For Release:
July 20, 2007
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Contact:
Robert Keough 617-626-1109
Lisa Capone 617-626-1119 |
Top Environmental Lawyer To Head MassDEP
Laurie Burt - Foley Hoag partner and founder of firm's environmental law practice - appointed Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection
 BOSTON - Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Ian Bowles announced today that he has appointed Laurie Burt, founder of the environmental law practice at the Boston firm of Foley Hoag LLP, as Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP). MassDEP is responsible for ensuring clean air and water, safe management and recycling of solid and hazardous wastes, timely cleanup of hazardous waste sites and spills, and the preservation of wetlands and coastal resources. Burt takes office on September 4.
"Governor Patrick and I are pleased to have one of the region's most prominent and respected environmental attorneys at the helm of the state's largest environmental regulatory agency," said Secretary Bowles. "Laurie's distinguished career has given her a broad set of experience and wide exposure to how other states and nations approach environmental regulation. No one is better equipped to lead MassDEP into a new era as we grapple with global climate change and other vital environmental challenges for the 21st century."
"I am excited to join the Patrick Administration and take on the challenge of environmental protection in Massachusetts," said Burt. "MassDEP is a vital state agency, charged with protecting the quality of our air, water, and land through vigorous enforcement of our environmental laws. It is also a critical agency in terms of ensuring that development takes place in a way that preserves our natural resources. I hope to set a new standard for both environmental protection and regulatory efficiency."
Burt, 58, is a senior partner at Foley Hoag and the first woman to serve on the firm's elected executive committee. With expertise in state and federal hazardous waste and Superfund laws, Clean Air Acts, Clean Water Acts, as well as wetlands, endangered species, and environmental impact regulations, Burt has focused her practice on environmental compliance and land use redevelopment projects. She has worked with corporate and real estate clients to find creative solutions to environmental challenges to property transactions and redevelopment, including new wastewater strategies, new stabilization and treatment technologies for contaminated soils, conservation restrictions to improve site utilization, renewable energy use and other means of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. She has represented national and international corporations, real estate developers, educational institutions, and public authorities in environmental litigation, enforcement actions, voluntary cleanups, and permit activities.
Prior to joining Foley Hoag in 1980, she was an Assistant Attorney General in environmental law enforcement.
Burt is currently Vice President of the Boston Bar Association, and was scheduled to become President-Elect in September. She is also co-chair of the Appalachian Mountain Club's Board of Advisors, having served as President of the Board of Directors from 2000 to 2004.
"Laurie is the full package - an exceptional attorney, with remarkably broad experience and the ability to think outside the box," said Eric D. Schlager, CEO of The Bulfinch Companies, Inc., a national real estate investment and development firm based in Needham. "She'll be a tremendous asset for the Commonwealth."
"What a stellar choice," said Kevin Knobloch, President of the Union of Concerned Scientists. "Laurie Burt is a creative environmental leader. She cares passionately about our environment and our health. And she has impeccable integrity."
Burt received her law degree from Boston College Law School. She also earned a masters degree in urban affairs from Boston University and a bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin. She lives in Newton with her husband of 29 years, Thomas Engelman; their daughter, Alexa Burt Engelman, 26, will be attending the University of California-Los Angeles, pursuing degrees in Law and Public Policy, in the fall.
Reprinted with permission from the Executive Office of Energy & Environmental Affiars
MassDEP is responsible for ensuring clean air and water, safe management and recycling of solid and hazardous wastes, timely cleanup of hazardous waste sites and spills, and the preservation of wetlands and coastal resources.
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