On July 16, the Massachusetts House and Senate enacted the final version of the Mosquito Control Reform bill and this week the Governor signed the bill into law. Proposed by Governor Baker in April, the original bill would have dramatically expanded the state’s authority to eradicate mosquitoes by chemical spraying. The bill would have allowed the Mosquito Reclamation Board, upon making a determination that there is an elevated risk of arbovirus, to spray pesticides anywhere in the state, with no advance notice, and no requirement to allow an opt-out process for spraying.
The revised bill builds in several strong protections for both the environment and human health in this legislation including advance public notice prior to spraying, the ability for municipalities to opt out of spraying, and the establishment of a Mosquito Control for the Twenty-First Century Task Force to create a modernized mosquito management system.
Read more about the bill on the Massachusetts River Alliance website.
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