LSPA News & Blog

Membership Meeting Dates for 2018-2019 Announced

Mark your calendars! The LSPA Membership Meeting dates and locations for 2018-2019 have been announced. The LSP Association's membership meetings take place monthly from September through June in the Greater Boston area. Click here to view the schedule for the upcoming year.

Member meetings are also held in Springfield, MA about four times a year; the schedule is announced as meeting topics become available. The first meeting is September 13, 2018 "A Fresh Look at Brownfields Challenges and Opportunities"

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June 2018 Field Course with Woods Hole Group

Last month, the LSPA offered an 8-hr field course in the greater Falmouth, Massachusetts, area entitled, “Sediment, Surface Water, and Biota Sampling Methods to Support MCP Assessments.” This is a repeat course and each time it has been offered, we have received excellent rave reviews. Here are a few comments that we received after the June 2018 course:

  • “Loved learning in the field with the hands on teaching style. Learned a lot and had a blast.”  “The boat portion of the course was excellent. Great to see use in action."
  • “The field/practical portion of this course was excellent. It was very helpful to see the techniques discussed during the presentation demonstrated in the field.” 
  • “I really enjoyed this course and getting out from behind the desk to see the innovative sampling methods and challenges that come along with sediment/SW/biota sampling.” 
  • “This was a GREAT course! Boat trip and everything! Really great to get the hands-on experience with the different sampling and investigation equipment.” 
  • “Excellent idea to have a field class with hands on opportunities for participants.”

Since it is a field course, the course is capped at approximately 30 attendees. Seats have filled up quickly each time the course has been offered. We’ve done our best to fit as many attendees as possible but we’ve ended up with a waiting list each time. Since the course has been such a success, we are considering offering it again in the near future. If you haven’t taken this course yet, please stay tuned! Here is a link to a photo album (courtesy of Matthew Hackman) from the June 2018 course. 

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LSP Association Scholarship Fund Awards Scholarships for the 2018-2019 Academic Year

 For the past 15 years, the LSPA Scholarship Fund has been presenting educational scholarships to individuals pursuing a degree in the field of science, environmental engineering, or other major that is consistent with becoming an LSP or environmental professional.  At LSPA’s June 13th Membership Meeting in Taunton, MA, the LSPA Scholarship Fund awarded two individual scholarships. 

Bill Betters and Chuck Myette from the LSPA Scholarship
Fund Board of Directors along with Award Recipient, Sean Larkin

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Who to Contact For eDEP Questions

Paul Locke sends this reminder about who to contact regarding eDEP questions. MOST of the time it's the BWSC eDEP email box and once-in-a-while it's the EEA Service Desk. Read more below.
 
Do You Have Questions or Need Assistance with BWSC Forms, eDEP, or BWSC's  Searchable Sites List (i.e., the On-Line Data Portal)?
 
As you know, eDEP is MassDEP's on-line filing system for submitting DEP transmittal forms and other documents to MassDEP. 
 
MassDEP's eDEP system is maintained by the agency's EEA Information Technology Staff, with input from the BWSC Program.  Should you find yourself needing help with eDEP, we can help you better and faster by directing your question to the people with the right expertise.  
 
For most questions relating to eDEP and BWSC Forms, please email the BWSC eDEP email box, [email protected].
 
For questions or problems filling out BWSC Forms, accessing BWSC Site Files through the Data Portal or accessing Resource Maps, and for Data Requests and Corrections, LSP Proofs and Change of Address  contact BWSC for assistance at [email protected].

Contacting BWSC directly in most instances avoids multiple forwarding of e-mails and ensures that your questions are answered in a timely manner.  A BWSC staff member is assigned daily to answer questions sent to the BWSC.eDEP mailbox and typically will get back with a response within one business day.
 
For technical eDEP problems onlysuch as system slowness or availability, failure to upload forms or attachments, blank screens, passwords and other nuts/bolts/electron issues, please email the EEA Service Desk directly or call 617-626-1111.
  
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Paul W. Locke  |  Assistant Commissioner  |  MassDEP Waste Site Cleanup
www.mass.gov/dep  |  [email protected]  |  617-556-1160 
View photographs on Flickr
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Introducing LSPA's Newly Formed Sole Practitioners Group

 
The LSPA's Sole Practitioners Group is comprised of LSPs, engineers, scientists, risk assessors and others who work alone or are the only one of their profession (not just LSPs) in their organization. The LSPA recognizes that these professionals do not always have access to the same resources as those in larger firms and is committed to supporting these sole practitioners.  
 
This group was formed in May 2018 and welcomes any sole practitioners who aren't already involved. Current group members are encouraged to join the group's E-List on the LSPA's website (some documentation on E-Lists). The Sole Practitioners Group has also developed a matrix of practitioners and their areas of expertise. This information will be posted on the LSPA website.
 
We will continue to share information via the LSPA website, in person and via virtual conferences on a wide variety of topics including but not limited to business practices, insurance, networking, teaming for proposals, technical support, and more.
 
Meeting dates and topics will be posted here as they become available. If you are interested in joining this group, please contact Steve Boynton.
 

Do you have a great story to tell? Join LSPA's Story Slam!

Do You Have a Great Story to Tell? LSPA 25th Anniversary STORY SLAM
 
Massachusetts' innovative, privatized waste site cleanup program began 25 years ago. Since then, a community of environmental consultants, regulators, neighborhood leaders, environmental advocates, developers, bankers, attorneys, vendors, local officials, and others have been involved in this work. If you're reading this, you are probably part of this community.
 
At the LSPA, we are proud of our community's history and culture, and we think it's time to share some of our experiences. So, let's tell each other some stories.
 
During the LSPA's 25th Anniversary STORY SLAM, each storyteller will tell their story in front of a live audience. The stories will be short, no more than 5 minutes and centered around the theme:
 
The MCP and Me: 
Working in Waste Site Cleanup
 
These stories can be funny, surprising, touching, insightful, enlightening, weird, or sentimental. AND they will all be true.

Oh yes, did we mention this is a contest? The preliminary round will take place in August (date and time to be announced shortly) and finalists will present their stories at the October 25, 2018 LSPA Anniversary Dinner. Prizes will be awarded.

If you want to share your story, please let Kristi or Wendy know by August 15, 2018. Don't hesitate to contact Wendy with any questions or ideas.

What kind of stories are told at slams? Personal narratives, tales from real life and YOUR personal experience. Think about a situation with a client, a regulator, a colleague, how you ended up working in this field, an internship, a training experience, getting lost on the job, mistakes you made, a mystery you encountered on site, a project you did/didn't get. You get the idea; almost anything goes.

Here are  a few FAQs for the LSPA's STORY SLAM, along with some Storytelling Tips.




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LSPA Announces the Election of New Board Members

The LSP Association (LSPA) is pleased to announce that two new At-Large members were elected to the Board of Directors: David Leone, LSP, Associate Principal, GZA GeoEnvironmental, Norwood and Charles Young, LSP, Associate and Senior Environmental Project Manager, Stantec, Quincy were elected by LSPA members in early June. Their three year terms begin on July 1, 2018.   

          
(Shown on Left: David Leone, Shown on Right: Charles Young)

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EPA Releases Agenda for New England PFAS Community Engagement Event

The LSPA received the below press release from MassDEP.  In the email, Paul Locke noted, "As we have discussed PFAS at the MassDEP WSC Advisory Committee meetings, including the promise of MCP Reportable Concentrations and Method 1 Standards in the upcoming proposed revisions to 310 CMR 40.0000, you may be interested in the following press release from the US EPA."
 
EPA Releases Agenda for New England PFAS Community Engagement Event
 
Boston (June 18, 2018) - Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released an early agenda for the inaugural per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) two-day community engagement event at Exeter High School, 1 Blue Hawk Dr., Exeter, New Hampshire. This event allows EPA to hear directly from New England communities, state, local, and tribal partners on how to best help states and communities facing this issue. 
 
Additional details will be posted on the PFAS Community Engagement website
 
Both days will be open to the public and the press. If you are interested in attending the event on June 25 and/or June 26, please register here: https://www.epa.gov/pfas/forms/pfas-community-engagement-exeter-nh. The public is invited to speak during the June 25 listening session. Those interested in speaking should sign up for a three-minute speaking slot while registering.
 
Please check back at the PFAS Community Engagement website for further information leading up to the event. Citizens are also encouraged to submit written statements to the public docket at https://www.regulations.gov/ enter docket number: OW-2018-0270.
 
New Hampshire marks the first community engagement. Throughout the summer, EPA will visit and similarly engage with additional communities across the country. Information on these upcoming sessions will also be available on the EPA website
 
At the PFAS National Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C. on May 22-23, Administrator Pruitt announced four actions EPA will take:
  • EPA will initiate steps to evaluate the need for a maximum contaminant level (MCL) for PFOA and PFOS. We will convene our federal partners and examine everything we know about PFOA and PFOS in drinking water.
  • EPA is beginning the necessary steps to propose designating PFOA and PFOS as "hazardous substances" through one of the available statutory mechanisms, including potentially CERCLA Section 102.
  • EPA is currently developing groundwater cleanup recommendations for PFOA and PFOS at contaminated sites and will complete this task by fall of this year.
  • EPA is taking action in close collaboration with our federal and state partners to develop toxicity values for GenX and PFBS by this summer. 
The public's input is incredibly valuable and meaningful to EPA. Using information from the National Leadership Summit, public docket, and community engagements, EPA plans to develop a PFAS Management Plan for release later this year. In addition, a summary of the New England community engagement event will be made available on the PFAS Community Engagement website following the event.
 
Additional information can be found at: https://www.epa.gov/pfas/pfas-community-engagement 

June Compliance Tip of the Month

The LSPA presented the following compliance tip at the June Membership Meeting at the Holiday Inn in Taunton, MA on June 13, 2018.  

Conducting Public Involvement at PIP Sites

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MassDEP Finalizes Guidelines for Five PFAS in Drinking Water

MassDEP released drinking water guidelines today for five PFAS chemicals and sent the following information to Public Water Suppliers and other parties.
 

From the Waste Site Cleanup perspective, the background information on the development of the guideline will also serve as background information for Waste Site Cleanup’s soon-to-be-proposed MCP Method 1 GW-1 Standard for PFAS. 

MassDEP expects to keep us up-to-date throughout the summer on the status of the proposed MCP revisions and MassDEP’s approach to PFAS.

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LSPA Unveils May Compliance Tip of the Month

The LSPA presented the following compliance tip at the May Membership Meeting at the DoubleTree Hotel in Westborough, MA on May 17, 2018.  

MassDEP recommends that at sites relying on a sub slab depressurization system (SSDS) to prevent exposure to contaminants of concern, annual checks be conducted of fan operation status and for potential differential pressure drops. These annual checks should be conducted as part of site maintenance and monitoring activities, and are recommended even after the installation of remote monitoring (telemetry). 

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EPC Soil Classification Event

LSPA's Emerging Professionals Committee hosted a Soils Classification event last week at GZA GeoEnvironmental. Zachary Baum, P.E., a Geotechnical Engineer at Tighe & Bondgave a brief overview of the Modified Burmister System, focusing on different soil types and the corresponding grain sizes. Fun Fact:  The numbers given to various sieve sizes are equal to the number of holes in the sieve per inch.  Zach passed around small bags containing various soils, so everyone could get a “real-world” sense of the look and feel of each soil type. Participants then had the opportunity to get their hands dirty and team-up to classify four soil samples that had been lab analyzed for the “right” answer.  We had great turnout of 35 people, and participants were engaged both with the subject matter and one another. Here are some photographs of the event. Thanks to GZA for hosting and to Zach for his enlightening presentation.

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LSPA is looking for a videographer!

The LSPA is actively looking for a videographer for our member meetings in the Greater Boston area. Bill Mitchell, LSP, Clean Soils Environmental, has been amazing and we are incredibly thankful for all that he done. Bill has been recording our member meetings for several years and its time to give him a break! We are looking for someone to begin in September 2018.

Do you know of a friend or family member, neighbor or college student who might be interested in getting the experience and earning a small stipend while at it? It's a bonus if the person is interested in an environmental career because, as you know, there are plenty of opportunities to network at these events. There is also free buffet food and dessert for the eating.

Requirements include traveling to the venue, setting up the equipment, videotaping the presentation (typically not more than 1.5 hours), packing up, and uploading the video to the LSPA system. All necessary equipment is already owned by the LSPA. This position is suitable for job-sharing.

Please contact us at [email protected]  with ideas. Thank you!


Coming Soon - LSPA Ballot for 2018 Board Election

Voting will open on Friday, May 18, 2018 for the 2018-2019 LSP Association (LSPA) Board of Directors election. Board positions will take effect July 1, 2018. 
 
Ballots will be sent by email to all LSPA members, both Full and Associate. We encourage all members to vote.
 
The LSPA's 9-member Board of Directors is composed of LSPA members who combine experience in environmental work with a passion for supporting and promoting the LSP practice. Current LSPA Board members are shown here.
 
Provided below are the candidates on this year's ballot. There were no members who petitioned to be on the election ballot. 
 
Two 3-year positions, 2018 - 2021:
  • David Leone, LSP, Associate Principal, GZA GeoEnvironmental, Norwood, MA.  David Leone is a longtime member of the LSPA Regulations Committee, including having served as the Co-Chair from 2014 to 2017.
  • Charles Young, LSP, Associate and Senior Environmental Project Manager, Stantec, Quincy, MA.  Charles has been Co-Chair of the Member Services & Program Committee for the past eight years, and also active in planning LSPA's annual dinner and other events. 
The Board of Directors believe that these two candidates have demonstrated their commitment to the Association and are well-positioned to ensure its continuing success.
 
To view the candidates' statements of interest and photos, click here.
  
New Board members will be announced at the LSPA monthly membership meeting on Wednesday, June 13, 2018 at the Holiday Inn in Taunton, MA, from 6:00 - 8:00 PM.

Please note that voting will close on June 8, 2018, at 5 PM.
 
If you have questions or comments, please contact Wendy Rundle, LSPA Executive Director at [email protected] or 617-484-4027.
 
Thank you,
 
Marilyn Wade, LSP
LSP Association President


LSPA Unveils April Compliance Tip of the Month

The LSPA presented the following compliance tip at the April Membership Meeting held at the Holiday Inn in Taunton, MA on April 24, 2018. 

Remediation Waste (e.g., contaminated soil or debris excavated from a site or groundwater collected for disposal) should be removed from a site within 120 days of its initial excavation or collection. If the LSP anticipates the waste remaining on site for more than 120 days, (s)he can submit a RAM or IRA Plan or Phase IV RIP to MassDEP outlining a specific plan and schedule for dealing with the waste beyond the 120-day deadline.   
Don't forget that remediation waste does not include hazardous waste, which must be removed within 90 days.  310 CMR 40.0031(7)

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MassDEP Summer Brownfields Internship

MassDEP’s internship application period is open now through April 30. MassDEP is seeking a student (or team of 2 or more students) that would be interested in developing articles or mini-video documentaries about the history, decline and rebirth of some of the region’s brownfields (‘Brownfield Success Stories”). This internship will expose students to researching the history of disposal sites, learning about site cleanup assessment and technologies, and understanding Massachusetts cleanup process and regulations. (This position requires the type of due diligence research and report writing that would be required of a young environmental consultant). 

This internship may be a good fit for liberal arts students with a background in history or communication/journalism, as well as students in environmental science or the earth sciences. The internship is unpaid, but the hours can be part-time and flexible. 

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21J Fund Action Alert - Contact your State Representative to support funding

Ask Your State Representative to Fund the 21J/UST Program by Supporting Section 17 of the "Outside Section" of the State Budget   
 
The Massachusetts House of Representatives is expected to release its version of the FY 19 state budget on Wednesday, April 11 with debate in the House beginning on April 23, 2018. The LSPA Legislation Committee has been tasked with proactively monitoring proposed budgets and legislation for issues of interest to our membership.
 
One item of particular interest in this proposed budget, under Section 17 of the "Outside Section", is the re-establishment of a dedicated UST Fund. To fund it, the first $30 million of the UST Delivery Fee deposits each fiscal year would be deposited into this account to pay for reimbursement claims.  Currently, all of the UST Delivery Fees (approx. $78 million per year) are deposited into the Commonwealth Transportation Fund (CTF). Under the proposed language, at the end of the fiscal year, whatever funds are not used for the 21J Fund would revert to the CTF. Then beginning on July 1st of the subsequent fiscal year, up to $30 million in fees would again go into the UST Fund, and so on.
 
It is the opinion of the LSPA that re-establishing the UST Fund is a huge step forward in ensuring a reliable source of funding and sustainability for the program. As you may already know, the budget language is widely supported by industry groups, specifically the New England Convenience Store and Energy Marketers Association (NECSEMA) and New England Service Station and Auto Repair Association (NESSARA).
 
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
 
At this point in the budget debate, we hope to inform and gain the support of State Representatives during the budgeting process regarding the environmental, public health, and economic importance of the 21J/UST Program -which is often overlooked and sometimes misunderstood. It is our hope that the proposed Section 17 language will carry over into the final state budget.
 
The LSPA encourages people to email or call their State Representatives and urge them to support Section 17 of the budget "Outside Section". At this point, any calls or emails should be directed to State Representatives, not State Senators, because their budget process occurs before the State Senate's. The time is now.
 
Find your State Representative hereSuggested email language is here
 
Thank you in advance for taking action. We can make an impact!
 
Co-Chairs of the LSPA Legislative Committee:
 
Kevin Beaulieu, LSPCommonsense Environmental 
 
Spence Smith, LSP, CH2M Jacobs 

Update: LSPA Fight Continues for Homeowner Oil Spill Relief

Over the past several months the LSP Association (LSPA) has been active at the Massachusetts State House in support of S.534 - An Act relative to the remediation of home heating oil releases. Currently, only 5% of homes in Massachusetts using oil heat have insurance coverage! This bill, sponsored by Senator Anne Gobi and proposed by the LSPA, would make insurance coverage for home heating oil releases mandatory, giving homeowners much needed relief if they should face the often intimidating financial challenges of remediating a spill.    

In February 2018, the Joint Committee on Financial Services voted to report our bill favorably, with no changes. The bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Ways and Means where it is currently under review. Senator Karen E. Spilka (D-Middlesex/Norfolk) is the Chair of the Senate committee, and a list of committee members is here.

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March Compliance Tip

The LSPA presented the following compliance tip at the March Membership Meeting at the DoubleTree Hotel in Westborough, MA on March 15, 2018.  

When making the case for Downgradient Property Status (DPS, 310 CMR 40.0180), an LSP must demonstrate that the DPS property has not contributed to the release in question (see 310 CMR 40.0183(2)(b)(c)). 

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Save the Date! Annual LSPA Scholarship Fund Golf Tournament

It's that time of year again!

The LSPA Scholarship Fund will be hosting its 5th Annual Charity Golf Tournament on June 14, 2018, at the Highfields Golf Club in Grafton.

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