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LSPA Soliciting Comments on Asbestos Regulations

October 19, 2020 - POSTED BY Kristi Lefebvre POSTED IN Blog

Now that we have your attention.... The Massachusetts Department of Labor Standards (DLS) has issued updated asbestos regulations; a public hearing will be held this Wednesday, October 21, 2020 at 10 am and written comments are due this Friday, October 23, 2020. This Notice of Public Hearing provides more detailed information.
 
The current regulations at 453 CMR 6.00 can be accessed here. These are being rescinded in conjunction with the issuance of the new updated asbestos regulations, 454 CMR 28.00. 
 
The LSPA's Regulations Committee is reviewing these proposed regulations on a quick turnaround. If you have comments to contribute, please send them to [email protected] by no later than 5 pm Wednesday, October 21, 2020. We suggest that you also submit your comments to DLS separately since we cannot guarantee that they will be included in the LSPA's submittal.
 
Thank you.
Regulations Committee Co-Chairs
Kate Dilawari, LSP, Haley & Aldrich
Denise Kmetzo, DABT, Collaborative Risk Solutions LLC
Your Input Requested on Survey for Cost-Benefit of Geologic Maps

October 02, 2020 - POSTED BY Kristi Lefebvre POSTED IN Blog

The LSPA has been contacted by Dr. Stephen Mabee, Director of the Massachusetts Geological Survey, and Massachusetts State Geologist, with a request that we distribute this nationwide survey to our membership. The survey is being conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey and the Association of American State Geologists to quantify the cost-benefit of geologic maps to the nation. Although it is a national survey, the results will be broken down by state and made available to all of us. This will provide useful data for justifying future funding for production of geologic maps and development of associated derivative products for the consulting community.  

The link to the survey is provided here.  Please complete it by no later than November 2, 2020.   

Additional information is provided here in a letter from Dr. Mabee. 

We all use geologic maps for our work and the LSPA membership is no exception. Any help is much appreciated. 
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Dr. Mabee by email ([email protected]) or phone (413-687-5288). 

Thank you, 
 
Michele Paul, LSP
LSPA President
LSPA Presents Paul Locke, Assistant Commissioner, MassDEP with its Contribution to the Practice Award

September 29, 2020 - POSTED BY Kristi Lefebvre POSTED IN Blog

Before an audience of over 200 people on a Zoom videoconference, the LSP Association (LSPA) honored (and surprised!) Paul Locke, Assistant Commissioner, Bureau of Waste Site Cleanup at the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP), with its Contribution to the Practice Award. 

The LSPA presents this award to an individual or organization from the public, non-profit, or private sector for outstanding contributions to the practice and advancing the profession over the previous year.  

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MassDEP Establishes Final PFAS MCL and Updates

September 27, 2020 - POSTED BY Kristi Lefebvre POSTED IN Blog

The LSPA received the following email, addressed to public water suppliers, from MassDEP's Drinking Water Program, with information and details on the October 2, 2020 publication of final regulations establishing a 20 parts per trillion (ppt) drinking water standard, or a Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL), for the sum of six per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). 
September 24, 2020
 
Re:  Final PFAS Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) and Updates
 
Dear Public Water Suppliers:
 
On October 2, 2020, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) will publish final regulations establishing a drinking water standard, or a Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL), for the sum of six per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The MCL is 20 parts per trillion (ppt) for what the regulations call PFAS6, or the sum of six PFAS compounds: perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA), and perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA). PFAS are a family of chemicals widely used since the 1950s to manufacture common consumer products. They have been linked to a variety of health risks, particularly in women who are pregnant or nursing, and in infants. In using the sum of six PFAS compounds, the new standard protects public health for sensitive subgroups including pregnant women, nursing mothers and infants.

Of special interest in the new regulations, Public Water Supplies (PWS) in the Community (COM) and Non-Transient Non-Community (NTNC) categories will begin quarterly sampling for PFAS6:
  • Large COM PWS (>50,000 population) - 1/1/2021
  • Medium PWS (>10,000 & <=50,000 population) - 4/1/2021
  • Small COM and NTNC PWS (<=10,000 population) - 10/1/2021 
Transient Non-Community (TNC) PWS are not subject to the PFAS MCL requirements, but they are required under the regulations to collect one PFAS6 sample by September 30, 2022. Case-specific health assessments of drinking water PFAS6 concentrations at TNC systems can be required under existing authority.

To assist public water suppliers in preparing for and implementing the new PFAS regulations, the Baker-Polito Administration provided funding to MassDEP in the FY 2020 Supplemental Budget for testing for PFAS. I encourage all Public Water Suppliers (PWS) to take full advantage of the Commonwealth's Free PFAS Lab Analyses Program to conduct sampling and analyses for PFAS in your public water system. Testing for PFAS may also enable communities to take advantage of limited funding programs providing grants for remediation design and zero percent loans for construction. The Administration has announced more than $1.9 million in awards to 10 public water supply systems - Ayer, Westfield, Barnstable and Hyannis, Hudson, Millbury, Barnstable and Cummaquid, Acton, Easton, Devens, and Braintree, Holbrook and Randolph - to support their efforts to address PFAS contamination and design treatment systems to eliminate it in their drinking water.
PWS can sign up for free PFAS laboratory analyses at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/S7QHNF2, or can send a request with the information described in the survey (e.g. PWS name, PWS ID#, # of sources already tested, number of sources to be tested, and system population) to [email protected], Subject: "PFAS free lab analyses."
MassDEP has started accepting applications to certify labs for PFAS analysis. Once labs receive Massachusetts certification they will appear in the Online Searchable Laboratory Certification Listing
 at https://eeaonline.eea.state.ma.us/DEP/Labcert/Labcert.aspx. (Search for Analyte = PFAS and Matrix = Potable (Drinking Water).) Until then, we recommend you use a laboratory from the list of MassDEP DWP approved labs, or use a lab certified by another state or certification authority for the analysis of PFAS; see the National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Management System.
 
For the complete text of the PFAS regulations, please see: https://www.mass.gov/lists/development-of-a-pfas-drinking-water-standard-mcl. For the press release on the PFAS regulations and grants see https://www.mass.gov/dep. For more about the development of the PFAS regulations, please see https://www.mass.gov/lists/development-of-a-pfas-drinking-water-standard-mcl.
 
If you have any questions please contact me or the MassDEP Drinking Water Program at [email protected]
 
Sincerely,
 
 
Yvette DePeiza
Director, Drinking Water Program
MassDEP/BWR
 
For more information about PFAS and the Department's efforts to address these contaminants, please see: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/per-and-polyfluoroalkyl-substances-pfas.
 
LSPA Unveils September 2020 Compliance Tip

September 25, 2020 - POSTED BY Kristi Lefebvre POSTED IN Blog

The following LSPA compliance tip was presented at the September 2020 Membership Meeting, which was held virtually through the Zoom webinar platform, on September 24, 2020.  

The MCP requires that a sketch plan be attached as an exhibit to an AUL.  Don’t be fooled by the informality of the term “sketch;” specific information must be included in the plan including:

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LSPA Soliciting Your Comments on the State's Climate Resilience Design Standards and Guidelines Project

September 21, 2020 - POSTED BY Kristi Lefebvre POSTED IN Blog

The LSPA's Climate Change (CC) Subcommittee of the Technical Practices Committee is, among other things, working to identify questions and issues that might be helpful to MassDEP as they develop guidance on proposed climate change regulations as presented in the 2019 Draft MCP Amendments.

The Subcommittee recently became aware of a public comment period on the Resilient MA Action Team's (RMAT's) Climate Resilience Design Standards and Guidelines Project. Click here for more information.

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Annual International Conference on Soils, Sediments, Water, and Energy

September 18, 2020 - POSTED BY Kristi Lefebvre POSTED IN Blog

The LSP Association (LSPA) is proud to support the 36th Annual International Conference on Soils, Sediments, Water, and Energy (aka "The Soils Conference") as an event sponsor. The conference will be held virtually this year, which makes it easier than ever to attend. As part of this sponsorship, all LSPA members are eligible to register at the $195 discounted rate for full access to all offerings compared to the $395 full cost. Registration for the conference is now open! When registering, please remember to check "Presenters*, Sponsors/Supporters, and Academics" to receive the discount.

Please note: these rates are valid until September 28. After September 28, registration fees increase by $50. in order to receive this discount your LSPA membership must be paid in full. AEHS Foundation does verify LSPA memberships.  

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Seeking Your Nominations: LSPA Environmental Justice Award

September 14, 2020 - POSTED BY Kristi Lefebvre POSTED IN Blog

The LSP Association (LSPA) requests your nominations for our 2020 "Contribution to the Practice" Awards in a new category: The LSPA Environmental Justice Award.
 
This award category was approved by the LSPA Board in early September 2020 as one action the LSPA can take to increase awareness of Environmental Justice (EJ) issues and support environmental justice communities.
In Massachusetts, a neighborhood is defined as an Environmental Justice population if any of the following are true:
  • Block group whose annual median household income is equal to or less than 65 percent of the statewide median ($62,072 in 2010); or
  • 25% or more of the residents identify as a race other than white; or
  • 25% or more of households have no one over the age of 14 who speaks English only or very well
Learn more here.
 
The LSPA Environmental Justice Award is presented to an individual or organization from the public, non-profit, or private sector for recent or continuing outstanding contributions in increasing awareness of EJ issues and/or supporting EJ communities.
 
This year, the award will be presented at the LSPA December 2020 Membership Meeting webinar.
 
If you wish to nominate a deserving person and/or organization, please email Kristi Lefebvre, LSPA Communications Mangager, at [email protected] with the nominee's name and supporting materials. The deadline for nominations is Wednesday, September 30, 2020.
 
Nomination applications should include the following:
  • The name and affiliation of the nominator and his or her relationship to the nominee.
  • For individuals, the name and title of the nominee 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 nominee's contributions. The nominator will be contacted if the LSPA Board requires additional information.  
The LSPA Board of Directors will review the letters of nomination and supporting materials for all nominees, and will contact references if appropriate. The Board will discuss and then vote on nominees. Awards are made at the sole discretion of the LSPA Board of Directors. Awards are not always made in each category. There may be more than one award presented in any category.
 
Read here for more information about the LSPA's other Contribution to the Practice Award categories.
 
To view the list of prior award recipients, please click here.
 
Michele Paul, LSP, President
Upcoming BCONE Virtual Event: Developing Planning: Utilizing Incentives

August 14, 2020 - POSTED BY Kristi Lefebvre POSTED IN Blog

 

Register Now!

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August 2020 Newsletter

August 10, 2020 - POSTED BY Kristi Lefebvre POSTED IN Blog

LSPA's August 2020 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....

Information re: July 2020 LSP License Renewals & Job Opportunity at LSP Board of Registration

July 24, 2020 - POSTED BY Kristi Lefebvre POSTED IN Blog

July 2020 LSP License Renewals  
The following statement, which clarifies Governor Baker's recent Executive Order related to LSP renewals, has been posted on the LSP Board of Registration website. Please see below and direct renewal questions to the LSP Board at [email protected]. 

On June 26, 2020, Governor Baker issued COVID-19 Executive Order No. 41 which rescinded the automatic license renewals for LSPs. Therefore, LSP license renewals due on or after July 10, 2020, must be received by close of business July 30, 2020, pursuant to 309 CMR 3.06(1). The LSP Board now notifies all LSPs who must file an Application for Renewal of LSP License in July 2020, that they may file an Application for 90-day extension as defined in 309 CMR 3.06(5)-(6). Additionally, LSPs who meet the criteria outlined in 309 CMR 2.12 may file a Petition for Waiver. Please note that Petitions for Waiver of fees are prohibited by the regulation. All petitions and Applications for 90-day extensions must be received by close of business July 30, 2020. 
Job Opportunity at LSP Board
The Board of Registration of Hazardous Waste Site Cleanup Professionals, an agency within the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, is searching for an LSP Board Scientist/Investigator/Environmental Analyst IV. 

To learn more, please review the full job description. Please note that "First consideration will be given to those applicants that apply within the first 14 days."


Technical Assistance Grant RFP, Info from MassDEP, and LSPA Summer Plans

July 14, 2020 - POSTED BY Kristi Lefebvre POSTED IN Blog

TAG Grant RFP Posted on LSPA Job Board
There is a new posting on the LSPA's Job Board for technical assistance at the Olin Chemical Superfund site in Wilmington, MA. The Wilmington Environmental Restoration Committee, Inc. (WERC) is a citizen group of Wilmington and Woburn residents organized in 2007. Their funding is provided through the USEPA's Technical Assistance Grant program. Proposals are due by close of business on Wednesday, August 5, 2020.

Read the RFP posting here.

Governor's New Orders on Licenses and Permitting
At the July 9, 2020 BWSC Office Hours, Paul Locke, BWSC Assistant Commissioner, discussed Executive Order COVID-19 #42 "Order Resuming State Permitting Deadlines and Continuing to Extend the Validity of Certain State Permits"
Check out the meeting video here. Starting at about 17:20 minutes, the Assistant Commissioner clarifies state permitting and appeals deadlines and discusses how this may impact those working in areas regulated by BWSC.
 
The BWSC continues to hold weekly office hours every Thursday at 9:00 am. Go here for more details. 
 
Recordings of past office hours can be found here.  

Public Involvement Q & A
The BWSC continues to add new items to the MCP Q & A: Covid-19 Edition. The most recent questions pertain to conducting public involvement activities, specifically in these areas:
  • Emailing local officials,
  • Conducting public meetings at PIP sites, and
  • Establishing information repositories.
The MCP Q&A: COVID-19 Edition consists of Questions & Answers about the notification, assessment, cleanup and closure of sites during the COVID-19 State of Emergency. Questions may be submitted to 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 website page.

LSPA Summer Plans
The LSPA plans to hold live webinars and offer several new on-demand, online courses throughout the summer. Please watch your email inbox for announcements, and also check the LSPA's course webpage regularly. In the meantime, if you have suggestions for webinar speakers or topics, don't hesitate to share them with us by writing [email protected].


July 2020 Newsletter

July 13, 2020 - POSTED BY Kristi Lefebvre POSTED IN Blog

LSPA's July 2020 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....

New Information from LSP Board on License Renewals

July 02, 2020 - POSTED BY Kristi Lefebvre POSTED IN Blog

As of this morning, the LSP Board has new information regarding LSP license renewals on its website. That information is copied below.

Updated: Jul. 2nd, 2020, 8:30 am

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Recent Massachusetts Executive Orders

July 02, 2020 - POSTED BY Kristi Lefebvre POSTED IN Blog

The LSPA just received the following email from Paul Locke, Assistant Commissioner, MassDEP.  

I hope you are all healthy, safe and looking forward to a relaxing long weekend.  Before you head out, though, I wanted to highlight two recent Executive Orders that affect our environmental work.
 
First, Executive Order COVID-19 #41  rescinds the March 18th Executive Order Extending the Registrations of Certain Licensed Professionals (which extended professional licenses set to expire during the state of emergency) as of July 10th.
This means that any licenses that expire on or after July 10th will not be extended automatically by Executive Order, so those licensees will need to make sure they either get their licenses renewed or extended by the time their current license expires. It orders licensing boards to extend all registrations that had been covered by the March 18th Executive Order to at least October 1, 2020. Note that this material is in the second section of the Order - the first section deals with unrelated Child Care issues.
A copy of that Order is available here.
 
Second, Executive Order COVID-19 #42 "Order Resuming State Permitting Deadlines and Continuing to Extend the Validity of Certain State Permits"
 
For appeals, the new Executive Order works like this:
  • if the deadline to file an appeal would have fallen, or will fall, between March 10th and July 1, 2020, the new deadline to file an appeal will be August 10th.
  • if the deadline to file an appeal falls after July 1, 2020, the deadline would be August 10th or the normal appeal deadline under MassDEP rules, whichever is later. 
For constructive approvals:
  • if the deadline for MassDEP to act on a constructive approval would have fallen between March 10 and July 1, MassDEP's new deadline to act would now be August 17th.  
  • if the deadline for MassDEP to act would fall after July 1, the deadline would be August 17th or the normal deadline for MassDEP to act under its rules, whichever is later.
For the other things affected by the COVID-19 Executive Order No. 17 (permit decision deadlines, hearing deadlines):
  • if the deadline for MassDEP to act on a permit application or hold a hearing would have fallen between March 10 and July 1, the new deadline to act would now be August 10th.  
  • if the deadline for MassDEP to act would fall after July 1, the deadline would be August 10th or the normal deadline for DEP to act under its rules, whichever is later. 
A copy of that order is not yet on the state website (as of this email), but it should be available there shortly. Go to Mass.Gov and use the Search function to find, "Order Resuming State Permitting"  or other parts of the document title.
 
BWSC will plan to discuss these new Executive Orders - and any other questions you may have - at next week's BWSC Office Hours.  They are every Thursday at 9:00 am (except today, to give you the chance for a longer weekend.)  Details here.  

Again, have a good long weekend and maybe we'll see you next Thursday.

----------------------------------------------------------
Paul W. Locke
Assistant Commissioner
MassDEP Bureau of Waste Site Cleanup
1 Winter Street, Boston, MA 02108
 
617-556-1160
[email protected]
Action Alert: Ask Your State Senator to Support LSPA's Home Heating Oil Insurance Bill

June 30, 2020 - POSTED BY Kristi Lefebvre POSTED IN Blog

The LSPA's bill S. 594, which would require insurance companies to provide first- and third-party coverage for home heating oil releases, is now being considered by the Massachusetts Senate Ways & Means Committee.

We are asking for your help. If your state senator is a member the Senate Ways & Means Committee or a co-sponsor of the bill, NOW is the time to get their attention. Please consider writing to him/her to urge support of the bill. The more requests from constituents, the more visibility our bill gets. The legislature's formal session adjourns July 31, 2020.

Check here to find your state senator.

Attached here is a sample email you can send. All senators' email addresses are on their home page. No need to send paper mail.

If you have experience with a home heating oil release, especially one in which the homeowner did not have insurance or had a tough time getting coverage, please feel free to share this in your letter. Real life examples are most compelling, especially if your client's property is in the district of one of these senators.

For more information about the bill, please read the LSPA's letter and fact sheet, as well as a supporting letter from five state river, wetlands, and watershed protection organizations. We encourage you to mention in your letter if you are a member of any of these organizations.

Please copy our Executive Director, Wendy Rundle, at [email protected] on your email, and contact her if you have any questions. Thank you for your support; we will keep LSPA members apprised.

Sincerely,
  
LSPA Legislative Committee Co-Chairs
Spence Smith, LSP, Jacobs
Tim Clinton, LSP, Fuss & O'Neill

 

Upcoming Change to NPDES Application Process and NOI Submittals to MassDEP

June 25, 2020 - POSTED BY Kristi Lefebvre POSTED IN Blog

MassDEP would like to notify LSPs who apply for National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) coverage of an upcoming change in how applications and (Notices of Intent) NOIs are submitted. The Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EOEEA) is in the process of rolling out ePLACE, which is a permitting portal through which you can apply for, renew, or amend a license, permit, certificate or notification. The portal allows all EOEEA authorizations that may be needed by a facility or permittee to be assembled under one integrated electronic system with partial public access. As part of EOEEA, MassDEP's Surface Water Discharge Permitting Program's ePLACE portal will go live on June 30, 2020. Once applicants set up a user ID and password, they will be able to upload applications and NOIs through the portal for multiple projects/facilities. The paper transmittal form will no longer be used and payments may be made by credit card or electronic check. Applicants will still have the option to mail a check, if necessary.

The portal will be available beginning on June 30, 2020 at: https://eplace.eea.mass.gov/citizenaccess and instructions will be available at: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/surface-water-discharge-permitting-npdes. ePLACE technical support will also be available. Applications and NOIs received by email or mail after this date will need to be resubmitted using ePLACE.


LSPA Unveils June 2020 Resource Tip

June 23, 2020 - POSTED BY Kristi Lefebvre POSTED IN Blog

The following LSPA resource tip was presented at the June 2020 Membership Meeting, which was held virtually through the Zoom webinar platform, on June 18, 2020.  

LSPA Resource Tip for More Resilient and Sustainable Remediation Solutions 

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LSPA Announces Election Results and Board Transitions

June 17, 2020 - POSTED BY Kristi Lefebvre POSTED IN Blog

The LSPA Board is pleased to announce that three candidates have been elected to the LSPA Board of Directors for 2020 - 2023:
Thank you to all who voted. We received 150 completed ballots. 
 
At the end of June 2020, LSPA Board Member Jeanine Grachuk's Board term will come to an end. Jeanine is an environmental attorney and Partner at Beveridge & Diamond P.C. We thank her for her many contributions as a Board member and Clerk.  

We feel fortunate to have a vibrant association led by such skilled and dedicated professionals
Sincerely,
   
David Leone, LSP
LSPA President-Elect, 2020-2021



Working from Home - Let's get set up for success

June 08, 2020 - POSTED BY Kristi Lefebvre POSTED IN Blog

This 20-minute video created by Phil Platcow, Senior Vice President for Health & Safety at The Vertex Companies, Inc., shows us how to get our home workspace set up for ergonomic success! Phil covers several different areas including what ergonomics is and how to have the proper at home set-up. He even tackles how to avoid distractions and provides information on our overall wellness. A BIG thank you to Phil and VERTEX for sharing their content with the LSPA and it's members. We hope you all enjoy the video. 



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