05/14/2013 - 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm
MassDEP has issued draft revisions to its wastewater regulations. The changes are part of MassDEP's Regulatory Reform Initiative, which aims to streamline environmental regulation and promote efficiency. The presentation will provide an overview of the proposed changes to rules governing septic systems (Title 5), sewer connection permitting, operation and maintenance of treatment works, wastewater permitting procedures, and beneficial re-use of wastewater residuals....
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05/06/2013 - 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm
Adapting to the changes in our environment and communities driven by climate change poses challenges for a broad swath of policies and programs including project analysis under the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act. The MEPA unit is increasingly scoping for a project's plans to account for sea level rise, storm flooding and temperature rise. Join two seasoned practitioners for a discussion of how MEPA requirements may "adapt" to climate change and how this fits in with the larger challenge of development, regulation and resource management in a changing world....
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05/04/2013 - 09:00 AM to 12:00 PM
This year, in partnership with the Boston Parks and Recreation Department's Urban Wilds Initiative, the BBA's Environmental Law Public Service Committee and New Lawyers Public Service Committee are sponsoring this year's spring public service day at the Gladeside Urban Wild, an "urban wild" managed by the City of Boston....
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05/03/2013 - 12:30 PM to 01:30 PM
The speakers will give an overview of amendments proposed to the Massachusetts Contingency Plan (MCP), 310 CMR 40.0000 (the regulations for the notification, assessment and cleanup of oil/hazardous material sites) and answer questions from participants. The proposed MCP amendments, which are part of MassDEP's Regulatory Reform Initiative, are intended to enhance program efficiency and facilitate Brownfield cleanup, while maintaining a high standard of environmental protection. Proposals streamline site classification and deed notice requirements, update cleanup standards based on the most recent science, increase opportunity for achieving site closure at sites with vapor intrusion, historic fill, and nonaqueous phase liquid contamination and increase the overall transparency of conditions related to site closure....
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04/30/2013 - 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm
Join us for a public and private perspective on responding to MassDEP's Notices of Responsibility, Noncompliance, and Enforcement Conference. The panel will discuss the different types of notices, MassDEP's expectations, possible strategies in responding to each, the roles of attorneys and consultants, and lessons learned....
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04/27/2013 - 09:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Come join members of the New Lawyers Section as we partner with over 3,000 volunteers from various neighborhood, school and professional organizations to help clear trash, debris and other harmful items from the banks of the Charles River. This event will be an excellent opportunity to enjoy the company of fellow new lawyers in a non-professional setting. All volunteers will be invited to the post-cleanup BBQ on the Esplanade. Registrants will be contacted prior to the event with further information....
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04/26/2013 - 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm
The Ocean Management Plan established the framework for environmental review and permitting of a range of marine projects such as wind turbines, sand mining and aquaculture would be reviewed. Draft regulations have been released that set out the procedural steps and substantive standards that will be applied through MEPA review and regulatory permitting....
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04/24/2013 - 05:30 PM to 07:30 PM
Please join the Environmental Section and the New Lawyers Section at our annual Spring Environmental Career Panel. This event will be an excellent opportunity for law students and new lawyers to learn about various aspects of an environmental legal career from a panel of talented experts in the field. Enjoy a cocktail and networking reception to follow....
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04/01/2013 - 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm
Noise is a public health concern that falls within the scope of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection's authority as a form of regulated air pollution. DEP's evaluation of how noise may affect people occurs in the context of conducting pre-construction permitting, reviewing nuisance noise complaints, and performing compliance assessments. Representatives from DEP will discuss the scope and implementation of the agency's noise pollution policy, including as applied to wind turbine projects....
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03/25/2013 - 12:30 PM to 01:30 PM
MassDEP has issued its public comment draft of revisions to the Wetlands Regulations proposing significant changes in the standards and procedures for work in wetlands. In addition, recent revisions to the Wetlands Protection Act are also taking effect. The presentation will provide a look ahead on what is on tap for your clients and an opportunity for your input....
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03/14/2013 - 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm
Join recently appointed Brownfields Unit Chief and Assistant Attorney General John Beling and experienced environmental attorney Robert D. Cox, Jr., partner at Bowditch & Dewey, LLP, for a discussion of the Massachusetts Attorney General's Brownfields Covenant-Not-To-Sue Program. John Beling will discuss his priorities and perspective as new Unit Chief, and Bob Cox will discuss his experiences representing brownfields developers in applying for Brownfields Covenants-Not-To-Sue....
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03/05/2013 - 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm
The Department of Public Utilities recently approved the Program Administrators' Three Year Energy Efficiency Plans. Come hear what energy efficiency is all about and what is in store for the next three years....
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03/04/2013 - 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm
Massachusetts and its partners in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative recently completed a review of the program and issued an Updated Model Rule that includes a 45% reduction in the regional cap on carbon dioxide emissions for power plants in the nine participating Northeastern states. The Updated Model Rule contains a number of other significant changes to the RGGI program, including creation of a cost containment reserve to keep emission allowance prices from rising above a certain level, and an adjustment for the unused allowances that have been banked by generators over the past four years....
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03/01/2013 - 09:00 AM to 05:00 PM
The Environmental Law Section invites you to the 6th Annual Environmental Law Section Ski Trip, with an optional overnight stay the night before in Jackson, N.H. at a local ski lodge. Downhill skiing is planned for Wildcat Mountain, 10 minutes north of Jackson to take advantage of the March Friday discounted tickets....
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02/28/2013 - 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm
Community residents, municipal leaders, and state agencies are working to increase access to healthy and affordable food in Massachusetts' urban centers. Speakers at this brown-bag panel will discuss: the role of lawyers in supporting residents seeking to engage in community gardening and urban / small scale - community based farming, and associated pro bono opportunities; soon-to-be proposed changes to the Massachusetts Contingency Plan that address future gardening uses in risk assessments; and local and state urban agriculture initiatives, including proposed changes to the Boston Zoning Code Article 89...
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02/27/2013 - 04:00 PM to 06:00 PM
Come hear experts discuss climate adaptation challenges and policies from four perspectives: science, insurance, transportation, and utilities. Speakers from the Union of Concerned Scientists, Transportation for Massachusetts, and Ceres, and an expert on utilities, will discuss cutting edge policy and legal issues.
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02/07/2013 - 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm
Providing an adequate water supply is essential to public health and economic development. Withdrawing water to satisfy that demand can shrink stream flows, degrading aquatic habitats and natural fish populations. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts’s Sustainable Water Management Initiative (SWMI) was created in 2010 and its purpose is to manage the water in the Commonwealth so that there is enough for the many and sometimes competing long-term water needs of our communities and our aquatic ecosystems....
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02/05/2013 - 12:00 PM to 02:00 PM
On Tuesday, February 5, Curt Spalding, United States Environmental Protection Agency New England Regional Administrator, will join us for lunch at BBA to talk about EPA's efforts over the last four years and the focus on sustainability going forward....
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01/30/2013 - 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm
Joanna Jerison, Legal Enforcement Manager, and Audrey Zucker, Chief of the Superfund Legal Office, United States Environmental Protection Agency, Region 1 (New England), will deliver their annual round-up of recent developments under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), or the Superfund law. Their presentation will include updates on Region 1 enforcement and remedy decisions, national priorities, and developments in important cases....
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01/18/2013 - 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm
Does designation of a future park on an urban renewal plan create land that is now protected under Article 97 of the Constitution? Does the designation trump the issuance of a Chapter 91 license?...
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01/16/2013 - 04:00 PM to 08:00 PM
Please join the New Lawyers and Tax Sections for an accelerated training session for the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. The program is coordinated locally by the Boston Earned Income Tax Credit Coalition and annually trains volunteers to prepare income tax returns for low income taxpayers at community sites in the greater Boston area....
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01/10/2013 - 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm
The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) is dedicated to accelerating the success of clean energy development and implementation. Find out how the MassCEC is driving innovation and markets for clean energy technologies....
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12/18/2012 - 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm
On February 3, 2012 the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services (DFS) promulgated the Hazardous Materials Processing regulation (527 CMR 33). These regulations were developed in response to several recent chemical fires and explosions in Massachusetts including incidents in Leominster in 2005, Danvers in 2006, and Middleton last year. These regulations are intended to go beyond the requirements of the USEPA’s Risk Management Program and OSHA’s Process Safety Management program. The regulations establish specific disclosure, inspection, planning, and permitting requirements and a staggered compliance schedule based on category. The first group of facilities, Category 5 facilities, must comply with the regulations by January 1, 2013....
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12/11/2012
This program will provide attendees with a comprehensive overview of the evolving science, regulatory schemes, and legal issues associated climate change and renewable energy sources in the coastal zone....
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12/05/2012 - 09:00 AM to 02:00 PM
The Massachusetts Department of Telecommunications and Cable invites you to attend the New England Wireless Conference with Keynote,Jonathan Adelstein, PCIA President and former FCC Commissioner...
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12/04/2012 - 05:30 PM to 07:30 PM
'Tis the season to share holiday cheer with friends in the Environmental Law Section. Catch up with familiar faces and introduce yourself to new ones while enjoying drinks and hors d'oeuvres!
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12/03/2012 - 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm
The Ninth Circuit’s September 2012 decision in Native Village of Kivalina v. Exxon Mobil is the latest climate-related decision to come from the federal courts. Kivalina sued multiple oil, energy, and utility companies for damages under the federal common law of public nuisance, arguing that their greenhouse gas emissions were responsible for global warming, which, in turn, has severely eroded the land where Kivalina sits and threatens it with imminent destruction. The Ninth Circuit held that the federal common law of public nuisance was displaced by the Clean Air Act. Matt Pawa, Pawa Law Group, who argued the case for Kivalina, and Seth Jaffe of Foley Hoag LLP, will review the issues presented by the case, the basis for the court's decision, and what the decision says about the current state of climate change litigation and where it might be headed in the future....
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11/29/2012 - 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm
The Massachusetts transportation system is facing immense challenges, with insufficient revenue, aging infrastructure, and financial uncertainty. Public transit is particularly affected, with recent fare increases and service cuts on the MBTA and Regional Transit Authorities. These changes are of concern to environmental justice communities because transit-dependent riders need affordable and reliable public transportation....
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11/16/2012 - 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm
A high priority for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is diversion of organic material (such as food waste) from the waste stream to anaerobic digestion and other beneficial reuse. For this BBA program, MassDEP Commissioner Kenneth Kimmell will describe the effort being undertaken by MassDEP, the Department of Energy Resources, and the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center to promote anaerobic digestion....
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11/01/2012 - 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm
Key participants in the recent Supreme Judicial Court decision in Denver Street, LLC v. Town of Saugus will discuss the implications of the SJC’s conclusion that the town’s practice of charging real estate developers an “inflow-and-inflitration reduction fee” for access to the municipal sewer system was permissible....
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10/31/2012 - 12:30 PM to 01:30 PM
Commissioner Kimmell will be providing an overview of MassDEP’s innovative approaches to regulatory reform and to overhauling the agency’s Information Technology services and capabilities....
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10/27/2012 - 10:00 AM to 02:00 PM
Come join members of the New Lawyers and Environmental Law Sections as we partner with the Franklin Park Coalition’s Woodland Volunteer Team....
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10/26/2012 - 12:30 PM to 01:30 PM
Please join fellow committee members at our fall meet and greet luncheon where we will celebrate the start of our new program year!...
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10/25/2012 - 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm
Join private and public sector attorneys in a discussion of the Massachusetts brownfields tax credit program under M.G.L. c. 62, sec. 6....
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10/24/2012 - 12:00 PM to 01:30 PM
The parties to this litigation reached a settlement of Clean Water Act claims resulting from storm drain and sanitary sewer systems drainage into the Boston Harbor. The settlement incorporated a creative list of near and long term measures that will improve water quality at local beaches and natural resources....
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10/23/2012 - 12:30 PM to 01:30 PM
Brian Swett, the new Chief of Environment and Energy for the City of Boston, will discuss the City's current environmental and energy priorities, including the City's new building energy disclosure ordinance....
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10/12/2012
The Environmental Law Section invites you for a day of fall foliage hiking in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. We will be hiking up Mount Doublehead this fall, elevation 3,053 feet (North Doublehead), with sweeping vistas of the Presidentials, the Carter-Wildcat Range and the Saco Valley from unusual outlook angles. Mount Doublehead is accessed just outside Jackson Village near the Black Mountain ski area. The trail up to North Doublehead was once a downhill ski trail, and connects in a loop to South Doublehead with its look-off ledges for lunch. The loop hike is a round trip of 4 miles with a vertical rise of 1,770 feet. After the hike, we will head to a local eatery for refueling....
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10/02/2012
This informative CLE program is the perfect opportunity to learn more about litigating in the Land Court and dealing with registered land. The first panel will discuss the rules, procedures, and best litigation practices of the Land Court, while the second panel will cover the ins and outs of the registered land system.
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09/28/2012 - 12:30 PM to 02:00 PM
This summer, the D.C. Circuit decided four hotly anticipated Clean Air Act cases challenging EPA regulations. Join the Air Quality & Climate Change Committee for an update on these recent decisions....
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09/25/2012 - 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm
Join the Energy & Telecommunications Law Committee and come hear key staff members of the House and Senate speak about the Commonwealth’s newest energy initiatives....
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09/20/2012 - 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm
Rona Gregory, Superfund and Brownfields attorney at EPA Region 1, and Susan Cooke, of McDermott Will and Emery and general editor and principal author of The Law of Hazardous Waste, will discuss the evolution of the bona fide prospective purchaser (BFPP) provision under CERCLA, EPA’s and ASTM’s development of procedures and guidance to implement the provision, and private sector strategies to obtain and maintain coverage under the provision....
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09/10/2012 - 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm
Attorney Galvin will discuss her recent victory before the state Supreme Judicial Court in the case of Garrity v. Conservation Commission of Hingham....
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06/19/2012 - 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm
The program will discuss issues on "green leasing" that you can address in an existing lease. An architect will speak about what’s feasible and popular for energy efficiency audits and retrofits, LEED, and energy savings for offices....
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06/18/2012 - 12:00 PM to 01:00 PM
On July 2, 2008 Governor Deval Patrick signed the landmark Green Communities Act. Will we succeed in reaching the greenhouse gas reduction targets that the Act commits the state to achieving? Join us for a discussion of the assessment and possible ways forward....
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06/12/2012 - 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm
Come learn about the issues surrounding e-waste, what other states have done, why some argue for federal regulation, and what’s happening in Massachusetts....
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06/11/2012 - 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm
Please join the Environmental Section and the New Lawyers Section at our annual Spring Environmental Career Panel to to learn about various aspects of an environmental legal career from a panel of talented experts in the field. Enjoy a cocktail and networking reception to follow....
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06/11/2012 - 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm
This program will examine the investigation into the sources of nutrient loading and the public policy challenges to address the problem....
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06/06/2012 - 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm
Join the Energy & Telecom Committee for a social event to celebrate the end of the program year. Meet and mingle with fellow Committee members while enjoying drinks and refreshments...
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06/04/2012 - 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm
Join us for a discussion of the boiler rules, their background and intended effects, compliance issues, and what may lie ahead...
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