The WTS Professional Development Committee was excited to partner with the Environmental Business Council (EBC) on their webinar introducing new practitioners and professionals to the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (“MEPA”) and its recent incorporation of Environmental Justice (“EJ”) principles. The presentation, and subsequent question and answer session, was provided by the following panel:

• Tori Kim, Director of MEPA
• Page Czepiga, Assistant Director of MEPA and Environmental Justice Point of Contact
• Jonathan Schaefer, Partner at Robinson + Cole
• Stephanie Kruel, Senior Regulatory and Resilience Advisor at VHB

The program started with Jon and Tori giving an introduction on MEPA’s background and purpose, when it applies to projects, and the necessary filings and materials to ensure compliance. Page then explained the new Environmental Justice Protocols, and how they tie into the existing requirements for Environmental Impact Reports (EIR) and Environmental Notification Forms (ENF). These protocols became effective on January 1, 2022, with the most recent regulatory amendments being enacted on January 6, 2023. The new protocols and regulations created new obligations for proponents, including additional public involvement and analysis. Page walked through some of the tools available to attendees, such as the Environmental Monitor and the EJ Maps Viewer, as well as providing references for how to stay informed and where to send future questions.

To close out the presentation, Stephanie provided a review of MEPA’s benefits and challenges from a user’s perspective. She walked through the benefits of MEPA regulations providing users with structured project approaches, consistent reviews, and established timelines for review. She then reviewed the challenges that users will face applying the MEPA requirements, such as Alternatives Analysis, Resilient MA Action Team (RMAT) for climate change resilience in design, and the broadened limits of Environmental Justice impact analysis and public involvement. 

Once the presentation was complete, a Question-and-Answer session was moderated by Jessica Bardi (EBC Program Co-Chair & Partner at Robinson + Cole).