One of the greatest strengths of the LSPA is the willingness of our members to invest their time, expertise, and energy to projects that advance the practice of environmental assessment and cleanup across Massachusetts. The WES LSP Practice Grant Program was created to encourage exactly that kind of innovation. 

Named in honor of Wesley E. Stimpson, PE, LSP, whose leadership, dedication, and service played an important role in shaping both the LSP profession and the LSPA, the WES Grant has awarded more than $37,000 to projects that help advance professional practice, improve technical understanding, and support informed decision-making for environmental professionals working under the Massachusetts Contingency Plan (MCP).  

This year, the WES Grant Review Committee awarded grant funding to the Historic Fill Working Group for its project, “Historic Fill RTN Data Analysis.” Historic Fill remains one of the most frequently encountered and often most challenging conditions faced by practitioners throughout the Commonwealth. While several existing studies provide useful information regarding contaminants associated with fill, the goal of this project is to develop a more comprehensive and representative database of contaminants and concentrations found in Historic Fill across Massachusetts. 

On behalf of the LSPA, congratulations to Adam Cote, LSP, and Leslie Lombardo, LSP, who have led the charge on this project, co-chairs of the LSPA Technical Practices Committee, Jane Parkin Kullman, PhD, DABT, LSP, and Jesse Freeman, PE, LSP, and the many volunteers who have already invested hundreds of volunteer hours reviewing RTNs, screening candidate Historic Fill sites, and laying the groundwork for this effort. Their work is a reminder that progress rarely comes from one person working alone. It comes from people bringing their expertise together, sharing what they know, and leaving the profession a little better than they found it. 

Until next time, keep doing good work and sharing the stories that make our profession and our communities stronger. Send them to [email protected].