Support Climate Superfund bills, H.1014 and S.588.
The following is testimony given by the undersigned to the Massachusetts State House Joint Committee for Environment and Natural Resources on September 2, 2025..
Good Afternoon, Chair Barber, Chair Rausch and Honorable Members of the Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources.
My name is Mona Phillips, and I live in Fairhaven, a small town located on the Massachusetts Southcoast. I am affiliated with The Climate Reality Project and 350 Mass.
Thank you for the opportunity to testify on my strong support for the Climate Superfund bills, H.1014 and S.588. These bills will help Massachusetts communities prepare for the damaging climate change effects Big Fossil Fuel companies predicted 50 years ago.
The Southcoast includes 11 communities along Buzzards Bay, with a total population of over 320,000. The Port of New Bedford, the largest $$ grossing fishery in the US, and Dartmouth’s UMASS campus are both located here. In 2023, 52M visitors enjoyed our beaches, marinas, nature preserves and museums. There’s a lot going on here we need to protect.
Fairhaven is a purple town, but despite diverse political views, we share a common living experience with our neighbors. We’ve…
SEEN: beach erosion and salt marsh degradation
LIVED: through more severe and frequent storms
EXPERIENCED: the flooding/ drought see-saw that’s the NEW NORMAL
Like other towns, Fairhaven has developed mitigation plans to protect our community. I’ll highlight one.
This is a $100 million infrastructure plan to raise a town-owned, structurally sound causeway nine feet, preserving the only evacuation route for Fairhaven West Island residents. Without Superfund support, the enormous cost of this project will fall on local taxpayers.
This is one project in one small town. Extrapolate this out across the State and the tax burden is staggering.
For the past 50 years,the fossil fuel industry has pursued a delay strategy of climate change denial, skepticism, and more recently promoting non-starter carbon capture and hydrogen energy technologies. These technologies will not address global warming but will allow the six largest fossil fuel polluters in our State to continue amassing record profits selling more climate damaging product.
When you were a kid, and you spilled your milk, what would you do?
You’d clean it up!!! It’s that simple.
We’re asking the top six fossil fuel companies to take responsibility for the damage their products have caused by funding Massachusetts’ mitigation and resilience projects.
BUT… they won’t do it unless they’re legislated to. Please support the Climate Superfund bills.
Thank you for your consideration.
Mona Phillips, Fairhaven
•••
Click here to download the 11/13/25 issue: 11-13-25 VetsDay
Support local journalism, donate to the Neighb News with PayPal
