Category Archives: Environmental

A Modern Take on the Antiquities Act of 1906

Posted on February 27, 2017 by

During the waning days of his administration, President Obama used the Antiquities Act of 1906 (16 USC 431-433) (“Act”) to create expansive national monuments on land and at sea.  According to the National Park Service, he established 34 national monuments … Continue reading →

Posted in Environmental, Historic Preservation, Open Space | Tagged ,

Deadline for Owners of Single Wall Steel Tanks Looming

Posted on December 22, 2016 by

by Joseph S. Campisi, President, Corporate Environmental Advisors, Inc. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (“MassDEP”) promulgated underground storage tank (UST) regulations on January 2, 2015 that replaced the Massachusetts Department of Fire Service (“DFS”) regulations at 527 CMR 9.00. … Continue reading →

Posted in Environmental, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Trump’s Pruitt Pick for EPA Signals Greater Predictability in Environmental Rulemaking, Enforcement

Posted on December 8, 2016 by

President-elect Donald Trump’s team announced yesterday his selection of Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt to head the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The Pruitt pick is nearly as polarizing as the election itself. Pruitt describes himself as a “leading advocate against … Continue reading →

Posted in Environmental, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

SEC Hoping to Increase Policing of Climate Change Disclosures

Posted on November 4, 2016 by

These pages rarely comment on Securities and Exchange Commission matters, but a recent article in Corporate Counsel Weekly captured our attention – “SEC Policing of Climate Disclosure May Pick Back Up.” The 2010 SEC climate change guidance required companies to … Continue reading →

Posted in Environmental | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Appeals Court Revisits Adverse Possession of Undeveloped Land

Posted on May 4, 2016 by

The Massachusetts Appeals Court recently reviewed adverse possession of wild and wooded areas. In Paine v. Sexton, 88 Mass. App. Ct. 389 (2015), the Plaintiff campground operators asserted rights to property based on record title and adverse possession.  While it … Continue reading →

Posted in Economic Development, Environmental, Open Space, Wetlands, Zoning | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

MassDEP Offers Manufacturers Amnesty Under Toxics Use Reduction Act, a Likely Prelude to Increased Enforcement

Posted on March 28, 2016 by

If you are a Massachusetts manufacturer suspected of using toxic chemicals in your production process, you may have been among the hundreds of recipients in recent weeks of a notice letter from MassDEP about mandatory chemical use reporting under TURA, … Continue reading →

Posted in Environmental, Hazardous Materials, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

BREAKING: Supreme Court Strikes Down New EPA Rules on Mercury Emissions

Posted on June 29, 2015 by

In a blow to the Obama Administration’s efforts to phase out coal-fired power plants and encourage energy production from renewable resources, the United States Supreme Court has thrown out the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) new rules requiring coal-fired power plants … Continue reading →

Posted in Environmental, Hazardous Materials | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

MassDEP Obtains Judgment From Superior Court for $265k Fine at Taunton Plating Facility

Posted on February 18, 2015 by

According to a press release issued by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) today, the Suffolk Superior Court issued a judgment against a New York City-based company for failing to properly address historical contamination at the former Kent Silversmith … Continue reading →

Posted in Environmental, Hazardous Materials, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

MassDEP’s New Cleanup Regulations Are Now Effective

Posted on August 28, 2014 by

As we reported earlier in guest posts from Adam Last of Corporate Environmental Advisors, Inc. here and here, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) has long been working on significant revisions to the Massachusetts Contingency Plan (MCP).  The MCP … Continue reading →

Posted in Economic Development, Environmental, Hazardous Materials | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Massachusetts Revises Its Building Code Adding Increased Energy Efficiency Standards

Posted on July 16, 2014 by

Following up on my post dated November 15, 2012, as of July 1, 2014, the International Energy Conservation Code (“IECC”) 2012 went into effect, replacing the former baseline building energy code regulations.  The Commonwealth’s adoption of the updated code is … Continue reading →

Posted in Construction, Environmental, Uncategorized | Tagged , | Leave a comment

SJC: Private Forest Land Eligible for Tax Exemption

Posted on May 15, 2014 by

As an update to our previous post, the Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) today reversed the Appellate Tax Board (ATB) and held that forest land owned by a private conservation organization should be exempt from local property taxes. The decision in … Continue reading →

Image | Posted on May 15, 2014 by | 1 Comment

Brownfields Program Has Paid Off For Massachusetts Business

Posted on March 27, 2014 by

Guest Post by Larry Feldman, a licensed site professional with GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc.  Reprinted with permission from the Worcester Business Journal. In the early 1990s, a coalition of environmental advocates, bankers, developers, lawyers, regulators and environmental consultants in Massachusetts came together … Continue reading →

Posted in Economic Development, Environmental, Hazardous Materials | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment