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Since 1947, the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission has been a leader in the fight for clean water. As a not-for-profit interstate agency, NEIWPCC serves and assists its member states—Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont—in many ways: by coordinating activities and forums that encourage cooperation among the states, educating the public about key water quality issues, supporting research projects, training environmental professionals, and providing overall leadership in water management and protection. NEIWPCC's initial emphasis was on surface water protection, but that role has grown over the years to include such matters as wetlands restoration, nonpoint source pollution, water allocation, and underground storage tanks.
NEIWPCC is overseen by 35 Commissioners--five from each member state--who are appointed by their state governors or, in some cases, assume the post due to their position. The Commissioners are a diverse group, representing state water pollution control agencies, environmental protection agencies, health departments, industry, municipalities, and the general public. The chairmanship of the Commission rotates between states every two years.
Under the leadership of Executive Director Ronald Poltak and Deputy Director Susan Sullivan, NEIWPCC's staff develops and carries out programs endorsed by the Commissioners. Further coordination of the work comes from the directors of our three main divisions: Water Quality, Wastewater and Onsite Systems, and Drinking Water. NEIWPCC's headquarters are in Lowell, Mass., but we also employ people inother locations as a means of more directly supporting projects in our member states.
Over the years, NEIWPCC has found that the best way to get the states to share information and insight is through workgroups. On a regular basis, we bring together state and federal agency personnel with expertise in a certain area to discuss problems, share needs, and develop recommendations. The workgroup meetings provide a structured forum for the exchange of ideas. They help set our agenda for the important work that remains to be done.
