Update as of Feb. 9: Both bills were issued favorably from the Joint Committee on Environment and National Resources and now are in respective committees on Ways and Means. We will update you here on the next steps and how you can help.
We need your help to reach Massachusetts State Representatives and State Senators before March 28, 2024 to urge them to ask the House Committee on Ways and Means and Senate Committee on Ways and Means to act favorably and quickly on these bills:
and
Here's a Fact Sheet with additional information: https://files.engineers.org/file/Wipes-Fact-Sheet-2024.pdf, including a list of associations representing thousands of water and sewer system workers, engineers, and contractors.
With your help, we can get this bill moving forward. There is no known opposition to this labeling bill, but if legislators hear from you now, you will help this bill to get attention so we can get it moving forward.
Remember to edit this message for your State Representative:
Subject: Request for Support of H.805, An Act protecting wastewater and sewerage systems through the labeling of non-flushable wipes
Dear Representative _______________,
I am writing to ask you to contact the House Committee on Ways and Means and urge them to support H. 805, An Act protecting wastewater and sewerage systems through the labeling of non-flushable wipes: https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/H805. We are asking the Joint Committee on House Committee on Ways and Means to give this bill a favorable report and bring to House floor for a vote as soon as possible. [If your Rep is a member of House Committee on Ways and Means, then note that you are asking them to talk to their committee leaders and colleagues on the committee about the importance of this bill.]
This bill would classify certain wipes, using wipes-industry standards as “non-flushable.” H. 805 would mandate that those wipes that do not meet industry standards for dispersibility have prominent, mandatory “Do Not Flush” labelling, following NACWA labeling guidelines. These bills include strong, specific language that has already become law in California and Washington states.
You may wonder why this bill is important to our _____________________ system. Here’s an example of the problem that these wipes have caused in our system: (Example if you have one).
Massachusetts sewers face avoidable costs for clogs, fouled pumps and resulting sanitary sewer overflows. As the popularity of various wipes increases and users flush them, these costs will increase.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of wipes increased greatly, causing dangerous clogs and public health issues for sewer systems. Since the early 2000s, wipes have been aggressively marketed as a replacement for toilet paper, mops, cleaning brushes and rags. This multi-billion-dollar industry[1] has had disastrous impacts on local sewer systems.
H. 805 targets only wipes and other products that are not flushable according to industry. Unlike toilet paper, wipes are not “dispersible” in normal sewer conditions. Many such products are labeled “flushable.” Clogs and fouling from flushed wipes costs sewer operators in Massachusetts nearly $10 million annually. Many baby wipes and other non-flushable wipe products are made of plastic, not wood pulp. Wipes should be properly and clearly labeled so that consumers know they should not be flushed.
Additional information is on this fact sheet: https://files.engineers.org/file/Wipes-Fact-Sheet-2024-4770.pdf, including a list of associations representing thousands of water and sewer system workers, engineers, and contractors.
While Massachusetts is receiving additional federal funding to help our aging systems, passage of H. 805 will help us to direct the funding to major projects that municipal systems have needed to build for years. We need to target the federal funding to bigger issues like PFAS remediation and CSOs (Combined Sewer Overflows). Passage of H. 805 would help to keep federal funding focused on these projects, rather than on clearing clogs and replacing pumps and pipes damaged by wipes.
If you have any questions, my contact info is below.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Name, Firm, Work email or home email, A good daytime phone to verify
Remember to edit this message for your State Senator:
Subject: Request for Support of S. 480, An Act protecting wastewater and sewerage systems through the labeling of non-flushable wipes
Dear Senator _______________,
I am writing to ask you to contact the Senate Committee on Ways and Means and urge them to support S. 480, An Act protecting wastewater and sewerage systems through the labeling of non-flushable wipes: https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/S480. We are asking the Senate Committee on Ways and Means to give this bill a favorable report and bring to House floor for a vote as soon as possible. [If your State Senator is a member of Senate Committee on Ways and Means, then note that you are asking them to talk to their committee leaders and colleagues on the committee about the importance of this bill.]
This bill would classify certain wipes, using wipes-industry standards as “non-flushable.” H. 805 would mandate that those wipes that do not meet industry standards for dispersibility have prominent, mandatory “Do Not Flush” labelling, following NACWA labeling guidelines. These bills include strong, specific language that has already become law in California and Washington states.
You may wonder why this bill is important to our _____________________ system. Here’s an example of the problem that these wipes have caused in our system: (Example if you have one).
Massachusetts sewers face avoidable costs for clogs, fouled pumps and resulting sanitary sewer overflows. As the popularity of various wipes increases and users flush them, these costs will increase.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of wipes increased greatly, causing dangerous clogs and public health issues for sewer systems. Since the early 2000s, wipes have been aggressively marketed as a replacement for toilet paper, mops, cleaning brushes and rags. This multi-billion-dollar industry[1] has had disastrous impacts on local sewer systems.
S. 480 targets only wipes and other products that are not flushable according to industry. Unlike toilet paper, wipes are not “dispersible” in normal sewer conditions. Many such products are labeled “flushable.” Clogs and fouling from flushed wipes costs sewer operators in Massachusetts nearly $10 million annually. Many baby wipes and other non-flushable wipe products are made of plastic, not wood pulp. Wipes should be properly and clearly labeled so that consumers know they should not be flushed.
Additional information is on this fact sheet: https://files.engineers.org/file/Wipes-Fact-Sheet-2024-4770.pdf, including a list of associations representing thousands of water and sewer system workers, engineers, and contractors.
While Massachusetts is receiving additional federal funding to help our aging systems, passage of S. 480 will help us to direct the funding to major projects that municipal systems have needed to build for years. We need to target the federal funding to bigger issues like PFAS remediation and CSOs (Combined Sewer Overflows). Passage of S. 480 would help to keep federal funding focused on these projects, rather than on clearing clogs and replacing pumps and pipes damaged by wipes.
If you have any questions, my contact info is below.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Name, Firm, Work email or home email, A good daytime phone to verify
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