Newsroom

For media inquiries, contact Stephen Hochbrunn, NEIWPCC Communications Manager, at 978-323-7929 ext. 235. The news archive below was initially developed in June 2007, and therefore is limited in its reach back into our past.

For information about other newsworthy moments in NEIWPCC's history, contact our main office in Lowell.

• Change at EPA: Lisa Jackson's decision to resign as EPA Administrator drew the following response from NEIWPCC Executive Director Ron Poltak. “Lisa Jackson leaves EPA with my deep respect," Poltak stated. "She did an admirable job pushing and defending environmental needs under very difficult circumstances. With EPA under a constant siege by an unsympathetic Congress, she constantly demonstrated fortitude, commitment, and courage in her decision-making to place the environment first.”
• Training Revolution: Wastewater and water treatment plant management training programs are focus of article by NEIWPCC's Tom Groves in NYWEA's Clear Waters magazine--and our own Leeann Hanson of JETCC is on the cover!
• CWA Turns 40: October 18, 2012, marks the fortieth anniversary of the Clean Water Act's enactment. To commemorate the occasion, we've put together a new web page that includes reflections from great thinkers on the past and future of the Act. Read what they have to say.
• At the Association of Clean Water Administrators' annual meeting in August, NEIWPCC Executive Director Ron Poltak moderated a session on the Clean Water Act's next 40 years. Read about the session and Ron's key role in a summary written by the Water Environment Federation's Amanda Waters, who participated on the panel: http://bit.ly/SwIkFA.
• New Additions: Paul Hogan of Woodard & Curran, John P. Sullivan Jr. of the Boston Water and Sewer Commission, and F. Adam Yanulis of CDM Smith have been named NEIWPCC Commissioners by Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick. Welcome aboard! More details in our news release.
• End of an Era: On March 30, Charles Conway, a true pioneer in the wastewater field, retired from working full-time at NEIWPCC. He’ll still work part-time on our training programs, but we’ll miss seeing you regularly, Chuck! Read Chuck’s reflections on his “interesting journey.”
• Multiple Honors: NEIWPCC is proud to announce that three of our staff members, including Executive Director Ronald Poltak, will receive awards at the New England Water Environment Association’s annual conference in January. Get the details on the awards and the recipients.
• NEIWPCC in the NEWS: In an interview in Treatment Plant Operator magazine, NEIWPCC’s Leeann Hanson shares her thoughts on the great success and the challenges she’s experienced as coordinator of JETCC, our training arm in Maine. Read the interview.
• NEIWPCC in the NEWS: Beth Card, director of NEIWPCC's water quality division, testified on June 24 at a U.S. House subcommittee hearing. Card urged EPA to allow states greater flexibility in developing and implementing numeric nutrient criteria. Read Card's testimony.
• Training Tribute: EPA New England has awarded its “2010 Regional Wastewater Operator Training Provider Excellence Award” to Leeann Hanson of Maine’s JETCC, which is managed by NEIWPCC. Read about this well-deserved recognition.
• NEIWPCC in the News: Author Susan Marks interviewed NEIWPCC's Clair Ryan for an article on a proposed community-based stormwater alert program. Read Ryan's thoughts in the Huffington Post article.
• NEIWPCC in the News: Our staff are in the spotlight as media coverage highlights the success of training programs designed to groom the next generation of water and wastewater plant managers. Read the articles in Water Environment & Technology magazine and Maine’s Sun Journal newspaper.
• Wastewater Management Training: MA DEP, MWPCA, and NEIWPCC announce the Massachusetts Wastewater Management Training Program, scheduled to begin in Fall 2010.
• Graduation Day: On August 18, 2010, five young people from the Lowell, Mass., area received diplomas at Lowell’s City Hall certifying their completion of this summer’s Youth and the Environment Program, coordinated by NEIWPCC. Read about the ceremony and the return of YEP to Lowell.
• NEIWPCC in the NEWS: The November issue of Municipal Sewer and Water magazine features two articles that put the spotlight on NEIWPCC and our staff. An article on our development of a structured approach for evaluating collection system CMOM programs includes numerous comments from NEIWPCC’s Michael Jennings. An article on collection system operator certification highlights our training programs and features insights from NEIWPCC’s Charles Conway. For more information, visit our website’s recently expanded collections systems section.
• NEIWPCC in the NEWS: The September 2009 issue of Water Environment & Technology magazine features an article on NEIWPCC’s Northeast Guide for Estimating Staffing at Publicly and Privately Owned Wastewater Treatment Plants, which includes charts that allow users to estimate the number of operators needed to perform a plant’s tasks. Read the WE&T article and if you haven’t done so yet, download the guide free of charge.
• In the Spotlight: At WEFTEC.09, the Water Environment Federation’s annual conference, NEIWPCC’s John Murphy will present his paper on our new wastewater treatment plant staffing guide, while NEIWPCC’s Michael Jennings will present his paper on the development of a structured approach for evaluating collection system management, operation, and maintenance programs.
• Special Delivery: In August, NEIWPCC distributed the debut issue of iWR, our new e-mail newsletter, featuring an interview with Jan Schlichtmann of A Civil Action. Read the issue and subscribe.
• NEIWPCC in the NEWS: The Commission’s success with a regional approach to training is spotlighted in a May 20, 2009, feature article in Water and Wastewater News.
• In an unprecedented approach, NEIWPCC, on behalf of its member states, has filed a petition under the Clean Water Act asking EPA to convene a conference to develop an agreement to reduce mercury deposition in the Northeast from out-of-region sources. More information on our mercury web page.
• National Honor: NEIWPCC Executive Director Ronald Poltak has received a 2009 Public Service Award from the National Association of Clean Water Agencies. Learn more about this tribute to his work on behalf of environmental protection and wastewater management.
• Regional Tribute: On April 22, NEIWPCC’s Beth Card and Susy King received 2009 Environmental Merit Awards from EPA New England for their work in developing the Northeast Regional Mercury TMDL. Read about the awards and the work that inspired this important recognition.
• An article on mercury reduction efforts in the Northeast, written by NEIWPCC’s Susy King and Stephen Hochbrunn among others, appears in the May 2008 issue of EM Magazine, published by the Air & Waste Management Association. Access the article and other mercury information, including materials related to the Northeast Regional Mercury TMDL, on our mercury web page.
• NEIWPCC in the NEWS: NEIWPCC’s 19th Annual Nonpoint Source Pollution Conference, held May 19-21, received coverage in Business and Legal Reports. Read BLR’s articles on Getting a Local Stormwater Law Passed and A Case for Porous Asphalt Pavement. Planning for the 2009 NPS conference is already underway.
• On October 24, 2007, the six New England states and New York State jointly submitted to the U.S. EPA a cleanup plan to reduce mercury entering into the states’ waters. The plan, the Northeast Regional Mercury Total Maximum Daily Load, was a collaborative effort between NEIWPCC and the states.
  In conjunction with the submittal of the plan, the Northeast state environmental agencies, along with their partner interstate organizations, NEIWPCC, NESCAUM, and NEWMOA, are issuing a report that documents progress to date on lowering mercury emissions and releases within the region. This report, Northeast States Succeed in Reducing Mercury in the Environment, highlights innovative and effective programs that are resulting in tangible and positive improvements in reducing mercury in the environment.
  Visit our mercury web page to download both of these reports.
• Milestone Year: 2007 marks the 60th anniversary of NEIWPCC's founding. Find out more about NEWPCC's creation.
• NEIWPCC receives the 2007 CWA 104(g) Spark Plug Award. Read about this important recognition of our training efforts.
• High Honor: NEIWPCC Executive Director Ron Poltak has received a Lifetime Achievement Award from EPA New England. Read about the event and view photos from the awards ceremony in Boston on May 4.
• Technical assistance provided by NEIWPCC and others results in large decrease in nitrogen discharged to Rhode Island waters. Read the RI DEM news release.
• NEIWPCC in the NEWS: NEIWPCC was one of the organizations highlighted in the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance's recent Waterwire series entitled "Half A Harbor: Regional Players on Your Waterfront." The series reported on organizations and elected officials working collaboratively to improve conditions in the harbor, rivers and estuaries of the New York and New Jersey waterfront.
• NEIWPCC in the NEWS: Our training program, “Alternative Onsite Wastewater Technologies,” is the focus of an article in Onsite Installer magazine. The article includes several quotes from Tom Groves, NEIWPCC’s Director of Wastewater and Onsite Programs.