The Brookline Department of Public Health, in collaboration with the Department of Planning and Community Development’s Economic Development and Long-Term Planning Division, is actively seeking community feedback on proposed regulations for future laboratory and life science facilities within the town.
The proposed biosafety regulations aim to enable the Town of Brookline to oversee non-medical laboratories working with recombinant and/or synthetic nucleic acid molecules and biological materials.
The primary focus of these regulations is to ensure the safety of both workers and the community while establishing a stable and predictable framework for laboratory operations within Brookline.
Residents can provide feedback via e-mail to phcommissioner@brooklinema.gov or at future public hearings.
The development of these public health regulations marks an important milestone in the Economic Development and Long-Term Planning Division’s ongoing efforts to implement recommendations outlined in the Economic Development Advisory Board’s (EDAB) 2021 Laboratory and Bio/Life Sciences Report. This report underscores the significance of advancing lab development to enhance Brookline’s commercial tax base and further integrate Brookline into Greater Boston’s life science ecosystem.
Over the summer, Biosafety Consultant Rebecca Caruso presented a draft of the town’s proposed biosafety regulations, providing an opportunity for the public to offer their feedback.
Most recently, On September 20, 2023, the Town’s Advisory Council on Public Health (ACPH) received an update on the latest draft regulations, which can be viewed by visiting here.
The Departments will continue to gather community and stakeholder feedback and plan to hold a public hearing in the coming months.
For more information, contact Sigalle Reiss, Director of Public Health, at sreiss@brooklinema.gov, or Will Dorfman, Economic Development and Long Term Planner, at wdorfman@brooklinema.gov.
