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LSPA Introduces Practice Tip of the Month for June 2024

The following LSPA practice tip was introduced at the June 2024 Membership Meeting, which was held remotely on June 18, 2024 via Zoom.  

Are you studying for the LSP exam? 

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Interested in Participating in an LSPA Work Group on Historic Fill/Anthropogenic Background?

Members of the LSPA’s Technical Practices Committee are creating a Work Group to review the documents listed below. 

As part of this effort, the Work Group is reviewing the LSPA Comments on Historic Fill/Anthropogenic Background DRAFT Technical Update 2016, July 14, 2016, which were previously transmitted to MassDEP.

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Updated Covid-19 Resources

BWSC Q & A: Covid-19 Edition
At last week's BWSC Office Hours, Paul Locke, BWSC Assistant Commissioner, announced that MassDEP has added a new question to the MCP Q & A: Covid-19 Edition. The question pertains to Limited Removal Action (LRA) Extensions.
 
The question is whether extensions will be granted in situations where there is an inability to meet the 120-day deadline for completing an LRA. In this case the delay is due to construction shutdowns in Boston.
 
MassDEP's response is:
If your client cannot conduct the Limited Removal Action prior to the end of the 120 days from the time s/he had knowledge of the PCB release, your client must notify.  
 
The Department has issued guidance (available here) that describes its expectations and application of enforcement discretion for certain delays in conducting response actions during the COVID-19 State of Emergency.  As stated in the guidance, all 2-hour, 72-hour and 120 day notifications must continue to be made during the State of Emergency. This is consistent with the provisions at 310 CMR 40.0025(1), which allow for written notices of delay in the case of a Force Majeure "except a deadline or time period for providing notification of a release or threat of release of oil and/or hazardous material, or an Imminent Hazard, as required by 310 CMR 40.0300..."
Questions may be submitted to MassDEP's BWSC at [email protected]. MassDEP staff will respond directly to the questions received and, if a question is of more general interest, post the answers on the webpage.
City of Boston Covid-19 Tools of the Trade
The City of Boston Inspectional Services Department has implemented new protocols for essential construction work in the City of Boston due to the Covid-19 public health emergency.  As of May 18, 2020, The City of Boston began allowing essential construction on sites that met certain criteria, including filing a Covid-19 Safety plan and a signed affidavit. 

To stay up to date with the latest news on construction in Boston, visit this 
website. You will also find Covid-19 guidelines and guidance videos there.
Take a look at this 
video for tips to ensure your Boston jobsite is safe, sanitary and in compliance with Covid-19 requirements.


Indoor Air and Covid-19
The LSPA's Technical Practices Committee (TPC) reminds us that the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) has prepared a list of resources to address Coronavirus airborne transmission in hospitals, aircraft and other enclosed spaces.  It can be found here
 
If the topic of indoor air and building design/ventilation is of interest to you, please consider attending a TPC meeting; this topic is usually one of several meeting agenda items. The committee meets next by Zoom on June 10th from 8 am to 10 am. Contact Committee Chair Roger Thibault to receive the Zoom link.


Occupational Health and Safety
Another resource discussed at a recent TPC meeting is this guidance document from the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) entitled "Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19."

NPDES Draft 2016 Remediation General Permit (RGP)

September 19, 2016 Deadline for Comments to EPA on the NPDES Draft 2016 Remediation General Permit (RGP)

 
Please be advised that Monday, September 19, 2016, is the final day to submit comments to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Draft 2016 Remediation General Permit (RGP). Comments must be submitted in writing to Shauna Little, Office Of Ecosystem Protection, EPA - Region 1, at 617-918-1989 or [email protected]

For a copy of the Draft RGP, Federal Register Notice, and Fact Sheet, please follow the link below: 
https://www3.epa.gov/region1/npdes/rgp.html

Technical questions pertaining to the terms of the permit can also be directed to Shauna Little

Once all comments have been reviewed, EPA will prepare a response to comments. EPA will provide the final permit and its response to comments to each state covered by the permit (Massachusetts and New Hampshire). Upon receipt of Federal Clean Water Act 401 Certifications from Massachusetts and New Hampshire, certifications from Massachusetts and New Hampshire Coastal Zone Management Federal Consistency Reviews, and Federal concurrences from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service regarding endangered species, EPA will publish a Notice of Availability of the final 2016 RGP in the Federal Register. The 2016 RGP will supersede the expired 2010 RGP upon the effective date specified in the Federal Register.

For more information about the RGP, interim measures, and upcoming training opportunities, please check the Technical Practices Committee article to be published in the upcoming LSPA newsletter.

Thank you - 

Andrea Eagan, Woodard & Curran & Jason Chrzanowski, GZA GeoEnvironmental
LSPA Technical Practices Committee Co-Chairs 

LSPA Technical Practices Committee Annual Summer Outing

The LSPA Technical Practices Committee had its annual summer outing on Boston Harbor last week. Twelve intrepid sailors (aka committee members) enjoyed a sunset cruise on a gorgeous ship from the Liberty Fleet of Tall Ships. We are happy to report that no sailors went overboard. All committee members are ready to return to the land of LNAPL, Historic Fill, and Telemetry in September. View the photo album

Special thanks to Isaac Anderson, Past Chair, and Jason Chrzanowski, Current Chair. If you are interested in learning more about the Technical Practices Committee, please visit their web page

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LSPA Members Tour Medfield State Hospital

LSPA’s Technical Practices Committee (TPC) and Young Professionals Committee (YPC) recently traveled to the Medfield State Hospital for a tour of the facility, led by John Thompson, LSP and member of the Technical Practices Committee.

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Request for Information on EPH Results

Request for Information on EPH Results

by: The LSPA Technical Practices Committee

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