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LSPA Members Discount to NSCW Brownfields Conf., Sept. 19 & 20

Northeast Sustainable Communities Workshop

September 19 - 20, 2023
Worcester, MA

Join us at the 2023 Northeast Sustainable Communities Workshop (NSCW) in Worcester, MA, on September 19-20. The theme, “Reimagining Brownfields: Strategies for Successful Redevelopment,” brings together environmental experts, consultants, developers, attorneys, academics, and real estate professionals for impactful sessions.

Discover innovative strategies for successful brownfield redevelopment, connect with industry leaders, and explore commercial real estate incentives throughout the Northeast. NSCW breaks away from traditional PowerPoint-heavy presentations to provide ample opportunities for sharing experiences and success stories and connecting with colleagues.



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AND…..we’re back in-person!

AND…..we’re back!  The LSPA was excited to hold several in-person events over the past month.

Along with MassDEP and AMWS – The Association of Massachusetts Wetland Scientists, we held two sessions of “Wetlands, Wetland Regulations, and the MCP.”  This full day course involved time exploring five wetlands field stations and got rave reviews from participants.

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“To LSP or Not to LSP" Career Path Considerations in Environmental Consulting

The LSPA's Emerging Professionals Committee (EPC) is dedicated to providing educational & social programs for professionals who are new to environmental consulting in Massachusetts. 

In November 2021, the EPC presented, “To LSP or Not to LSP" Career Path Considerations in Environmental Consulting. During the event, a panel of four speakers discuss various career track options in the Environmental Assessment and Remediation Industry, their backgrounds and how they ended up in their current role. This video will help to provide new professionals and college/grad students an idea of the different types of careers they could pursue within the industry.

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LSPA Courses Now Offer NY PG (Professional Geologist) Credits

Please note that the LSPA now applies for NY PG (Professional Geologist) credits for all of our appropriate events. When NY PG credit is offered for a course or meeting, there will be a check off option at the bottom of LSPA registration forms. These credits cost an additional $20 per course; the same as our fee for NY PE credits. Please spread the word with your colleagues who may not be LSPA members but require CE credits for their professional geologist license. 

Coming Soon - LSPA Ballot for 2022 Board Election

Voting will open on Tuesday, May 24, 2022 for the 2022-2023 LSPA Board of Directors election. Board positions will take effect July 1, 2022. 
 
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.
 
There are three open seats on the Board for this election; the three year term is from FY '23 through FY '25. Provided below are the candidates on this year's ballot. Please click on each candidate's name to read more about them.
To view all the candidates' statements of interest, please click here
  
New Board members will be announced at the LSPA monthly membership meeting on Tuesday, June 21, 2022, which will be held from 3:45 PM to 5:15 PM as a live webinar.
 
Please note that voting will close on Wednesday, June 15, 2022, at 5 PM.
 
If you have questions or comments, please contact Wendy Rundle, LSPA Executive Director at [email protected].

Thank you,
David E. Leone, LSP
LSP Association President

LSPA Presents February 2021 Compliance Tip

The following LSPA compliance tip was presented at the February 2021 Membership Meeting, which was held virtually through the Zoom webinar platform, on February 9, 2021.  

Not all LSP Board-approved “Regulatory” continuing education credits are also “DEP Course” credits. To qualify as a “DEP Course,” an otherwise qualifying course must also be “taught in whole or in substantial part by Department of Environmental Protection personnel.” Only those credits specifically listed as “DEP Regulatory” can be applied toward both the 12-credit DEP Course requirement and the eight-credit Regulatory requirement.  

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Upcoming BCONE Virtual Event: Developing Planning: Utilizing Incentives

 

Register Now!

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If you can't have an LSPA member meeting, at least enjoy a Doubletree Hotel chocolate chip cookie

Let's be honest, one of the best things about attending an LSPA Member Meeting at the Westborough Doubletree Hotel is the chocolate chip cookies. Many an LSP has been seen doubling up on them at LSPA programs, or stuffing them in their pockets "for the ride home."   

We are disappointed to not be holding our May 2020 member meeting at the Doubletree but, if you're in the mood to bake (and eat!), you can still enjoy their chocolate chip cookies.  

For the first time, the hotel has revealed its cookie recipe. Read more here.
Print out the recipe here.


Representative Robert DeLeo Awarded River Hero Award



Earlier this week, LSPA Executive Director Wendy Rundle, attended the Annual Dinner Meeting of the Massachusetts Rivers Alliance where Representative Robert DeLeo, MA Speaker of the House was presented with a River Hero award.  Also attending from the LSPA were Susan Chapnick, former LSPA Board member and President of New Environmental Horizons; Dot McGlincy, LSP and Executive Director of MA Association of Conservation Commissions (MACC); and Joel Mooney, LSP and Sr. VP Haley & Aldrich, an LSPA Platinum Partner.


Speaker DeLeo, and Wendy Rundle, right after she mentioned the LSPA's S.594 to require insurance for remediation of residential home heating oil releases.


Introduction to Drilling Techniques with Technical Drilling Services

Last night, LSPA’s Emerging Professionals Committee hosted Introduction to Drilling Techniques with Technical Drilling Services (TDS). At the sold-out event at their headquarters in Sterling, TDS demonstrated various drilling and monitoring well installation methods.  Environmental consultants along with students from Bridgewater State University (BSU) learned about basic drilling/sampling techniques (including continuous and discrete soil cores) and groundwater monitoring well installations on a 15-foot monitoring well.  

Here are a few photos from the event (photo credit to Michael Penzo).

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2019-2020 LSPA Membership Meeting Dates

Mark your calendars! The LSPA Membership Meeting dates and locations for 2019-2020 have been announced. The LSP Association's membership meetings take place monthly from September through June in the Greater Boston area. See below or 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,"Environmental Law: Part 1," is being held on September 26, 2019. 

Meeting Date & Location  Topic & Speaker
Wednesday, September 18, 2019 
Boston Marriott Newton, Newton
Liz Callahan and Paul Locke, MassDEP
Thursday, September 26, 2019
Hilton Garden Inn, Springfield
Environmental Law: Part 1
Jeanine Grachuk, Beveridge & Diamond
1.0 non-DEP Regulatory Credit
Course #1626A
Thursday, October 17, 2019
Mechanics Hall, Worcester 
Annual Dinner
October 2019
Hilton Garden Inn, Springfield
Environmental Law: Part 2

Michelle O'Brien, Pierce Atwood LLP
 1.0 non-DEP Regulatory Credit
Course #1626B
Thursday, November 21, 2019 
Doubletree Hotel, Westborough
Topic for Credit
 November 2019
Hilton Garden Inn, Springfield
 Environmental Law: Part 3

 1.0 non-DEP Regulatory Credit
Course #1626C
 December 2019
Downtown Boston Area
 Co-Sponsor the EBC Winter Garden Party 
 Thursday, January 16, 2020
Doubletree Hotel, Andover
  Topic for Credit
Michael Marley, XDD Environmental
 Wednesday, February 12, 2020
Doubletree Hotel, Westborough

 Theory and Applications of ISCO Injectate Selection and
In Situ Remediation Using Activated Carbon Based Injectates

 
Speakers from ISOTEC and AST Environmental
1.5 Technical Credits 
Course #1677
Thursday, March 19, 2020
Holiday Inn, Mansfield 
 Topic for Credit
Tuesday, April 14, 2020 
Crowne Plaza, Woburn
 Topic for Credit
 Tuesday, May 19, 2020
Doubletree Hotel, Westborough
 Topic for Credit
Thursday, June 18, 2020
Holiday Inn, Taunton 
 Topic for Credit and LSPA Scholarship Presentation
You'll notice that we've added some new locations this year -in Andover, Mansfield and Woburn, MA. The changes were based upon feedback collected in an LSPA member survey. While we can't accommodate every request received, we are listening and doing our best to adjust accordingly. Any ideas for meeting topics or locations, please let us know! You can email [email protected].
  
LSPA committee meeting dates have also been finalized for the upcoming year. Now is the perfect time to get involved, connect with a committee chair or sit in on an upcoming meeting. With eight LSPA Committees, there is something for everyone. We welcome your interest and support at any level! Click here to learn more.    
 
Annual corporate packages will be announced shortly. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor, please email Kristi Lefebvre at [email protected] and we'll make sure you receive the information as soon as its published.


LSPA Scholarship Fund Awards Scholarships for 2019-2020 Academic Year

For the past 16 years, the LSPA Scholarship Fund has been awarding educational scholarships to individuals pursuing degrees in the fields of science, environmental engineering, or other majors that are consistent with the goal of becoming a Licensed Site Professional. At LSPA’s June 11th Membership Meeting in Taunton, MA, the LSPA Scholarship Fund awarded three individual scholarships. 

Veronica Gonsalez received the $5,000 Jeff Hardin Memorial Award, which is presented to an LSPA  member or member of their immediate family, who exemplifies the goal of environmental excellence. For those who remember Jeff, you know he strove for environmental excellence. Veronica is well-deserving of this scholarship.

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Exposure Point Concentrations and You: Calculating 95% UCLs and Employing ProUCL to compute them for use as EPCs

Hardly the title for a stellar course, right?  WRONG!

These two smiling, smart people received rave reviews from course participants:

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Environmental Workshops: Vapor Intrusion

Environmental Workshops is offering training events on Vapor Intrusion. Each half-day workshop is presented together with a casual networking event. Click here to find background information, or go to find a specific event page. While the workshops are free of charge for all attendees, registration is required. For those interested, here are the upcoming workshops in our area. If you have any questions, please contact EnivroWorkshops directly

April 23, 2019 - White Plains, NY

April 24, 2019 - Hartford, CT

April 25, 2019 - Mansfield, MA


How Geologists and Environmental Consultants Interact with Lawyers

On December 3, 2018, LSPA Board Member Jeanine Grachuk, Principal at Beveridge & Diamond, spoke about “How Geologists and Environmental Consultants Interact with Lawyers” to 20 students at a meeting of the Student Chapter of the LSP Association at Bridgewater State University. Always great to connect practitioners with students, and possible future LSPs (or attorneys!).

 

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Western MA Membership Meeting: A Fresh Look at Brownfields Challenges and Opportunities

We had a great turnout at last week's Western Massachusetts Membership Meeting, "A Fresh Look at Brownfields Challenges and Opportunities". The presentation slides have been posted on the LSPA website under Member Materials. Please visit here to download the materials or click directly on the links below:
Thank you to our sponsors for the evening: Con-Test Analytical Laboratory and Regenesis. We appreciate your continued support!


   

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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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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Glacial Geology of Northward Flowing Watersheds

The LSPA could not have asked for better weather for our early November field course, Glacial Geology of Northward Flowing Watersheds, taught by Brian Yellen. The Nashua, Assabet, and Sudbury watersheds all drain north, resulting in unusual glacial landforms and stratigraphy in the Harvard, Massachusetts area. The 8-hour course format was a bus tour with short walks to view a variety of glacial landforms, and participants also enjoyed lunch at a local restaurant.  

Photo Credit: Michele Paul, LSPA Board of Directors and Education Committee