THE GREEN BUDGET
ANNOTATED FY99 MASSACHUSETTS ENVIRONMENTAL
BUDGET PROPOSAL
INTRODUCTION
The Environmental League first presented the Green Budget at a press conference early this year, prior to the release of House 1. It is an array of proposed additions to current environmental spending totaling $19.9 million that is the first step in rectifying the cumulative shortfall in the environmental operating budget over the last ten years, the state’s "Environmental Deficit."
Our analysis compared spending for state environmental programs with all other state spending for the last ten years. It revealed that environmental programs were not funded as well as state programs generally. Had the environmental budget simply matched the average state program for this period, an additional $234 million would have been spent on a range of programs from hazardous waste site cleanups to state parks to recycling. Despite widespread popular concern about the environment, the state spent less than one cent out of every dollar of the state’s budget for the period from FY89 to FY98.
Environmental spending has not only suffered by comparison to other state programs, it has not even kept up with inflation. Our analysis also found that despite many new environmental initiatives over the last decade -- including major new legislation on toxics, hazardous waste, watershed protection, rivers, and open space -- the state environmental budgets had lost more than $100 million in purchasing power over the ten years since FY89.
The following budget proposal is offered by the Environmental League of Massachusetts to assist the legislature in preparing the operating budget for FY99. In total, it would add less than 1/10 of 1 percent to the state budget as whole, but would go a long way in protecting our air, land, and water. The goal is a budget that will allow the state to fulfill the promise of the many excellent laws and programs the legislature has created. All dollar figures are recommended additions to the amounts in the respective line items in the current year’s (FY98) budget. Also, current budget levels should be adjusted upward for inflation, since level funding would actually reduce purchasing power, even in a time of relatively low inflation.
EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS
2000-0100 For implementation of the Watershed Initiative, including a new Science and Technology Center to provide technical support to basin teams under the Watershed Initiative, and for technical assistance contracts with the Massachusetts Water Watch Partnership......................................................................$1,575,000
The Watershed Initiative is a restructuring of the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs (EOEA) along watershed lines. The Initiative highlights issues of non-point source pollution, water conservation and open space protection. Twenty basin team leaders coordinate the activities of various EOEA agencies within their respective watersheds and are the state contact for local community environmental issues.
The Science and Technology Center will be the principal vehicle for networking the basin teams across the Commonwealth. Primarily, the Center will serve as a repository for watershed data -- compiling it into a usable, standard format that will be easily accessible. Also, the Center will provide technical expertise to basin teams and community organizations. Initially, expertise will take the form of providing protocols for collecting data, but is expected to evolve into a program with five to eight resident experts available for particular technical questions as well as an advisory board which will consider long-range strategic issues. By bringing together all this data and resources, the Watershed Initiative will better equip state agencies, local governments, and citizens to make critical environmental decisions.
The Massachusetts Water Watch Partnership (MWWP) provides technical assistance and training to citizens groups monitoring water quality in each watershed. With less than two full-time staff, MWWP currently supports groups in all stages of water quality testing including guidance in what to test for, how to collect samples, quality assurance/quality control plans, and the interpretation of data. Implementation of the Watershed Initiative is expected to increase the burden on their already limited resources. This new funding will be used to increase staff from 1.8 to 3 FTEs, provide additional laboratory supplies, and defray the costs of lab services.
2000-0100 For personnel, coordination, training for water quality monitoring, and coastwide monitoring, including beach monitoring for fecal coliform ................................................................................................................$300,000
Coastal tourists spend $1.5 billion each year, and commercial and recreational fishing generates hundreds of millions more for the state economy. Much of this revenue is dependent upon a healthy, unpolluted coastal environment, yet a broad-scale monitoring program across the Massachusetts coast is practically nonexistent. Only $60,000 in grants is currently available to coastal monitoring groups with a limit of $5,000 on each grant award. Without additional funding, organizations such as the Coalition for Buzzards Bay, which monitors about one quarter of the Commonwealth’s shoreline, will be unable to continue work that produces important knowledge and sound policy recommendations.
The new funds will serve four purposes: 1) expanded support for the current efforts at coordinating state monitoring, including the creation of a position to collect monitoring data. 2) increased grants to citizen monitoring groups, including multi-year funding. Initial grants have gone largely to purchase field equipment. Now groups need cointinuing operating funds. 3) the setting of standards for monitoring and analysis, including money to distribute this information and train appropriate parties on proper protocol and quality assurance. Standards and technical assistance are critical to getting quality information collection. 4) the creation of a state database to collect data, once mointoring processes are standardized. This allows for baselines to be set, and data analysis to be done so we can determine where and why things are getting better or worse environmentally.
2000-0100 For a new program of "Green Local Aid," to assist local planning personnel in retaining expertise to inform decision-making regarding natural resources ................................................................................................................$500,000
Very often, cities and towns are faced with proposals for development that they are ill-equipped to deal with. They lack the technical sophistication to evaluate plans and do not have the funds to retain expert personnel. The $500,000 would fund a new grant program, to be administered by the Secretary of Environmental Affairs, for communities to obtain this assistance, which can make all the difference in controlling their future. The funding would be available upon application, with a short turn-around time, to municipalities that have prepared local master plans.
2000-0100 For additional funding for MassGIS.........................................................$400,000
MassGIS is the geographic information system which provides Commonwealth agencies, the public, and private companies with a comprehensive, statewide database of spatial information used for environmental planning, management, research, and waste site assessment. MassGIS collects and maps natural resource, demographic, building, and infrastructure data for use in planning and developing policies and programs. GIS can be used to improve stewardship of natural resources, support land-use planning and regional growth management, assist with energy resources planning and service delivery, automate land records, aid in the process of hazardous waste site cleanup, plan transportation infrastructure, and support watershed based management.
Currently the Office is funded by revenue from selling maps, charge-backs from services provided to other state agencies and funds from the 1996 Open Space Bond. The first step in developing a coordinated and comprehensive GIS network involving all levels of government is to transfer the five temporary, contract staff to a core of permanent, general revenue-funded positions.
2010-0100 For additional funding for municipal recycling incentive programs (100% Clean Environment Fund)...............................................................................$3,000,000
Even though the entire Clean Environment Fund was originally intended solely for recycling purposes, the state currently designates less than one-half of the approximately $16 million in unclaimed bottle deposits for recycling programs. Restoring full funding to implement innovative programs, such as the municipal recycling incentive program (MRIP), will help the state move from 33% recycling to meet the fast-approaching year 2000 deadline for achieving its 46% recycling goal.
MRIP is a performance-based grants program that will provide funds to cities that meet eligibility criteria designed to increase access to and participation in recycling programs. It is based on a successful three-year pilot program for the communities in the North East Solid Waste Committee (NESWC). Fifteen municipalities that participated through the first two years of the NESWC program demonstrated a 16% increase in the amount of materials diverted through recycling programs.
Qualifying municipalities will receive a per ton incentive payment for each ton of designated materials they recycle, with a cap on total annual payments per municipality. Eligibility criteria increase in subsequent years of the program, requiring municipalities to make greater investments in recycling programs or buy-recycled efforts to receive future incentive payments. Presently, eligibility criteria include "buy recycled programs," commercial recycling, school recycling, and multi-family unit recycling.
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
2100-2030 Additional funding for the operational, staffing and maintenance needs of the Division of Forests and Parks................................................................$5,750,000
The Department of Environmental Management (DEM) is responsible for some 173 parks, reservations, and forests encompassing over 271,000 acres of land, including 20 swimming pools and 18 ice skating rinks. Even as we are celebrating the centennial year of the Forests & Parks System in Massachusetts, great concern persists regarding its future considering the current state of relative decay, and flagging resources that are essential to maintaining a safe and enjoyable system. For many years, the operating budget for the state Forests & Parks has been the target for cutbacks. This has led to glaring shortcomings in the Department’s service to the public.
For many years, the Department has been forced to use capital monies to effect routine maintenance, repair and rehabilitation because its annual operating budget is insufficient to cover these needs. Some $2 million annually of capital money is spent to keep park facilities in line with minimal public health and safety standards. The projects range from repairing bathrooms to fixing boilers to buying gravel. Expending capital dollars for short-term operational expenses reduces the amount available for long-term capital improvements. In the meantime, the Commonwealth’s taxpayers have incurred long-term debt to pay for routine repairs.
Most park facilities barely have enough staff to have one person on hand 7 days a week, 8 hours a day. In some cases, such as in Upton State Forest and Spencer State Forest, there are no staff on hand to monitor the park. Based on a study commissioned by the state, the park system is understaffed by at least 40 positions. This field staff is critical to the daily safety and maintenance of our parks system.
The Bureau of Ranger Services presently employs only two people to patrol over 200,000 acres of land across the Commonwealth. This is clearly inadequate to cover their range of responsibilities which include the enforcement of park rules and regulations, search and rescue, park patrol and public contact, and communication support.
In addition to these examples of how the state has fallen short of its responsibility to maintain this tremendous resource, consider how Massachusetts compares to other states in its parks spending. Based on the 1998 State & Local Sourcebook, Massachusetts ranks 47th in the nation for forest and parks spending. If this number were adjusted to reflect per capita income, Massachusetts is dead last in the nation. Doesn’t this landmark system that is enjoyed and appreciated by so many deserve better? The $5,750,000 would allow the state to hire the needed 40 full-time parks staff and to commit an additional $4,550,000 to park maintenance.
2100-2030 For permanent staffing related to the Boston Harbor Islands.....................$100,000
The Boston Harbor Islands are a wonderful natural resource. A short ferry ride from downtown Boston, the Islands boast opportunities for recreational, natural, and historical experiences. Of the sixteen islands, six are staffed and open for public use. Three are under the management of DEM -- Gallop’s, Bumpkin, and Grape, and three are under the management of the Metropolitan District Commission (MDC) -- George’s, Lovell’s, and Peddock’s. The parks are open to pre-scheduled school group visits in the spring and fall, and are available for general public access from Memorial Day to Labor Day from 10am-5:45pm.
Unfortunately, insufficient staffing of the Islands has provided a less than ideal experience for many visitors. In the fall and spring last year, it was not a rare occurrence that a single nature intepreter would be reponsible for guiding on the order of 600 students through the park. As of Memorial Day last year, the Islands were not ready for business. All the necessary repairs and maintenance had not been completed including grounds maintenance, restoration of winter vandalism to signs and plants, and sufficient maintenance of infrastructure, such as the fresh water system for George’s. Nevertheless, more than 100,000 people took a ferry boat from Boston, the North Shore, or South Shore to George’s Island and beyond. It is anticipated that this number will grow to 500,000 by the year 2000. If the state is to meet the growing public demand for access, new resources must be allocated to maintain and protect them.
The proposed increases for permanent and seasonal staff (see line item 2100-3010 below) for both DEM and MDC (see also line items 2440-1000 and 2440-5000 below) will go toward increasing summer maintenance staff, interpretative staff, and permanent staff on islands that are already accessible to the public. Further staff will be required in all three categories with the opening of Great Brewster and Calf Islands.
2100-2050(new) For the Urban Forestry Program and a new state initiative of planting urban shade trees (will augment federal grant funds appropriated at 2120-9807) ....................................................................................................$150,000
The Urban Forestry Program assists municipalities and nonprofits in building support for the long-term protection and management of community trees and forests. This includes working one-on-one with constituents to develop tree report inventories, management plans, public education campaigns, and expertise in tree planting. Since 1990, with $2 million support from federal and private funds, the Program has led to planting of some 10,000 street trees across 120 municipalities.
The new state initiative for planting urban shade trees is a grant program which strictly funds the purchase of trees and requires matching funds from the municipality. Eligibility criteria include the existence of a three-year management/maintenance plan and evidence of a steady tree planting effort over time. In the most recent round of requests for spring planting projects, the Program received 120 grant applications. Funding all these requests, which would provide approximately 4300 trees in total, would require $450,000.
2100-3010 For the summer and fall seasonal hires of the Department for the purpose of staffing the Boston Harbor Islands...........................................................$150,000
(see discussion for line 2100-2030 above)
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
2200-0100 For a new program of "Green Local Aid" to provide "circuit riders" and other assistance to local conservation commissions in implementing the Wetlands and Rivers Protection Acts.............................................................................$600,000
This program was first conceived with federal money. In the pilot program a DEP staff person worked with conservation commissioners and other local officials in the western part of the state in implementing the Wetlands Protection Act and in dealing with other local environmental problems. Although the Program was a success, it was discontinued once the federal funds had been spent.
Conservation commissions, which are largely staffed by volunteers, are now in the process of implementing the Rivers Protection Act. It is vital that the state provide support for this important statutory responsibility. Furthermore, conservation commissions must implement the storm water standards, an essential element of the Massachusetts nonpoint source pollution control program. Conservation commissions and site designers need training and technical support to effectively and efficiently implement these standards.
The $600,000 would meet two needs: 1) the hiring of eight circuit rider positions statewide who would work with conservation commissions, attend commission meetings, provide technical support and conduct training; and 2) the preparation of statewide maps showing the rivers and streams in each town. More accurate maps would save time and costs and reduce disputes as to which rivers and streams are subject regulation.
2200-0100 To provide technical assistance to communities with hazardous waste sites ................................................................................................................$300,000
Cities and towns rarely have the expertise to comment on proposed cleanups of hazardous waste sites. Communities have little or no understanding of issues such as risk assessment, what type of information to ask for, how to obtain and evaluate reports, and how the results of a cleanup compare to regulatory requirements. Furthermore, there is no funding available to contract for such expertise. This line item would be used to fund a new grant program for communities to obtain this assistance. The funding would be administered by DEP and be available to municipalities upon application.
2200-0100(new) Additional funds to audit private laboratories that test drinking water samples and for the DEP Lawrence Lab for analyzing citizen monitoring program samples..........................................................................$700,000
In accordance with the Safe Drinking Water Act, the state is required to provide for the testing of its drinking water. Instead of Lawrence Labs directly conducting the analysis of samples, beginning in 1991 the state privatized the process. Currently, there are over 200 certified laboratories testing drinking water samples in Massachusetts. EPA requires that these labs are audited once every three years. The audit process involves a one to two day on-site inspection followed by a write-up of the results, a document that averages 40 pages and requires approximately a month to compile. The audited lab then must respond to concerns which subsequently must be reviewed by the Lawrence Lab staff. Depending on the results, certification may be downgraded or revoked. During the last round of audits, it took the Lawrence Lab staff of 2.5 FTEs 3.5 years to complete the process.
With the help of an additional FTE, who joined in December, the Lab is now embarking on the second round of audits. The audits will only be completed within the required time period if done to the exclusion of the staff’s other duties. Other primary responsibilities include enforcement actions, review and revision of regulations, and certification protocols. The certification protocol is particularly time-consuming, involving the review of applications, quality assurance plans, and performance evaluation studies. To complete audits on time as well as other responsibilities requires the addition of 1.5 FTEs.
A similar concern exists for staff that is responsible for analyzing citizen monitoring samples. Currently, there are 9 FTE scientists handling 2-3,000 watershed samples per year, as well as environmental strike force work, and hazardous waste site discovery work for 70-100 sites per year. Because the laboratory is highly automated, they are able to cover much of their workload, however, they have to turn some away, such as 10-20 sites per year dealing with site discovery. With the further establishment of the Watershed Initiative, citizen monitoring is expected to increase initially by about 5,000 samples. Three to four FTEs are required to continue existing responsibilities and deal with this additional workload.
2200-0100 Additional funds for improved compliance oversight and enforcement efforts, including dedicated staffing to manage the Environmental Results Program ................................................................................................................$950,000
The state has several important regulatory innovation efforts underway, the Environmental Results Program, the Toxics Use Reduction Program, the INFO 2001 program, just to name a few. However, DEP’s staff are pulled in too many directions and need more help if they are to successfully implement the new programs and demonstrate their value in providing greater environmental protection with less cost and delay for regulated businesses. The $950,000 will fund 17 new positions, including four staff for the ERP, three for INFO 2001, and ten for compliance and enforcement staff in DEP’s regional offices, as well as associated expenses.
2260-8870 Additional funds for site assessment under 21E and for Tier IA cleanups, inspections and emergency response......................................................$1,000,000
$250,000 of the funds would be used to hire 4-5 additional staff positions. One new position would be assigned to each regional office to work on Tier IA sites. This would allow DEP to assign another 40 Tier IA sites to staff for oversight of response actions, leaving about 20 sites waiting for staff assignments.
$750,000 would allow DEP to hire 12-14 additional FTEs to increase the program’s capacity to identify sites that may become Tier IA sites, to compel the start of response actions in the Massachusetts Contingency Plan system by responsible parties (which may also result in the identification of additional Tier I sites) and to coordinate these efforts statewide. The added positions would be assigned as follows:
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES, WILDLIFE AND ENVIRONMENTAL LAW ENFORCEMENT
2300-0101 Additional funds for the Riverways Program, including restoration of the small grants program.........................................................................................$200,000
The primary activity of the Riverways Program is to provide technical assistance and outreach to communities, citizens groups and others on various aspects of river, stream and watershed protection, restoration and stewardship. The proposed increase in funds will be targeted to the following five programs:
2310-0500 Additional funds for Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program for technical assistance for endangered species & biodiversity conservation, and fund promotion (New fund split for entire line item: 33 1/3 % each from the Inland Fish and Game Fund, the Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Fund, and the General Fund...........................................................................................$106,000
Part of this appropriation would provide technical assistance and small grants to conservation commissions, municipalities, land trusts, and nonprofits to actively protect endangered species, their habitats, and other elements of the state’s biodiversity. If the state helped these organizations work proactively today to manage for biodiversity, then endangered species would not need costly recovery actions later. As an example, these funds could help towns manage their public beaches so as to protect the endangered Piping Plover’s nesting area.
In 1996, 32,000 income tax filers in Massachusetts donated to the Natural Heritage & Endangered Species (NHESP) Fund on their income tax forms. However, contributions have declined over 33% over the last six years. Endangered wildlife conservation needs the continued support of a knowledgeable public. This appropriation would allow for the production of educational materials about the state’s rare wildlife conservation programs and would seek to increase public support for these programs in the form of continued contributions on Massachusetts’ income tax forms.
2315-0101(new) For the cost associated with environmental impact review by the Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program, especially for its new jurisdictional area added by the Rivers Protection Act, and for certification of vernal pools..............................................................................$300,000
With the passage of the Rivers Protection Act, there is an increase in the workload of the Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program (NHESP). The NHESP presently reviews all Notices of Intent that are proposed within Estimated Habitat for rare wildlife, about 500 individual reviews a year. With the designation of the Riverfront as a new resource area, there is a considerable amount of new jurisdictional area with Estimated Habitat for rare wildlife. Hence, the workload on the presently overextended NHESP staff increases. Furthermore, NHESP has never received any directed revenue or fees to implement its Wetlands Protection Act responsibilities. NHESP needs a full-time environmental review position.
Vernal pools are temporary bodies of freshwater that provide critical habitat for many wildlife species. To receive protection afforded under the Wetlands Protection Act, each pool must be individually certified. This regulatory task has never been adequately funded since its inception in 1987. The proposed increase would allow for a Vernal Pool Biologist position to review the hundreds of observation forms submitted by the public, to certify the qualifying pools, to update data records, and to notify conservation commissions, DEP, and the public about the location and importance of certified pools.
NHESP has identified critical habitats, but has not been able to designate such areas, according to the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act, because of insufficient staff and funds for assessing information on appropriate ecological boundaries, surveying property boundaries, writing and processing the designation documents and regulation, and organizing public hearings. Staff is also needed to review alteration permits within areas designated as Significant Habitat. Designations will only be possible by hiring a biologist and legal assistant positions and financing of surveys, title searches, and other associated costs.
An additional benefit to having the work completed is the avoidance of last-minute "surprise" discoveries of species at development sites. The certainty of information generated with these additional staff will help developers in the planning process and avoid costly delays.
2350-0100 Additional funding for the office of environmental law enforcement, to be used to fill 24 environmental police officer positions..........................................$1,350,000
The environmental police, through inland officers, coastal officers and marine patrol vessels, are responsible for enforcing all environmental laws, rules and regulations relating to hunting, commercial and recreational fishing, shellfishing, boating, wetlands protection, hazardous waste and illegal dumping. Currently, there are at least fifteen Environmental Police Districts that are not assigned officers and thus unpatrolled by police officers trained specifically in environmental law. Statewide there are approximately 43 vacancies; the $1.35 million would fill slightly more than half of them in FY99.
METROPOLITAN DISTRICT COMMISSION
2440-0010 Additional staffing and maintenance of the Metropolitan District Commission parks and recreation division.................................................................$2,000,000
The Metropolitan District Commission (MDC) manages and operates over 14,000 acres of reservations, 84 miles of waterways, 33 miles of beach or ocean front, 3 harbor islands, and almost 5,000 acres of recreational parks and open spaces. The Commission contains a number of nationally significant sites and many of its facilities are either individually on the National Historic Register of Historic Places or they are included as part of a historic district. MDC also operates 22 indoor ice rinks, 18 outdoor swimming pools, two golf courses, 50 regional athletic fields and over 70 tennis, handball, and basketball courts.
During a period of growth in the park system not seen since its initial acquisitions during the 1890s, the parks operating budget declined 31% from 1988 to 1995, and full time staffing declined 38%. Based on the Management Review commissioned by the state, MDC parks are currently understaffed by 47 positions. Concerns in this time of understaffing include: 1) slow response to complaints; 2) unclearly marked park lands; 3) poor preventative maintenance; and 4) security and anti-social behavior in the parks. The $2 million would allow the state to hire 47 full-time parks staff and to commit an additional $600,000 to park maintenance.
2440-1000 Funds for permanent staffing related to the Boston Harbor Islands...........$100,000
(see discussion for item 2100-2030 above)
2440-5000 For the summer and fall seasonal hires of the Department for the purpose of staffing the Boston Harbor Islands...........................................................$150,000
(see discussion for item 2100-2030 above)
DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE
2511-3002 Funds for implementing Integrated Pest Management in buildings operated by the Commonwealth..................................................................$200,000
IPM is a very promising set of methods for controlling pests with the limited use of dangerous chemicals. The state’s own buildings provide an excellent demonstration site for IPM; this would also be very much in keeping with the Weld-Cellucci Administration’s "Clean State" program, which seeks to hold the state to high standards of environmental performance. The $200,000 would fund a pilot project on IPM within a small number of state facilities.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We would not have been able to produce the Green Budget without the help of many committed and knowledgeable staff members of the state’s environmental agencies and the state legislature. We are also grateful to many members of the Massachusetts Environmental Collaborative, including Alternatives for Community and Environment, the Appalachian Mountain Club, the Association for the Preservation of Cape Cod, the Berkshire Natural Resources Council, the Coalition for Buzzards Bay, The Environmental Diversity Forum, Historic Massachusetts, Inc., the Nashua River Watershed Association, Save the Harbor/Save the Bay, the Sudbury Valley Trustees, and the Surfrider Foundation, who lent their considerable expertise and insight to the project.
The Massachusetts Environmental Collaborative brings together over twenty-five environmental organizations from around the commonwealth to improve our combined research, advocacy, and communication capabilities. The participating groups include land trusts, coastal protection groups, environmental justice organizations, watershed associations, and other resource conservation and environmental health groups.