leader in environmental health protection; adoption of the innovative Toxics Use Reduction Act in 1989 has helped manufacturers and businesses reduce their use and release of toxic chemicals, thereby protecting the environment and health of workers and neighbors. On the mercury front, pollution and emission efforts over the past 15 years have seen a steady drop in mercury levels in freshwater fish. Massachusetts has acted as an “incubator state” for the green chemistry movement, but alarming health data indicate room for improvement. The state leads a strong push for breast cancer research and prevention, due to a shocking statistic that it has the highest incidence rate in the country. Pediatric health is also of concern, as 2009 data indicate that Massachusetts has childhood cancer and asthma rates that are greater than the national average.

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Massachusetts Partners

State Progress

Bill Tracker for Massachusetts

Current Policy

Cadmium ,
Formaldehyde ,
Lead ,
Mercury ,
Toxic Chemicals General,
PFAS ,
BPA, Phthalates, and Chemicals Used in Plastic ,
Plastics
H.D.3565: Establishes a Packaging Reduction and Recycling Program that includes toxic reduction requirements for ortho-phthalates, bisphenols, PFAS, lead, chromium, cadmium, mercury, halogenated flame retardants, formaldehyde, and other toxic substances. 
Cadmium ,
Formaldehyde ,
Lead ,
Mercury ,
Toxic Chemicals General,
PFAS ,
Toxic Flame Retardants ,
BPA, Phthalates, and Chemicals Used in Plastic
H.D.3912: Prohibits the sale or distribution of any beverage containers containing ortho-phthalates, bisphenols, PFAS, lead, chromium, cadmium, mercury, benzophenone, halogenated flame retardants, formaldehyde, and other toxic chemicals.
Cadmium ,
Lead ,
Mercury ,
Toxic Chemicals General,
PFAS ,
Toxic Flame Retardants ,
BPA, Phthalates, and Chemicals Used in Plastic ,
Plastics
H.767: Prohibits the sale or distribution of disposable food service ware made from polystyrene or black plastic. Prohibits a lodging establishment from providing small plastic bottles containing a personal care product. Prohibits the sale or distribution of any beverage container, food ware accessories, food ware, or food packaging containing certain toxic substances.
Cadmium ,
Lead ,
Mercury ,
Toxic Chemicals General,
PFAS ,
Toxic Flame Retardants ,
BPA, Phthalates, and Chemicals Used in Plastic ,
Plastics
S.525: Prohibits the sale or distribution of disposable food service ware made from polystyrene or black plastic. Prohibits a lodging establishment from providing small plastic bottles containing a personal care product. Prohibits the sale or distribution of any beverage container, food ware accessories, food ware, or food packaging containing certain toxic substances.
Mercury ,
Toxic Chemicals General,
BPA, Phthalates, and Chemicals Used in Plastic ,
Chemicals used in Cleaning, Cosmetics and Construction
S.957: Prohibits advertisers from promoting products aimed at skin lighting and hair relaxing through the practice of youth-targeted advertisement, where those products contain toxic chemicals, including, but not limited to, mercury, parabens, estrogenic chemicals from placenta, phthalates, and talc powder.
Toxic Chemicals General,
BPA, Phthalates, and Chemicals Used in Plastic ,
Chemicals used in Cleaning, Cosmetics and Construction
H.D.3120: Prohibits advertisers from promoting cosmetic products to children under the age of 18 where those products contain toxic chemicals, including, but not limited to, mercury, parabens, estrogenic chemicals from placenta, phthalates, and talc powder.
Chemical Prioritization / Disclosure / Phase-out ,
PFAS
S.1556: Prohibits the manufacture, sale, or distribution of firefighting personal protective equipment that contains intentionally added PFAS chemicals.
Chemical Prioritization / Disclosure / Phase-out ,
Toxic Chemicals General
H.2138: Requires disclosure of ingredients in menstrual products.
Chemical Prioritization / Disclosure / Phase-out ,
Toxic Flame Retardants
S.145: Requires disclosure of ingredients in menstrual products.
PFAS ,
Food Packaging
S.1431: Prohibits the manufacture, sale, or distribution of food packaging that contains intentionally added perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances.
Lead
S.1008: Enhances justice and the legal ability to recover damages from lead exposure.
Lead
H.1616: Enhances justice and the legal ability to recover damages from lead exposure.
PFAS
S.1502: Prohibits the manufacture, sale, or distribution of any firefighting personal protective equipment that contains intentionally added PFAS chemicals.
PFAS
S.1356: Establishes a PFAS Remediation Trust Fund to mitigate the impacts of PFAS contamination in drinking water, groundwater, and soil. Requires monitoring and reporting of PFAS in groundwater discharges. Requires implementation of best management practices for discharges of PFAS. Prohibits the sale or distribution of the following products to which PFAS has been intentionally added: child passenger restraints, cookware, fabric treatments, personal care products, rugs and carpets, upholstered furniture, children’s products. Prohibits the sale or distribution of products that contain intentionally added PFAS unless it is determined that the use of PFAS in the product is a currently unavoidable use.
PFAS
H.863: Requires the department of environmental protection to outline best practices and recommend regulations for the proper disposal of products containing perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances.
PFAS
S.445: Prohibits pesticides that contain PFAS as an inactive or inert ingredient.
PFAS
S.39: Requires the department to set maximum levels for the amount of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances that may be in any fertilizer, compost, mulch, topsoil amendment or other soil amendment sold in the retail market. Require disclosure of all fertilizer, compost, mulch, topsoil replacement or other soil amendments for retail sale that contains any detectable perfluoroalkyl substance or polyfluoroalkyl substance.
PFAS
H.845: Establishes an ecologically-based mosquito management program. Prohibits pesticides containing PFAS.
PFAS
H.2339: Prohibits the manufacture, sale, or distribution of firefighting personal protective equipment that contains intentionally added PFAS chemicals.
PFAS
H.101: Establishes the Agricultural PFAS Relief Fund to assist farmers who have been impacted by PFAS chemicals. Requires all biosolids being transported from point of origin for land application to be tested for the presence of PFAS. Requires the state department to set maximum levels for the amount of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances that may be in any fertilizer, compost, mulch, topsoil amendment or other soil amendment sold in the retail market. Requires disclosure of fertilizer, compost, mulch, and topsoil amendment that contains PFAS.
PFAS
S.1559: Establishes a PFAS Research and Development Public Safety Fund.
PFAS
S.2053: Establishes a moratorium prohibiting the procurement of PFAS-emitting structures or activities.
PFAS
H.2317: Establishes a PFAS Research and Development Public Safety Fund.
PFAS
S.588: Requires the state Department of Environmental Protection to employ an external research organization, which has the capacity to study perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances and the effect PFAS has on agricultural products and other food products.
PFAS
S.524: Establishes a moratorium to prevent the installation of any artificial grass, and/or similar artificial turf materials. Requires the Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs to conduct an evaluation.
PFAS
H.853: Establishes a program in which the Department of Environmental Protection issues vouchers for PFAS filtration equipment.
PFAS
H.2197: Establishes a PFAS Remediation Trust Fund to mitigate the impacts of PFAS contamination in drinking water, groundwater, and soil. Requires monitoring and reporting of PFAS in groundwater discharges. Requires implementation of best management practices for discharges of PFAS. Prohibits the sale or distribution of the following products to which PFAS has been intentionally added: child passenger restraints, cookware, fabric treatments, personal care products, rugs and carpets, upholstered furniture, children’s products. Prohibits the sale or distribution of products that contain intentionally added PFAS unless it is determined that the use of PFAS in the product is a currently unavoidable use.
PFAS
S.523: Establishes a Comprehensive Athletic Surface Performance Commission to research athletic performance surfaces – including artificial grass.
Toxic Chemicals General,
PFAS ,
Plastics
H.D.958: Prohibits state and municipal contracts for the purchase and installation of artificial turf that contains zinc, plastic or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances.
Toxic Chemicals General,
PFAS
S.175: Prohibits the sale or distribution of children’s products or product components containing regulated PFAS chemicals. Requires the state department of environmental protection to publish and maintain a list of toxic chemicals of concern.
Toxic Chemicals General,
PFAS
H.318: Prohibits the sale or distribution of children’s products or product components containing regulated PFAS chemicals. Requires the state department of environmental protection to publish and maintain a list of toxic chemicals of concern.
Toxic Chemicals General,
Plastics
S.572: Requires producers of covered materials to submit and administer a producer responsibility plan. Covered material categories or types shall not be considered readily recyclable, recyclable, compostable, or reusable if they contain toxic substances.
Toxic Chemicals General,
Plastics
S.471: Requires producers of covered materials to submit and administer a producer responsibility plan. Covered material categories or types shall not be considered readily recyclable, recyclable, compostable, or reusable if they contain toxic substances.
Toxic Chemicals General,
Plastics
H.833: Establishes the commission on extended producer responsibility to research, evaluate, and develop recommendations regarding the economic, environmental, and public health benefits and costs of extended producer responsibility laws.
Toxic Chemicals General,
Plastics
H.766: Requires food service providers to provide single-use food serviceware or single-use condiment upon request. Prohibits on permitting of new food service establishments that do not provide reusable food serviceware.
Toxic Chemicals General,
Plastics
H.794: Requires the department of environmental protection to establish a process and develop criteria for determining the types of food service products that are reusable, recyclable, compostable or biodegradable.
Toxic Chemicals General,
Plastics
S.1328: Restricts the use of disposable food service containers made from polystyrene in food establishments.
Toxic Chemicals General,
Plastics
H.3627: Prohibits retail establishments from dispensing food to customers in disposable food service containers made from polystyrene.
Toxic Chemicals General,
Plastics
S.443: Prohibits a food service establishment from providing a single-use plastic straw unless requested by a consumer.
Toxic Chemicals General,
Plastics
H.784: Establishes plastic bag reduction regulations.
Toxic Chemicals General,
Plastics
S.477: Establishes plastic bag reduction regulations.
Toxic Chemicals General,
Plastics
H.D.1558: Prohibits the building, construction, establishment, and operation of regulated technologies (gasification, pyrolysis, solvolysis, hydropyrolysis, methanolysis, enzymatic breakdown, etc.).
Toxic Chemicals General,
Plastics
H.2261: Prohibits the use of polystyrene foam food containers.
Toxic Chemicals General,
Plastics
H.768: Bottle bill. Defines "recycling" as to exclude all "chemical recycling" technology.

Adopted Policy

Chemical Prioritization / Disclosure / Phase-out ,
BPA, Phthalates, and Chemicals Used in Plastic ,
Heavy Metals ,
Chemicals used in Cleaning, Cosmetics and Construction
S 2250: Requires Massachusetts companies that use large quantities of specific toxic chemicals to evaluate and plan for pollution prevention opportunities, implement them if practical, and annually measure and report the results. (Adopted in 2006)
Mercury ,
Heavy Metals
S 2403: Requires a person who sells an antique that contains mercury to clearly inform the purchaser in writing that the antique contains mercury, that mercury is a hazardous substance regulated by federal and state law, and of the proper and commercially available methods for disposal and recycling. (Adopted in 2010)
Mercury ,
Heavy Metals
Mass. Gen. Laws, ch. 21H, §§ 6A-6N: Bans mercury-added products without notification. Bans motor vehicles containing mercury-added switches, mercury-added thermostats, other mercury-added products, and mercury relays. Requires the removal of mercury vehicle switches from end-of-life vehicles. Prohibits the purchase of elemental mercury, mercury compounds, or mercury-added instructional equipment for use in primary or secondary school classrooms. Requires manufacturers to disclose in writing the mercury content of any product used in a health care facility, and prohibits any person from knowingly disposing of a mercury-added product in any manner other than recycling, disposing as hazardous waste, or using another approved method. Prohibits mercury-added products unless the manufacturer has created a convenient and accessible collection plan for the products at the end-of-life. Requires state agencies to give preference to the purchase of equipment, supplies, and other products that do not contain mercury. (Adopted in 2006)
Toxic Chemicals General
Executive Order 515: Requires state agencies purchase environmentally preferable products. (Adopted in 2009)
Toxic Flame Retardants
H 4900: An act to protect children, families, and firefighters from harmful flame retardants. (Adopted in 2021)

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