1 of 1
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 651 FILED ON: 1/10/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 951
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
Carmine Lawrence Gentile
_________________
To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act to eliminate hydraulic fracturing in the Commonwealth.
_______________
PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Carmine Lawrence Gentile13th Middlesex1/10/2025James B. EldridgeMiddlesex and Worcester2/10/2025James K. Hawkins2nd Bristol2/11/2025 1 of 2
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 651 FILED ON: 1/10/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 951
By Representative Gentile of Sudbury, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 951) of
Carmine Lawrence Gentile, James B. Eldridge and James K. Hawkins for legislation to eliminate
hydraulic fracturing in the Commonwealth. Environment and Natural Resources.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_______________
In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
_______________
An Act to eliminate hydraulic fracturing in the Commonwealth.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 SECTION 1. Section 26A of chapter 21 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022
2Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the word “effluent”, in line 67, the
3following words:- , hydraulic fracturing fluid.
4 SECTION 2. Section 27 of said chapter 21, as so appearing, is hereby amended by adding
5the following clause:-
6 (14) Enforce restrictions on drilling, waste treatment and disposal and mining activities
7which have been enacted to protect the water quality and the natural resources of the
8commonwealth.
9 SECTION 3. Section 42 of said chapter 21, as so appearing, is hereby amended by
10inserting after the word “commonwealth”, in line 3, the following words:- ,or into an injection
11well or into a treatment works in the commonwealth. 2 of 2
12 SECTION 4. (a) As used in this section, the following words shall have the following
13meanings unless the context clearly requires otherwise:-
14 “Fluid”, any material or substance which flows or moves whether in semi-solid, liquid,
15sludge, gas or any other form or state.
16 “Gas”, all natural gas, whether hydrocarbon or nonhydrocarbon, including hydrogen
17sulfide, helium, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, hydrogen, casinghead gas and all other fluid
18hydrocarbons not defined as oil.
19 “Hydraulic fracturing”, the process of pumping a fluid into or under the surface of the
20ground in order to create fractures in rock to produce or recover oil or gas.
21 “Oil”, crude petroleum, oil and all hydrocarbons, regardless of specific gravity, that are in
22the liquid phase in the reservoir and are produced at the wellhead in liquid form.
23 “Oil and gas”, oil and gas collectively, or either oil or gas, as the context may require to
24give effect to the purposes of this chapter.
25 “Enhanced geothermal systems,” the process of injecting fluid into naturally existing or
26artificially created fractures in rock to enable the production of geothermal energy.
27 (b) a person shall not engage in hydraulic fracturing in the Commonwealth, except when
28performed as part of an enhanced geothermal system for the purpose of energy production.
29 (c) a person shall not collect, store, treat or dispose of wastewater hydraulic fracturing
30fluid, wastewater solids, drill cuttings or other byproducts from hydraulic fracturing in the
31Commonwealth, except as generated from enhanced geothermal systems.