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BEACON HILL BEAT
JULY 2005

GOVERNOR ROMNEY APPOINTS THREE NEW CABINET MEMBERS

On July 7th, Governor Mitt Romney appointed three people to fill open positions in his Cabinet. Romney appointed Thomas Trimarco Secretary of Administration & Finance (A & F), Stephen Pritchard Secretary of the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs (EOEA), and Timothy Murphy Secretary of Human Services.

Mr. Trimarco is currently a member of the Springfield Finance Control Board, a five-person board responsible for restoring stability to the city’s finances. From 1990 to 1998, Trimarco served as First Deputy Treasurer of the Commonwealth. In that capacity, he acted as Chairman-designee of the Massachusetts Pension Reserve Investment Management Board and the State Board of Retirement. Prior to joining state government, Trimarco was a partner at Gaston & Snow. Before that, he was Assistant General Counsel to then US Secretary of Transportation Volpe from 1970 to 1973. When Volpe became US Ambassador to Italy, Trimarco joined him in Rome as Embassy Counsel from 1973 to 1977.

Mr. Pritchard was appointed Acting Commissioner of the Department of Conservation and Recreation in February, 2005. Prior to the DCR assignment, Pritchard was Chief Operating Officer/Chief of Staff for the Secretary of Environmental Affairs, where he worked on key initiatives including environmental permitting reform, world class parks and ocean management. Prior to state government, Pritchard spent most of his career working in business development and operations in the energy sector. He led the development and permitting of one of the cleanest combined cycle natural gas power production facilities in the country at Infrastructure Development Company. Pritchard was also a vice president of operations at Intercontinental Energy Corporation, where he managed multiple energy production facilities.

Mr. Murphy is the Director of Policy in the Governor’s Office, working on education, job stimulus and transportation agendas, and has been focusing on the Governor’s health care reform efforts. As the Governor’s point person for health care policy, Murphy is working closely with hospital, business and government leaders in reforming the health care market to make insurance more affordable and widely available to all citizens. Prior to this position, Murphy was the Director of Capital in the Executive Office for Administration and Finance, where he advised on capital investment, managed the state’s annual $1.3 billion capital budget and worked with the Office of Treasurer to oversee the Commonwealth’s debt program. Before joining the Romney Administration, Murphy was a Vice President in the Investment Banking Division of J.P. Morgan in New York City. He also served as a legislative aide and budget analyst for the Massachusetts Senate Committee on Ways and Means from 1989 to 1992.

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$23.8 BILLION FY 2006 BUDGET SIGNED INTO LAW

On the last day of fiscal year 2005, June 30th, Governor Romney signed the $23.8 billion FY 2006 state budget into law. The Governor stated, "I want to congratulate the Legislature for sending me a budget that is on time and balanced. Because of strong fiscal management and an improving state economy, Massachusetts has its fiscal house in order.”" Overall the budget is a 3.5% increase compared to last year’s budget and includes a $251 million increase in local aid and a $2.5 million increase to the Commonwealth Rate Relief Fund. Rate Relief helps to offset sewer rates for municipalities throughout Massachusetts. Last year, this line item was funded at $10 million and, in the finalized FY 2006 budget, that amount was increased to $12.5 million.

In addition, the Water Pollution Abatement Trust (WPAT) Clean Water Assistance was funded at over $55 million, the WPAT Drinking Water Contract Assistance was funded at over $9 million, and the WPAT Grandfathered Drinking Water Contract Assistance was funded at over $7.8 million. UCANE also supports increased funding for staffing levels and operating costs for the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) which helps municipalities address environmental concerns. The DEP’s general account was increased from $28.3 million in FY 2005 to over $30.1 million in FY 2006.

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MWRA RELEASES ANNUAL WATER QUALITY REPORT

In mid-June the MWRA released their annual drinking water quality report describing how the Authority treats, tests, and delivers drinking water to their ratepayers. The MWRA and local water authorities conduct over 500 tests on drinking water each week, testing for over 120 contaminants. The few test results that identify contaminants were well below the EPA standards set on the national level. As a result of the completed construction of the MetroWest Tunnel and the Norumbega Water Storage Tanks, drinking water provided by the MWRA is protected and never sees the light of day once it leaves the Wachusett Reservoir until it comes out of faucets.

Below are some MWRA test results, none of which are violations of state or federal water quality restrictions. Further information on MWRA’s water quality can be found at www.mwra.com

MWRA Water Test Results - After Treatment

MCL = Maximum Contaminant Level
MCLG = Maximum Contaminant Level Goal
MRDL = Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level
MRDLG = Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal
ppm = parts per million
ppb = parts per billion
Avg =Average
^ = In over 10 years of testing, benzene has never been found anywhere in the MWRA water supply. Based on testing results, there appears to have been a short duration contamination issue between 12/3-/04 and 1/10/05. The contaminants found were all below health concerns and federal and state standards, and were found for only a short period of time.
* = During the testing of the new Walnut Hill Treatment Plant, there was a 4-hour increase in fluoride levels. There was no health concern with this temporary increase, and levels quickly returned to normal.

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LUISA PAIEWONSKY APPOINTED COMMISSIONER OF MA HIGHWAY

In late June, Governor Romney appointed Luisa Paiewonsky Commissioner of the Massachusetts Highway Department. She replaces John Cogliano who has since become the new Secretary of Transportation. Previously Ms. Paiewonsky served as the Executive Office of Transportation Assistant Secretary. As Highway Commissioner, Paiewonsky will manage 1,850 employees and has responsibility over 9,500 lane miles of roadway and more than 2,800 bridges. MassHighway has a combined annual capital and operating budget of $890 million. Among the key projects that Paiewonsky will be advancing as Commissioner are the elimination of the Sagamore Rotary, the Route 128 add-a-lane project between Randolph and Wellesley, and the $166 million Brightman Street Bridge replacement between Fall River and Somerset.

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~FEDERAL LEVEL~

SENATE APPROVES $1.1 BILLION FOR THE CLEAN WATER SRF PROGRAM

On June 28th, the Senate passed, on a 94-0 vote, the Department of Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriation Act (HR 2361). This act provides $26.21 billion in discretionary funding, which is $99.5 million above the House’s version and $534.3 million above President Bush’s request. Due to the Appropriations Subcommittee reorganization, this year’s bill includes funding for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). HR 2361 provides $1.1 billion for the Clean Water SRF Program which is $370 million above the administration’s request and $250 million above the House’s appropriation which was approved on May 19th. Two years ago, this program was funded at $1.35 billion, and last year, in what was called a "one time cut" the program was funded at $1.1 billion. UCANE encourages the New England Delegation to support the $1.1 billion figure during the House/Senate Conference Committee.

- Archived News -

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