Bill > H4102

This bill establishes the Blue Communities Program to incentivize local action to reduce nutrient pollution and ocean acidification. The program will provide technical and financial assistance, in the form of grants and loans, to municipalities and other local governmental bodies that adopt various initiatives, such as a liquid hazardous waste program, impervious surface zoning, a rain barrel program, a shell collection system, a water quality monitoring system, and a fertilizer bylaw and lawns program. The bill also establishes a Blue Communities Fund to finance the program, which will be funded through sources like offshore wind contributions, cap-and-invest programs, and sales tax on fertilizers. The Executive Office will be responsible for administering and overseeing the program, including adopting rules and regulations, and submitting an annual report on the program's expenditures and results.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/H4102