Massachusetts marks 50 years of MassDEP's environmental work

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection turns 50 years old this year. Twe state house reporter Olivia Ray attended an anniversary event and has a look at the department's legacy. The Mass D was founded in 1975 to protect the Bay State's natural resources and prevent climate change. Now 50 years later, the state's top officials gathered in the great hall at the state house on Tuesday, commemorating the department's contributions to protecting Massachusetts natural resources. The governor says the mass DP's mission has been a success thus far due in part to collaboration with state legislators and universities. >> Your efforts have made Massachusetts a leader in environmental protection, a leader in public health, a leader in quality of life. Over the past five decades, the Mass D has protected air, water, and land by establishing forever chemical regulations, developing a ban on commercial food material disposal, creating a waste site cleanup program, and requiring that air quality permit applicants analyze potential environmental impact. >> From air pollution in the 1970s to PAS today to climate adaptation, this agency has charted the way. While this event was taking place inside the state house, climate advocates held a protest on the state house steps, calling on lawmakers to pass a climate super fund measure. Climate activists delivered 7,500 signatures to top lawmakers supporting the so-called make polluters pay bill as these lawmakers were celebrating the mass D just a few walls away. Working for you from the state house in Boston, I'm Olivia Ray, 22 News.