Bill > H4807

This bill aims to address the issue of liquid or gas flammable material spills on public ways. It proposes the following key provisions: 1. Imposes a civil penalty of up to $20,000 per violation on any person who discharges or spills gasoline, oil, or other flammable material from a commercial motor vehicle or trailer onto surface water, groundwater, or public ways. Each day of a continuing violation is counted as a separate violation. 2. Requires the Massachusetts Department of Transportation to provide notification of such violations before the civil penalties can accrue. 3. Authorizes the Attorney General to seek injunctive relief, including a mandatory injunction, for these violations. 4. Requires the Department of Transportation to set a schedule for surety bonds to be required from companies that deliver or sell gasoline, oil, or other flammable materials. These bonds would compensate municipalities for the short and long-term remediation of spills. 5. Mandates a study by the Secretary of Public Safety, in consultation with other state agencies, to analyze various aspects of spills involving flammable materials, including the impact on road safety, the environment, and potential methods to prevent and mitigate such spills.