LSPA Introduces Practice Tip of the Month for February 2024

The following LSPA practice tip was introduced at the February 2024 Membership Meeting, which was held remotely on February 13, 2024 via Zoom.  

Practice Tip of the Month
Many municipalities have areas designated for the protection of groundwater quality to ensure its availability for use as a source of potable water supply (e.g., Aquifer Protection Districts).

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New MCP 2024 Amendment Topics

In anticipation of March 1, 2024, when the MCP Amendments go into effect, the LSPA’s Regulations Committee has been working on summarizing key changes to the MCP regulations. 

Provided below is a summary of the new regulations on a variety of topics not covered by previous LSPA email blasts. This information was developed and is provided on behalf of the LSPA only; it does not represent MassDEP guidance or other input. 

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MCP 2024 Amendments Impact on Climate Change

In 2020, the LSPA formed a Climate Change Subcommittee (of the Technical Practices Committee) to consider how waste site cleanup practitioners might address anticipated MCP amendments on that topic. In 2022, the subcommittee produced and shared a Climate Change Toolkit. Now, the MCP Amendments are final and it’s time to start using the toolkit! 

The new MCP includes climate change-related language in specific sections on these topics: 

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LSPA Introduces Practice Tip of the Month for January 2024

The following LSPA practice tip was introduced at the January 2024 Membership Meeting, which was held remotely on January 17, 2024 via Zoom.  

Practice Tip of the Month

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Updates from LSP Board of Registration

Upcoming LSP Exam

The LSP Board of Registration website notes that the next LSP exam will be held on February 26, 2024. 

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The New MCP on Sampling and Exposure Points

In anticipation of March 1, 2024, when the MCP Amendments go into effect, the LSPA’s Regulations Committee has been working on summarizing key changes to the MCP regulations. 

The links below provide summaries of the three Sampling and Exposure Point Concentration topics that have materially changed from the 2019 regulations:

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MCP Amendments Information Webpage and Method 3 Shortform Corrections

The LSPA received the following email from MassDEP's Bureau of Waste Site Cleanup on Friday. 

Dear Waste Site Cleanup Program stakeholder,

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LSPA Introduces Compliance Tip of the Month for December 2023

The following LSPA compliance tip was introduced at the December 2023 Membership Meeting, which was held remotely on December 12, 2023 via Zoom.  

Compliance Tip of the Month

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LSPA Prepares White Paper on TCE Risk Management

On November 20, 2023, the LSPA sent a white paper to MassDEP entitled Recommendations for Risk Management Under the MCP for Trichloroethene Exposures Based on Updated Toxicological Information. The paper was prepared under the auspices of the LSPA’s Technical Practices Committee by Jay Peters of Haley & Aldrich, Inc. and Marie Rudiman of EnviroRisk Solutions, LLC. 

Based on evaluation of the updated scientific evidence referenced in this paper, the LSPA concurs with the findings of EPA studies and others that the association of TCE exposure with congenital heart defects (CHDs) is not scientifically supported. The LSPA proposes that MassDEP seriously reconsider and reevaluate the weight of evidence for TCE-induced CHDs and revise its risk management framework for TCE to be based on the chronic immunological endpoint, rather than the developmental effects endpoint. The paper notes that this would have the following implications for the regulation of TCE in Massachusetts:

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The New MCP on Three Topics

In anticipation of March 1, 2024, when the MCP Amendments go into effect, the LSPA’s Regulations Committee has been working on summarizing key changes to the new regulations. 

Provided below is a brief summary of the new regulations on the topics of

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LSP Application/Exam Tips

Tips for Developing Your LSP Application and Taking the Exam

Click here to read Ten Tips for Developing Your LSP Exam Application

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Congrats to New LSPs

Congrats to New LSPs

 Ten New LSPs Join the Ranks

The LSP Board of Registration recently announced that the following ten new LSPs passed the exam in early November. The LSPA congratulates each of them on this impressive accomplishment and applauds this new milestone in their practice. 

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News and Resources From EPA and MassDEP

Provided below is new information from both US EPA and MassDEP.

Ongoing Updates on MCP-Related Information
Watch this space on the MassDEP website for updates and “related information” on the 2024 MCP. At this time, updates include:

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AEPMMs and the NEW MCP

In anticipation of March 1, 2024, when the MCP Amendments go into effect, the LSPA’s Regulations Committee has been working on summarizing key changes to the MCP regulations. 

Provided below is a summary of the new regulations on the topic of Active Exposure Pathway Mitigation Measures (AEPMMS). This information was developed and is provided on behalf of the LSPA only; it does not represent MassDEP guidance or other input. MassDEP training is expected to take place in January 2024.

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LSPA Introduces Compliance Tip of the Month for November 2023

The following LSPA compliance tip was introduced at the November 2023 Membership Meeting, which was held remotely on November 15, 2023 via Zoom.  

Compliance Tip of the Month

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Retiring On-Demand Course: BWSC and MassDEP Program Updates and Year-in-Review

The on-demand version of the MassDEP/LSPA course, BWSC and MassDEP Program Updates and Year-in-Review (#1788, 1.0 DEP Regulatory credit) will be retired from the LSPA's on-demand course library on Friday, December 1, 2023. This course was based on the September 2022 Membership Meeting. This is also a registration deadline. You will still have 30 days to complete the course. If you would like to take this course, please register prior to this date. Here is a link to the full list of the LSPA's on-demand courses.

LSPA Holds 30th Anniversary Bash

The LSPA celebrated its 30th anniversary in style on October 26th at beautiful and historic Mechanics Hall in Worcester. Our last annual dinner was in 2019 so this gathering was a reunion of sorts. 30 years and over 300 LSPA members and friends were there. 

It was a great night: 16 LSPA Past Presidents in attendance, an official citation from the Massachusetts State Senate, recognition of Immediate Past President Dave Leone, a Lifetime Achievement Award for Paul Locke, and a viewing of the LSPA’s short video Suspending Disbelief.

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MassDEP Updated CAM Protocols

The LSPA received notice on October 16, 2023 from MassDEP’s Bureau of Waste Site Cleanup that the updated Compendium of Analytical Methods (CAM) protocols for Trace Metals, WSC-CAM-III A (6010D) and WSC-CAM-III D (6020B), have been posted to MassDEP's website. Also posted are summaries of the significant changes made to the respective existing protocols with these updates.

The effective date for these updated protocols is January 15, 2024. On and after January 15, 2024, any laboratory that is certifying compliance with MassDEP’s CAM protocols for these methods must be complying with these updated protocols. 

AFFF Resources Available to LSPA Members

MassDEP’s Central Regional Office (CERO) has shared with the LSPA about 40 files containing results from the sampling of non-legacy aqueous film forming foams (AFFFs) for PFAS content. The aim of this 2021 effort was to create a reference of AFFFs deployed at release Sites that would guide MassDEP staff, PRPs, and LSPs as they formulate sampling plans at release Sites where an AFFF has been deployed.  

This effort stems from the fact that, in some cases, AFFF content is not included in ingredients on product Safety Data Sheets or it is assumed that AFFF does not contain PFAS for products manufactured after 2002, around when PFOS was voluntarily phased out from AFFF manufactured by 3M. This can lead parties to conclude that PFAS sampling is not warranted. But that may be an inaccurate assumption. 

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Insurers Deny Home Heating Oil Cleanups.....Again

Many thanks to Ryan Kath at NBC News 10 Boston for helping the LSPA spread the word about the importance of proactively requesting insurance coverage for home heating oil spills and leaks. Here is his most recent story about the financial and emotional nightmare facing a Rutland family. This is just one more example of why the LSPA is working to get legislation passed to mandate that insurers provide coverage for home heating oil spills and leaks.