Massachusetts
Massachusetts confronts toxic ‘forever chemicals’
Massachusetts is not “in the vanguard” when it comes to addressing toxic “forever chemicals,” according to the Senate sponsor of a bill meant to help municipalities and water systems clean up related contamination.
It’s the second time House Speaker Pro Tempore Kate Hogan and Senate Assistant Majority Whip Julian Cyr have filed legislation that would phase out the use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a class of chemicals that do not break down fully in the environment and are linked to harmful health issues like thyroid disease, liver damage, some cancers and immune system suppression.
The bills gained favorable reports last session from the Joint Committee on Public Health and Health Care Financing, but died in House Ways and Means Committee last session.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data show that more than 99% of people in the U.S. have detectable levels of PFAS in their blood, according to Laurel Schaider, a senior scientist at Newton-based Silent Spring Institute who spoke at a State House briefing on Thursday.
PFAS are often used in nonstick, stain-resistant, waterproof and grease-resistant products. Well owners and users, farmers and firefighters from across Massachusetts have testified before the Legislature in recent years and gathered at the State House Thursday to discuss the illnesses and other issues that have resulted from water and soil contaminated with PFAS and firefighting gear designed with PFAS in it.
“I think there’s two hurdles here. One is that we’re talking about complex policy related to environmental science, and the more that we learn about PFAS, the more we understand its ubiquity,” Cyr told the News Service. “As you build a statutory and then a regulatory scheme around it, this isn’t easy policymaking.”
A group of common items with and without per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in them, displayed at the State House briefing.
The Legislature in 2024 passed a few measures, according to Hogan, including those phasing out PFAS in firefighter protective gear and increasing funds to MassDEP to provide support for PFAS testing.
Other lawmakers have filed varying forms of legislation this session aiming to address different PFAS-related issues. A delegation of Massachusetts lawmakers visited Maine in August in an attempt to better understand how the state tackled contamination caused by PFAS specifically related to sewage sludge on farms.
“Massachusetts, we like to be in the vanguard of public health, of environmental health and safety. We are no longer in the vanguard. I think there are 13 or 14 other states that have passed some form of legislation related to PFAS. So we’re losing ground a bit,” Cyr said.
Alaska, New Jersey and New Hampshire also recently passed laws specifically addressing PFAS used in firefighting equipment. States including California, Colorado, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont have passed varying laws phasing out the use of PFAS.
MONSON, Mass. (WWLP) – The Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration (DER) has overseen the complete removal of the 170-year-old Church Manufacturing Dam in Monson.
The project, which has resulted in a free-flowing Chicopee Brook, is now in its planting and ecological restoration phase.
This effort represents one of the region’s most significant river-restoration milestones this year. The ongoing work aims to improve flood resilience, water quality and wildlife habitat in the area. It also reduces long-term public safety risks while strengthening climate resilience for the community.
Following the completion of construction, residents can now observe a restored, free-flowing Chicopee Brook. This is where the 170-year-old dam had stood for generations, allowing the brook to run unimpeded.
The area that once comprised the dam’s impoundment, covering 14 acres, is actively transitioning. This space is becoming new wetlands and native habitat, fostering a more natural ecosystem.
Beyond ecological benefits, the dam removal project addresses critical community concerns. It reduces long-term public safety risks and strengthens the overall climate resilience of the Monson area.
All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by WWLP. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat information into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by WWLP staff before being published.
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Massachusetts
It’s not just white sharks: Massachusetts shark researchers ‘closely monitoring’ another shark species this season
This is just jaw-some.
Another shark species has the attention of local white shark researchers, who will be “closely monitoring” an additional apex predator this season as beachgoers return to the water.
Dusky sharks — which were spotted attacking seals off Nantucket in the past — have also been seen off Orleans’ Nauset Beach, where great white sharks are frequently spotted during the summer and fall.
Local white shark researchers previously had not observed dusky sharks preying on seals off Massachusetts, but now it seems like the shark species is making a comeback in these northern waters.
“It’s something we’re going to be keeping track of this year,” said Megan Winton, senior scientist with the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy. “We’re definitely going to be closely monitoring them.
“Some people might say, ‘Oh great, now we have another shark species we have to worry about at the beach,’ but the public safety messaging stays the same,” Winton added. “The same ‘Shark Smart’ behaviors still apply.”
To the untrained eye, dusky sharks can look like big white sharks.
They are large-bodied, about 8- to 10-feet long, typically grey with dusky margins on the fins. While a white shark’s fin is triangular, a dusky shark’s fin slopes and curves.
Dusky sharks are not as beefy as white sharks, and their tail movements are more snake-like.
Dusky sharks are potentially dangerous to beachgoers due to their large size and occurrence in shallow coastal waters, though they have been implicated in few interactions with humans, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History.
“The same messaging goes with a second shark species feeding on seals: You don’t want to be swimming with shark food,” Winton said. “That means seals and big schools of fish.
“Also, we’ve learned that white sharks spend a lot of time in shallow water hunting for seals, so be aware of your depth when visiting our beaches,” she added. “Always pay attention to the lifeguards, and don’t swim or surf alone. Anytime you’re going into a wild environment and you know large predators are around, pay attention and be smart about it.”
Researchers put real-time shark receivers off the Cape, so lifeguards get instant updates if a tagged white shark is nearby. The lifeguards will then order everyone out of the water for some time.
Also, beachgoers are urged to report shark sightings to the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy’s Sharktivity app. The app helps raise awareness of the presence of white sharks off the coast. The app sightings are fed by researchers, safety officials, and users who upload photos for confirmation.
Last week, the first confirmed white shark report of the season was off Martha’s Vineyard when a shark fatally bit a seal.
This is the typical time of year when great whites return to the Cape and Islands to hunt for seals.
Winton over the winter was off South Carolina, where she helped tag seven white sharks. One of those sharks recently pinged off Maryland.
“Some are making their way north already as the water temperatures tick up,” Winton said.
Over the weekend, a porbeagle shark beached itself and died in Rhode Island’s Point Judith Pond.
“The species itself isn’t that surprising as they love colder water and unlike many other sharks that have yet to arrive, this shark was likely getting ready to follow the colder water north as our waters slowly warm,” the Atlantic Shark Institute posted.
The shark was apparently first found wedged in rocks by the breakwater at Salty Brine State Beach in Galilee, but then the shark freed itself and started swimming in circles. The porbeagle then swam into Point Judith Pond and eventually died.
“Thanks to everyone who reached out to us over 24 hours to provide information and video on this shark along with Greg Skomal at MADMF and John Chisholm from New England Aquarium,” the Atlantic Shark Institute wrote. “Both aided our executive director in reviewing all the video and photos to identify this shark.”
The trial of Alvin Campbell Jr., accused of sexually assaulting and attacking nine women from 2017-2019, is set to get underway on Monday.
Campbell is the older brother of Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell.
The 45-year-old faces a number of charges for allegedly sexually assaulting and attacking nine women between 2017-2019 in Boston. According to court records, he would intentionally seek out young women late at night near bars and restaurants, posing as a rideshare driver.
While most of the attacks happened in his car, there is one account of a 26-year-old woman who says Campbell Jr. drove her from Boston to his Cumberland, Rhode Island, apartment, where he assaulted her.
Right now, he is in custody. He has been held without bail since his arrest in 2020. He continues to insist that all of the encounters he had with the women in question were consensual.
On Monday, he will finally begin the process of trying to prove his innocence to 17 jurors. The jury was selected over the last week. The trial is expected to last several weeks.
Opening statements will lead off Monday’s proceedings.
When asked about the trial, Andrea Joy Campbell said, “I am praying for the survivors and all those affected. It takes extraordinary courage to come forward, and they deserve dignity and respect.”
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