On March 29, 2024, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) promulgated cumulative impact analysis regulations. This new regulation requires projects seeking comprehensive plan approvals within a...more
Massachusetts is establishing a drinking water limit of 20 ppt for six PFAS, combined. Final regulations are anticipated to be published in the Massachusetts Register on October 2, 2020. As we previously reported, the...more
MassDEP proposed groundwater cleanup standards for PFAS significantly lower than the federal health advisory as part of its long-expected proposed revisions to Massachusetts’ regulations governing the assessment and cleanup...more
MassDEP will develop a drinking water maximum contaminant level (MCL) for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS, in response to the Conservation Law Foundation’s October 25, 2018 petition, which we reported on...more
MassDEP will decide on January 28 whether to establish a strict drinking water standard for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS, and promulgate further regulations for the identification and remediation of PFAS...more
MassDEP is one step closer to issuing draft regulations this summer regulating PFAS in drinking water with the June 8, 2018, issuance by its Office of Research and Standards of recommended interim toxicity and drinking water...more
MassDEP is developing a standard methodology for assessing natural resource damages for small to medium oil spills to surface water that will be incorporated into forthcoming regulations, which will require persons...more
Finally catching up with many states that have made it possible to apply for and review permits online, Massachusetts’ Energy and Environmental Information Public Access System (EIPAS) went online last month, promising to...more
On January 26, 2017, MassDEP announced that it had developed and is seeking comment on a Fact Sheet entitled “Guidance on Sampling and Analysis for PFAS at Disposal Sites Regulated under the Massachusetts Contingency Plan.”...more
Massachusetts state regulations require that all single-walled USTs be removed or closed-in-place by August 7, 2017. Most tanks installed prior to 1970 (and in some cases later) were single-walled steel tanks. Such tanks...more
Off to Court We Go: Petitioners Challenge EPA’s Small MS4 General Permit for Massachusetts -
The storm of debate and criticism over the terms and conditions of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) General...more
10/25/2016
/ Best Management Practices ,
Clean Water Act ,
Climate Change ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Executive Orders ,
Global Warming Solutions Act ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
MassDEP ,
NPDES ,
OSHA
As we reported in our recent Massachusetts Environmental and Land Use Alert, Massachusetts is in the first stages of seeking delegation from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the Clean Water Act program. ...more
Trichloroethylene -
A new MassDEP Technical Support Document confirms that the agency has screened almost 1,000 closed TCE sites and anticipates that about 200 sites require follow up due to the potential for human...more
In a decision that has broad implications, gasoline with additives such as lead is not included in the exemption under the Massachusetts remediation statute, Chapter 21E, for oil releases located in certain drinking water...more
Massachusetts’ status as one of only four states not in control of the Clean Water Act program within its boundaries may change as the state begins the process of applying to U.S. EPA for delegation of that program. ...more
MassDEP issued its long-awaited final policy on how to close LNAPL sites under revised 2014 regulations on February 19, 2016. The final policy, “Light Nonaqueous Phase Liquid and the MCP: Guidance on Site Assessment and...more
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection plans to begin contacting some owners of properties with closed trichloroethylene (TCE) remediation sites and requiring them to conduct testing, following a review of...more
Notification of potential data quality issues by a Massachusetts laboratory is raising concerns about the possible impact on current and closed remediation sites in Massachusetts that relied on that data.
Accutest...more
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (“MassDEP”) has been updating its policy and guidance to address improvements in scientific understanding as well as its experience in addressing site contaminants. As...more
Two shredding and metals recycling companies recently settled a complaint brought by the Massachusetts Attorney General (Mass AG) and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) for alleged violations...more
MassDEP issued a fact sheet in June identifying special considerations for responding to releases of 1,4-dioxane (“dioxane”), which was primarily used as a stabilizer and corrosion inhibitor as an additive to chlorinated...more
After nearly a year of evaluation, MassDEP has issued a draft policy requiring an Administrative Consent Order (ACO) for large-scale projects that fill or reclaim quarries, sand pits, and gravel pits. Comments on the policy...more
Because it will take time to develop regulations announced in December requiring permits for large-scale fill projects including both reclamation of quarries, sand pits and gravel pits, and redevelopment projects, MassDEP...more
MassDEP’s new regulations governing Underground Storage Tanks (USTs) became effective January 2, 2015. MassDEP took responsibility for USTs from the Department of Fire Services in 2009 and initially relied on existing...more