Massachusetts, like most New England states, has its own regulations about air pollution, safe drinking water, wetlands and wildlife protection, which are often tougher than federal laws. The Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act and the Massachusetts Rivers Protection Act, for instance, protect land bordering wetlands, rivers and streams, and strictly regulate dredging and filling.
Such strict state regulations protect the New England environment from federal rollbacks to some extent, said Kyla Bennett, a former wetlands expert for the EPA’s New England office, who now works for the nonprofit Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility.
“The problem is that pollution doesn’t know political boundaries,” she said. “With air quality, if you have neighboring states that don’t have strong programs, it can really impact New England.”
