USFWS

Mass EOEEA
 

Woodlot
Alternatives, Inc.

An in-depth description of the Trustees’ and the Connecticut and Massachusetts SubCouncils’ roles is provided in the Memorandum of Agreement among State and Federal agencies in the Housatonic watershed.  These agencies include:

• Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EOEEA)
• Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (CTDEP)
• United States Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS)
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

These Natural Resource Trustees obtain the authority for collecting natural resource damages from parties responsible for environmental harm caused by hazardous substances from the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), the federal Clean Water Act, Executive Order 12580, the National Contingency Plan, and/or the Massachusetts Contingency Plan.  These also provide the authority for using the funds collected as damages for the restoration of the natural resources that were harmed.

The Connecticut and Massachusetts SubCouncils (CT SubCouncil and MA SubCouncil, respectively) are comprised of representatives of the Federal Trustees and a representative of the Trustee for the respective state. The MA SubCouncil also includes two Ex Officio delegates and a non-voting representative from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA).

The MA SubCouncil currently consists of one Federal Trustee and one State Trustee. NOAA has chosen to withdraw from its decision-making role on the MA SubCouncil pursuant to an October 2004 resolution to the MOA.

The MA SubCouncil currently consists of the following:

• Ms. Dale Young, EOEEA (voting member, State Trustee representative)
• Ms. Veronica Varela, USFWS (voting member, Federal Trustee representative)
• Ms. Rachel Fletcher, currently of Housatonic River Restoration (Ex Officio delegate)
• Mr. Tim Gray, currently of Housatonic River Initiative (Ex Officio delegate)
• Mr. Dean Tagliaferro, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) (non-voting Federal advisor)

Upon reaching unanimous agreement of its voting members, the MA SubCouncil is responsible for authorizing the expenditure of Natural Resource Damage monies allocated to Massachusetts.

website
maintained by:
Woodlot Alternatives, Inc.