Dear Subscriber:
Thank you for updating your reference library with the 2024 edition of
Massachusetts Environmental Law.
Highlights from the many issues addressed in this revision include
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the establishment of a cabinet-level climate innovation and resiliency office in Massachusetts;
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a Supreme Judicial Court ruling that the authority of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection to approve municipal harbor plans could not be delegated to the Office of Coastal Zone Management;
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Massachusetts' adoption of the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact;
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an updated overview of state law on cannabis cultivation;
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the U.S. Supreme Court's interpretation of "waters of the United States" in the regulation of wetlands under the Clean Water Act;
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the passage of An Act Preserving Open Space in the Commonwealth (known as the Public Lands Preservation Act), amending the procedures for disposing of or changing the use of land protected under Article 97;
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numerous developments in the state's regulation of drinking water supplies;
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guidelines for compliance with the MBTA Communities Act; and
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a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that the retention of excess home equity value in a tax foreclosure sale violates the Takings Clause of the U.S. Constitution.
This edition also introduces a new chapter addressing a topic of increasing importance in Massachusetts environmental practice: environmental justice. The chapter provides an overview of the statutes, policies, protocols, and regulations that establish environmental justice requirements, along with the case law and administrative decisions defining the scope of these requirements.
We trust you will find the 2024 edition of
Massachusetts Environmental Law
a valuable resource, as we at MCLE continue our efforts to bring you the latest solutions to the issues you face in your practice.
Very truly yours,
John M. Lawlor, Esq.,
MCLE Publications Attorney