The LSPA received the following email from MassDEP on Thursday, January 23, 2020. 

Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection has updated its Method for the Determination of Extractable Petroleum Hydrocarbons (EPH) and the corresponding CAM protocol, WSC-CAM-IVB, Quality Control Requirements and Performance Standards for the Analysis of Extractable Petroleum Hydrocarbons (EPH) in Support of Response Actions under the Massachusetts Contingency Plan.  The updates include revised holding times when samples are frozen, clarifications on the peak integration process during calibration, and a series of other minor revisions and clarifications.  A complete list of the updates is provided in the preface of the revised method.  The revised method may be found here. 

The LSPA presented the following compliance tip at the January 2020 Membership Meeting at the DoubleTree Hotel in Andover, MA on January 16, 2020.  

The LSPA presented the following compliance tip at the November 2019 Membership Meeting at the DoubleTree Hotel in Westborough, MA on November 21, 2019.  

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).

In anticipation of the LSPA’s November 21, 2019 member meeting on MassDEP’s Natural Resource Damages (NRD) Program, the LSPA highlights one such project:  the completion of the Mystic Riverfront Restoration project on the shores of the Mystic River in Arlington, MA at a location directly impacted by a 2013 spill of nearly 10,000 gallons of diesel fuel.

To compensate for the harm to the Mystic River from the spill, MassDEP settled a claim for Natural Resource Damages. These funds support work that began in 2017 and involved MassDEP, DCR, the Town of Arlington's Conservation Commission and DPW.

The LSP Association’s Board of Directors hosted over 300 attendees at this year’s Annual Dinner at Mechanics Hall in Worcester. It was a wonderful night and great to see so many LSPA members, clients, and friends. Click here to see the photograph album from the evening.

In addition to a performance by the Harvard-Radcliffe Veritones, the LSPA presented its Contribution to the Practice Awards. The following recipients were honored for their outstanding efforts: 

The LSPA presented the following compliance tip at the September 2019 Membership Meeting at the Newton Marriott in Newton, MA on September 18, 2019.  

Meeting Date & Location	Topic & Speaker
Wednesday, September 18, 2019  Boston Marriott Newton, Newton	Annual Kick-Off Meeting 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 Robert Cox, Bowditch & Dewey, LLP  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

LSPA Announces FY 20 Board Officers and
Welcomes New Board Member

The LSP Association (LSPA) is sponsoring legislation to address this problem.  Senate bill 594 would require insurance companies to automatically provide this coverage.  Read more here and here to learn how the LSPA's legislation will close a loophole.

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 11^th 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.

The LSPA presented the following compliance tip at the June Membership Meeting at the Hilton Hotel in Woburn, MA on June 13, 2019.  

•  Patrick Corcoran, LSP, Senior Project Manager, ATC Group Services. Mr. Corcoran will begin his second 3-year term on July 1, 2019. 

•  Joseph Roman, LSP, Senior Project Manager and Human Health Risk Assessor, GEI Consultants, Inc. Mr. Roman will begin his first 3-year term on July 1, 2019. 

• Matthew Young, Senior Project Manager, Environmental, Cumberland Farms. Mr. Young will begin his second 3-year term on July 1, 2019.