Chapter 91 of the Massachusetts General Laws, otherwise known as the Public Waterfront Act, is the primary law protecting the public’s rights to use and access the coastal tidelands of the Commonwealth. First adopted in 1866,...more
In addition to amending the Wetlands Protection Regulations to add performance standards for the Land Subject to Coastal Storm Flowage wetland resource area, MassDEP wants to update the Massachusetts Stormwater Management...more
There has been a joke for some time now that whenever MassDEP proposes new regulations, they must have finally developed the performance standard for Land Subject to Coastal Storm Flowage (“LSCSF”). Well, the joke’s on us,...more
On September 1, 2023, MassDEP issued final amendments to the Massachusetts Contingency Plan (“MCP”), the regulations governing the cleanup of releases of hazardous material and oil spills at contaminated properties. The MCP...more
After a summer of historic rainfall and flooding in Massachusetts, stormwater is on our minds. Stormwater is a major source of water pollution in the Commonwealth, and it is crucial that owners and operators of commercial and...more
Last week, in Held v. State of Montana, the First Judicial District Court of Lewis and Clark County issued a groundbreaking decision in favor of sixteen youth plaintiffs who challenged a Montana environmental review law that...more
New for the 2023-24 academic year, Suffolk University Law School will offer a full-year clinic program for environmental policy and casework. The Environmental Law & Policy Clinic will have seminar and clinic work components...more
The United States Supreme Court decided last week in Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency that a word does not mean what the dictionary, Congress, or two federal agencies have for 45 years understood it to mean....more
On January 20, 2023, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (“MassDEP”) promulgated final revisions to the Water Management Act (“WMA”) regulations at 310 CMR 36.00....more