Senator Kennedy is a long-time member of the Sierra Club and the Appalachian Mountain Club. He is also a member of the Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources.

Senator Kennedy is the sponsor of legislation which would re-establish the Clean Environment Fund to create a funding source for municipalities to undertake recycling enhancement projects, promote urban forestry, protect water resources, and other important environmental efforts. He has also sponsored legislation which would authorize a study to improve recycling programs in the Commonwealth.

Another major environmental bill that Senator Kennedy has taken the lead on deals with mattress recycling. He introduced a bill which would make mattress recycling convenient and consumer friendly. This bill would reduce the illegal dumping of mattresses and ensure that recycling programs remain competitive.

The Merrimack River and Nashua River flow through the First Middlesex State Senate District. Senator Kennedy is committed to protecting our rivers and waterways. In recent months, Senator Kennedy has been working with Senator Bruce Tarr in a bi-partisan fashion to bring stakeholders together from both Massachusetts and New Hampshire with a goal of reducing combined sewage overflows.

Senator Kennedy has also co-sponsored legislation to address the threat of invasive species spreading throughout our waterways.