Attorney Blog
New McGregor Slideshow Surveys Federal-State-Local Environmental Law Developments 2023-2024
Written by Gregor I. McGregor, Esq. / Published Friday, 31 May 2024 13:09Firm principal Gregor I. McGregor on May 22, 2024 presented his PowerPoint survey of important legal developments at the Annual Municipal Law Conference co-hosted by Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, Inc. (MCLE) and Massachusetts Municipal Lawyers Association (MMLA).
McGregor to Present at 13th Annual MMLA Public Construction and Infrastructure Conference
Written by Gregor I. McGregor, Esq. / Published Friday, 24 May 2024 12:29This year's program of the MMLA - "Stay Out of the Trenches - Avoiding Traps at Every Phase of Your Public Construction Project,” is designed for municipal and state legal counsel involved in any and all aspects of public works projects.
Legacy of the Takings Clause as a Primary Check on Government Power at REBA's All-Virtual 2024 Spring Conference
Written by Gregor I. McGregor, Esq. / Published Tuesday, 23 April 2024 10:25Gregor I. McGregor, Esq., founding partner, McGregor Legere & Stevens PC, will present an online webinar on the U.S. Constitution’s Takings Clause and 100 years of the Pennsylvania Coal v. Mahon doctrine.
Federal Environmental Law at this Moment: Earth Day 2024
Written by Gregor I. McGregor, Esq. / Published Tuesday, 23 April 2024 10:14EPA in April listed two ubiquitous “forever” PFAS chemicals -PFOA and PFOS- as hazardous substances under Superfund (CERCLA), triggering reporting, testing, cleanup, and monitoring responsibilities for arrangers, transporters, treaters, disposers and other Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs), including manufacturers, users, and property owners under Superfund’s strict, joint and several, and retroactive liability.
Massachusetts Environmental Law at this Moment: Earth Day 2024
Written by Gregor I. McGregor, Esq. / Published Monday, 22 April 2024 15:26On the state level, the new Massachusetts Climate Law, An Act Creating a Next-generation Roadmap for Massachusetts Climate Policy, set ambitious statewide limits on emissions to achieve net zero by 2050. With interim emissions reduction goals, this new statute should revitalize the need for quick climate solutions and collaborative processes across all sectors.
Massachusetts’ 2024 Environmental Justice (EJ) Strategy
Written by Adam Scheckman / Published Wednesday, 03 April 2024 10:33On February 15, 2024, the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) published Massachusetts’ first-ever “Environmental Justice Strategy” (EJ Strategy).1 This EJ Strategy comes as a result of the Commonwealth’s 2021 Environmental Justice Policy, which directed all EEA agencies to develop their own environmental justice (EJ) strategies.2
EPA Finalizes Stronger National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Fine Particulate Matter
Written by Adam Scheckman / Published Tuesday, 27 February 2024 13:41In early January 2023 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a proposed decision to reconsider the standards on fine particulate matter, commonly referred to as PM2.5, under the Federal Clean Air Act’s (CAA) National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).1
Nathaniel Stevens to Present Workshop on Considerations in Permitting Artificial Turf Fields
/ Published Monday, 12 February 2024 13:16Partner in the firm Nathanial Stevens will present, with other experts, a workshop on the science and analyses used to evaluate artificial turf field projects in and near wetland resource areas and buffer zones.
Conservation Commissions, Agents and Experts to Hear Nathaniel Stevens, Esq. On How to Run an Effective Meeting or Hearing and Get Home Before Midnight!
/ Published Monday, 12 February 2024 12:01For several years, firm partner Nathaniel Stevens has taught Unit 201 of the Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commissions’ certification program, which is a popular workshop entitled “Getting Home Before Midnight: How to Run an Effective Meeting.”
Engineers and Surveyors to Hear McGregor on Types of Boundaries in Massachusetts Property, Land Use, and Environmental Law, Where They Are, and How They Change
/ Published Wednesday, 07 February 2024 10:52Gregor I. McGregor, Esq., the founding partner of the environmental, land use, and real estate law firm of McGregor Legere & Stevens PC in Boston, will present his short treatise called “Boundaries” to the Massachusetts Association of Land Surveyors and Civil Engineers (MALSCE)
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McGregor and Grzenda to Present Wetlands Potpourri on “All Your Burning Legal and Practical Conservation Commission Questions”
/ Published Tuesday, 06 February 2024 11:41Firm senior partner Gregor I. McGregor and wetlands and open space expert Michele Grzenda have teamed up to present a Q&A workshop at the Annual Environmental Conference (AEC) of the Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commissions (MACC).
U.S. Supreme Court in Tyler v. Hennepin County, MN Applies Regulatory Takings Jurisprudence to Municipal and State Real Estate Taxing Authority
Written by Gregor I. McGregor, Esq. / Published Monday, 05 February 2024 15:51Tyler owned a condominium that accumulated about $15,000 in unpaid real estate taxes along with interest and penalties. The County seized and sold it for $40,000, keeping the $25,000 excess over Tyler's tax debt, as per a state statute.
SJC Rules on Local Land Dedication Under Prior Public Use Doctrine and Explains Article 97 Protection of Conservation Land
Written by Gregor I. McGregor, Esq. / Published Sunday, 04 February 2024 16:41An important Supreme Judicial Court decision, Carroll v. Select Board of Norwell (SJC-13410, January 5, 2024) upheld the Town of Norwell's designation of land for affordable housing purposes and rejected an attempt by residents to transfer the property to another purpose without the Select Board's determination under G.L. c. 40, Section 15A that the land was no longer needed for affordable housing purposes.
McGregor Recognized as a Massachusetts "Go-to-Lawyer" on Environmental and Energy Law
/ Published Friday, 19 January 2024 11:53Annually the Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly publication, the legal newspaper of record for practicing attorneys, selects leading lawyers to recognize in an important field of law. For 2023 the subject was Environmental/Energy and our firm founder and senior partner Gregor I. McGregor was so honored.
MassDEP Proposes New Wetlands, Waterways, and Water Quality Rules for Climate Change and Resiliency
Written by Gregor I. McGregor, Esq. / Published Monday, 08 January 2024 16:28In January 2023 MassDEP proposed a comprehensive suite of new regulations to deal with climate change in the form of storms, flooding, and sea level rise. These are expected to be promulgated during 2024. They will affect three related regulatory and policy programs. The opportunity for the public to comment is open through February. Where and how to send your comments are specified by MassDEP.
Gregor I. McGregor to present his "Legacy of 100 years of the Regulatory Taking Doctrine" at Pace Law School Annual Environmental Law Conference
Written by Gregor I. McGregor, Esq. / Published Tuesday, 07 November 2023 12:06The Takings Clause of the United States Constitution and court cases since Pennsylvania Coal v. Mahon (1922) are a check on governmental power which the Due Process and Contracts Clauses used to serve.
Local Climate Action: From Climate Adaptation to Community Resilience: Start by Adding Climate to Municipal Bylaws
Written by Gregor I. McGregor, Esq. / Published Monday, 30 October 2023 12:27Gregor I. McGregor, Esq. of McGregor Legere Stevens PC on November 15 will present on Local Climate Action to the Massachusetts Society of Municipal Conservation Professionals (MSMCP).
Attorney Gregor McGregor Presents on the Public Lands Preservation Act (PLPA) at 2023 City & Town Counsel and Conservation Conferences
Written by Gregor I. McGregor, Esq. / Published Friday, 13 October 2023 14:36Article 97 of the Amendments to the Massachusetts Constitution, approved by the voters in 1972, established a right to a clean environment including its natural, scenic, historical, and aesthetic qualities for the citizens of the Commonwealth.
Classic McGregor PowerPoint on "Massachusetts Environmental Law From A-Z" Updated and Now Available
Written by Gregor I. McGregor, Esq. / Published Tuesday, 08 August 2023 11:36Firm Senior Partner Gregor I. McGregor has updated his popular PowerPoint covering environmental law from "A to Z." This means it surveys Massachusetts state and local environmental laws, regulations, bylaws and ordinances, as well as related federal laws and legal doctrines, from Air Pollution to Zoning and everything in between!
McGregor to Present "Legacy of the Regulatory Takings Doctrine" at ABA Annual Meeting
Written by Gregor I. McGregor, Esq. / Published Thursday, 13 July 2023 16:59Firm founder and senior partner Gregor I. McGregor will present at this year's American Bar Association (ABA) annual meeting in Denver, August 3-5, a survey of 100 years of the Regulatory Taking Doctrine since the seminal court case Pennsylvania Coal v. Mahon in 1922.
MassDEP Targets Cape Cod’s Nitrogen Pollution with New Watershed and Septic System Regulations
Written by Caroline E. Smith, Esq. / Published Friday, 07 July 2023 11:33The Massachusetts Department of Environment Protection (“MassDEP”) has amended its Septic System (“Title 5”) Regulations (310 CMR 15.000) and its Watershed Permit Regulations (314 CMR 21.00).
WOTUS OVERTURNED BY SCOTUS: Sackett v. EPA Redefines What is a Federal Wetland
Written by Gregor I. McGregor, Esq. / Published Friday, 09 June 2023 14:52On May 25 the United States Supreme Court, ruling in the case of Sackett v. EPA, sharply limited the scope of protection for the nation’s waters under the federal Clean Water Act (CWA). The Court redefined the CWA’s coverage of “waters of the United States” which had been hotly contested since the Court’s previous decision on point and EPA’s regulatory expansion of what adjacent wetlands are included.
Attorney Blog Categories
COVID-19 Guidance
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Calculate When Your Permits Expire If Issued Before or During the Covid Emergency: 462 Extra Days?
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What the Lifting of the COVID-19 State of Emergency in Massachusetts Will Mean for Boards and Commissions
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Legislature Revises Local and Regional Permitting Deadlines as COVID-19 Pandemic Continues
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MassDEP and EPA Guidance on Waste Site Cleanups and Compliance during COVID-19 Emergency: Some Flexibility but Important Deadlines and On-Site Obligations Still Apply
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