“One of the bills Comerford discussed was a proposal that Gov. Charlie Baker filed that, amid concerns over mosquito-borne illnesses in the state, would have removed restraints on the aerial spraying of pesticides. Comerford noted that the committee she chairs, the Senate’s Public Health Committee, received the bill last year and rewrote it to allow municipalities to opt out of spraying and to establish a task force to reform mosquito control.
That work came to the forefront recently when the advocacy group Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility demonstrated high levels of the “forever chemicals” known as PFAS — which have been linked to cancers, organ damage and immune system suppression — in the 10,000 gallons of pesticide the state used in 100 cities and towns in 2019.”
