The LSPA is preparing to testify on S. 534, an act relative to the remediation of home heating oil releases. Senate Bill #534 was authored by the LSPA to enhance the current law by requiring coverage be provided to homeowners and raising coverage limits to keep pace with rising remediation costs. This bill will be heard by the Joint Committee on Financial Services in mid-October.

And now, we are asking for your help! Here are a few ways that you can support S. 534:

The LSPA presented the following compliance tip at the September Membership Meeting at Marriott Newton Hotel in Newton, MA on September 26, 2017. 

When a property with a Notice of Activity and Use Limitation (AUL) has been sold, the Responsible Party must submit to MassDEP a Form BWSC 113 with a copy of the recorded deed conveying the record title.  Remember it is essential that subsequent property owners be given notice of the AUL.

The LSP Association (LSPA) is proud to support the 33rd Annual International Conference on Soils, Sediments, Water, and Energy as an event sponsor. As part of this sponsorship, all LSPA members are eligible to receive a discounted registration fee! Please remember to check "Presenters*, Sponsors/Supporters, and Academics" to receive the discount. Rates for LSPA members are listed below. These rates are valid until September 29. Registrations received after September 29 will be charged a late fee. 

• Full Three Days: $295 (Savings of $255)
• One Day: $150 (Savings of $75)

Are you attending the conference or are you an LSPA member in the Western Massachusetts area? Please consider meeting up for an informal gathering at The Hangar Pub. Details are below. 

The LSPA invites you to support our association through the following sponsorship opportunities. Each package offers a different way for your company to highlight its commitment and support for the LSP practice through the activities of the LSPA, while generating good will and increased visibility within the environmental community. Click here to view the email announcing 2017-2018 sponsorships.

• Update the LSPA's data base on the outcome of work completed in response to NOAFs by compiling data filed via BWSC Form 111.
• Study and advise the LSPA on a scientific issue ("white paper") or a technical topic, for example coal ash, imminent hazard definition, telemetry.
• Document the final resolution of waste disposal sites that were removed from the MCP process by filing a Downgradient Property Opinion.
• Document the lines of evidence LSPs use to support the presence of Historic Fill and the removal of associated contamination from the risk characterization process.

LSPA's August 2017 Member Newsletter has been published! Table of Contents is listed below. Please log in to your account and visit Member Materials to view the full newsletter.

In this Issue....

• President's Message
• LSPA Blog Highlights: New Soil Disposal Guidance for 21J Fund
• Reflections from the LSPA's Immediate Past President
• Is There Anybody in There?
• A Review of FY2016 Temporary Solution Audits and Enforcement Actions
• Review of 2016 NOAFs Involving the Response Action Performance Standard, Historic Fill, and Nature & Extent 
• Four Risk Characterization Issues and a Practice Tip from Fiscal Year 2016 NOAF Review
• MassDEP  - Snapshot: IRAPs

• One data portal will enable online submission of public comments on applicable permit applications
• The second data portal will allow for searching of MassDEP permit, inspection, facility and enforcement data. 

Additional data will be exposed in the data portal in 2018. 

August 2, 2017
The LSPA presents the following monthly compliance tip for August 2017:

At the LSPA June Membership Meeting, four educational scholarships were presented by Bill Betters, President of the LSPA Scholarship Fund. The LSPA Scholarship Fund supports individuals pursuing undergraduate or graduate education in environmental fields in Massachusetts and other New England states. Since 2003, the LSPA Scholarship Fund has presented over 39 scholarships totaling more than $160,000.     

Congratulations to this year’s scholarship recipients:

We received great feedback from attendees on the LSPA Field Course: Sediment, Surface Water, and Biota Sampling Methods to Support MCP Assessments which was held on June 22 at Woods Hole Group in East Falmouth, MA and nearby wetlands and waterfront. The weather cooperated and made for a beautiful day out on the water! 

Participants learned the advantages and limitations of the various sampling techniques by conducting the sampling directly. Sampling was done both from shore and in workboats- collection of bottom dwelling organisms (e.g. invertebrates), sediment for toxicity testing and grain size analysis, fish, plants, water quality data (dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature, salinity profiles), surface water, and deep water and sediment samples for chemical analysis.

June 12, 2017
The LSPA unveiled the following monthly compliance tip on June 8, 2017 at the LSPA Membership Meeting in Westborough, Massachusetts.

1. Some “DEP Courses” are also “Regulatory.” 
2. But not all “Regulatory” courses are also “DEP Course(s).”
3. If a course is classified as a “DEP Course” and a “Regulatory” course (listed as “DEP Course” Regulatory or DEP/Regulatory), it can be applied toward both the 12-credit “DEP Course” requirement and the 8-credit “Regulatory” requirement.

Click here to view all published compliance tips. This document is also posted in the Members Only section of the website under Technical Resources.

• The name and affiliation of the nominator and his or her relationship to the nominee.
• For individuals, the name and title of the person and organization with which s/he is associated. For organizations, include the name and title of the key contact, and the specific name of the division, office, or department nominated. Be as specific as possible.
• A narrative statement of no more than 2 pages describing the focus of the nomination and the nature of the contributions. The nominator will be contacted if the LSPA Board requires additional information.  
• For the Contribution to the Practice Award, please include the names, affiliations, and contact information for at least three individuals who can attest to the contributions.