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MassDEP lists 25 active policy projects; engineered‑barriers guidance, PFAS and perchlorate CAMs among items
Summary
MassDEP staff said about 25 policy projects are active. They highlighted a revived engineered‑barriers draft that will be posted for public comment, published PFAS CAM guidance (June 30), a perchlorate CAM due Aug. 1, and an MCP Q&A undergoing review with an advisory organization.
Ken, a MassDEP policy lead, told the bureau coffee hour that about 25 policy projects are on the bureau's plate and roughly half are active. He singled out several items that will be available for stakeholder review in the near term.
Engineered barriers: Ken said the department has revived a public draft guidance on engineered barriers that originally circulated in 2002; the bureau expects to post the revived draft for public comment "hopefully in the next week." Ken and other staff said the guidance will make clear that monitored natural attenuation (MNA) is a comprehensive response action and "is not a do‑nothing option." Auditors and site management staff are reviewing the draft.
PFAS and other technical guidances: staff reported that the PFAS CAM was finalized and posted on June 30 and that MassDEP is continuing to revise PFAS sampling guidance; regional PFAS leads are the immediate contact for questions. An off‑gas policy finished public comment June 30. The CAM performance standard for perchlorates will be posted Aug. 1. Vapor intrusion, risk characterization, and PIP guidance are also active projects.
Training and MCP Q&A: MassDEP said it plans an on‑demand Activity and Use Limitation (AUL) training, likely prerecorded and targeted for winter release. The MCP Q&A has been circulated to the LSPA and advisory groups and carries a July 28, 2025, deadline for comments; staff said it will be posted publicly after advisory review.
Licensing and exams: the board of registration for Licensed Site Professionals has about 21 candidates in the queue; new exams aligned to the revised regulations will be offered in the next 4–5 weeks with additional fall dates planned. The bureau encouraged candidates to apply for one remaining open environmental protection seat on the LSP board.
Why it matters: practitioners, licensed site professionals, and municipalities rely on MassDEP guidance and training to shape fieldwork, sampling, and remediation approaches. Several updates affect near‑term compliance and investigation practice.
Ending: MassDEP asked stakeholders to submit comments on materials that are out for review, to monitor bureau channels for postings, and to raise agenda items for the August 21 advisory meeting.
