MassDEP reopens public comment period for draft Solid Waste Master Plan

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) is reopening the public comment period on its draft Solid Waste Master Plan for 2020-2030 in light of recent developments and comments associated with COVID-19, environmental justice and climate change.

As reported by The National Law Review, the Solid Waste Master Plan—which is required by statute to be published every decade since 1990—is intended to be a framework for engaging in a deliberative planning process that explores short- and long-term programs to manage solid waste generated, recycled, or disposed of in Massachusetts by both residents and businesses.

In its fourth installment, the current draft Solid Waste Master Plan for 2020–2030 proposes to focus on seven program areas for the next decade: source reduction and reuse, organics waste reduction, residential waste reduction, commercial waste reduction, construction and demolition debris waste reduction, market development, and solid waste facility oversight and capacity management.

During this additional public comment period, MassDEP has posed six questions to be addressed:

1. What specific challenges are faced by populations that are disproportionally impacted by solid waste activities? How could the Commonwealth’s Solid Waste Master Plan address these challenges?
   
2. How can environmental justice communities be better reflected in how waste is managed in Massachusetts?
   
3. Are there specific policies or programs recommended that would address the solid waste management concerns of environmental justice communities?
   
4. What actions can be pursued to reduce carbon emissions from the management of solid waste to help meet the Commonwealth Global Warming Solution Act goals?
   
5. What impacts does COVID-19 have on waste management?
   
6. Are there specific waste management initiatives that may be problematic or beneficial to implement as we adjust to the impacts of COVID-19?

According to the article, these topics sharpen the focus of the draft Master Plan and highlight current concerns that have arisen since the initial comment period.

MassDEP will accept public comments targeted to these subjects through Sept. 15, and the first of four public online meetings is scheduled for July 22.