Our Commonwealth has been the driving force of American industry going back decades, producing many of the materials and goods we see in iconic buildings and storefronts all over the world. However, since the peak of production, our economy has shifted, with legacy industries evolving and new industries emerging. This shift has left many towns and cities across the Commonwealth littered with abandoned warehouses that once helped fuel our country and state’s economies.

These new industries are once again building new infrastructure to support the surge in popularity of artificial intelligence, cloud computing, modern distribution, and much more. To better prepare the Commonwealth for the eventual retirement of these new warehouses, I am introducing legislation that would require the owners of newly built warehouses to post financial guarantees for their activities. This is not a new concept as a host of other industries are required to post financial guarantees as well. 

Warehouses have a finite life span and at the end of their operational life they may pose an environmental or public health hazard if not handled properly. Setting reasonable decommissioning and bonding amounts will help resolve challenges around properly decommissioning a warehouse and managing the dismantling process. I hope that you will join me in co-sponsoring this important legislation.