On October 21, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) celebrated 50 years of work to protect human health and the environment in the state. In a press release marking the occasion, the agency highlighted some of its innovative accomplishments including developing a commercial food material disposal ban, creating the first privatized waste site cleanup program in the country, establishing the first state per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) requirements, and establishing first-in-the-nation cumulative impact analysis requirements in support of environmental justice.
MassDEP Commissioner Bonnie Heiple stated, “From Brownfields restoration – to air quality monitoring – to our efforts to keep lead, PFAS and other contaminants out of our water, MassDEP leads the nation in ensuring protection of our critical natural resources” and “we are also preparing for the future to address our current climate crisis head-on.” MassDEP also recognized partners across the state including legislators, educators, and advocates “who strengthen state environmental laws, educate young people and champion environmental causes.”
