Rep Peake has filed amendment #243 to H5007, the Economic Development Bill, that adds to the bill the transformative provisions of the Governor’s allocation of $200 million to Cape Cod to support municipal wastewater projects and to provide much needed support to Cape homeowners with the cost of sewer connections and septic upgrades. This is the most important and transformational proposal we have seen since the creation of the Cape and Islands Trust and we need to let the Ways and Means Committee know how important this is to Cape Cod. Please call the office of House Ways and Means Chair, Aaron Michlewitz tonight or first thing tomorrow morning at 617 722-2990 and voice your support for Rep. Peake’s amendment (see below)

Amendment #243 to H5007 Cape and Islands Water Protection
Ms. Peake of Provincetown move to amend the bill in section 2A, in item 1599-6079, by inserting at the end the following: “provided further, that $200,000,000 shall be expended for costs associated with planning and implementing water pollution abatement projects undertaken by towns who are members of the Cape Cod and Islands Water Protection Fund and which are subject to the 2015 Section 208 Cape Cod Areawide Water Quality Management Plan Update approved by the United States Environmental Protection Agency or a suitable equivalent plan as determined by the department of environmental protection; provided, that, in order to be eligible for funding in this item, projects must be deemed by the department to be consistent with the 2015 Section 208 Cape Cod Areawide Water Quality Management Plan Update or a suitable equivalent; provided further, that such projects must be included in a watershed permit issued by the department, or must be necessary to restore and protect water quality in impaired watersheds that are subject to a United States Environmental Protection Agency Total Maximum Daily Load allocation or alternative Total Daily Maximum Load prepared in accordance with United States Environmental Protection Agency guidelines, or an alternative load allocation identified in a Massachusetts Estuaries Technical Report or approved by the department based on a watershed specific scientific study; provided further, that funding shall be expended to support the Barnstable County Community Septic Management Loan program to provide 50% principal forgiveness to qualified borrowers whose income does not exceed 120% of area median income as defined by the latest census and 25% for qualified borrowers whose income does not exceed 180% of area median income as defined by the latest census”, and in said item by striking out the figures “$100,000,000” and inserting in place thereof the figures “$300,000,000”.