2200-0100 Environmental Protection Administration

For the operation of the department of environmental protection, including the environmental strike force, the bureau of planning and evaluation, the bureau of resource protection, the bureau of waste prevention, the Senator William X. Wall Experiment Station and a contract with the University of Massachusetts for environmental research; provided, that section 3B of chapter 7 of the General Laws shall not apply to fees established in section 18 of chapter 21A of the General Laws; provided further, that not less than $250,000 shall be expended for the continued implementation of the Aqueous Film-Forming Foam Take-Back program that funds the collection and proper disposal of aqueous film-forming foam stored by municipal fire departments and other public safety partners; provided further, that not less than $150,000 shall be expended to the metropolitan area planning council for efforts to promote drinking water sustainability and aquifer protection in the Ipswich river watershed; and provided further, that not later than February 3, 2023, the department shall submit a report to the house and senate committees on ways and means detailing: (i) the status of hiring of additional staff; (ii) the staffing levels of the department for the last 10 fiscal years; (iii) the number of enforcement actions for serious violations and fine collections compared to the previous 10 fiscal years; and (iv) recommendations for the additional resources needed to fulfill the department's enforcement responsibilities