Brookline Department of Public Health and Human Services Seeks Community Feedback on Draft Laboratory and Life Science Regulations

BROOKLINE – 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 feedback on proposed regulations for future laboratory and life science facilities within the Town.

The Town’s Advisory Council on Public Health (ACPH) will be holding its next meeting on Monday, Feb. 26, at 5:30 p.m., where it will be reviewing an updated final draft of the Town’s proposed Biosafety regulations, providing an opportunity for the public to offer their feedback. Comments can be sent to publichealth@brooklinema.gov.

These biosafety regulations aim to enable the Town 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.

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. The 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.

On July 24, Biosafety Consultant Rebecca Caruso presented a draft of the Town’s proposed Biosafety regulations, providing an opportunity for the public to offer their feedback. The Town’s Advisory Council on Public Health (ACPH) received a revised draft at their monthly meeting this past fall, which will be reviewed at its upcoming meeting in February.

The Departments will continue to gather community and stakeholder feedback in advance of February’s meeting. 

For more information, contact Public Health Director Sigalle Reiss at sreiss@brooklinema.gov, or Economic Development and Long-Term Planner Will Dorfman at wdorfman@brooklinema.gov.