Welcome to mass.gov/dep (the web pages hosted at mass.gov/dep, together with the web pages hosted at edep.dep.mass.gov, public.dep.state.ma.us and db.state.ma.us/dep/, are referred to within this Policy collectively as the "Web site"), the official Web site of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP). Your privacy is one of our top priorities. The following policy (Policy) applies only to the use of MassDEP's Web site, which includes on-line submittals.
As you navigate the Web site, you will see links that, when clicked, may take you to other Web sites operated by state agencies. You may also see links that will take you to Web sites external to Massachusetts state government. The Web sites for other state agencies and that are external to Massachusetts state government are not governed by this Privacy Policy and may have individual privacy policies tailored to the interactions available through each Web site.
In particular, please note that MassDEP may also communicate with the public via third-party social media, services, such as Twitter and Flickr and, although some of the social media pages used by the MassDEP might appear to be part of this Web site or at a webpage under the MassDEP Web site control, some of these Web sites are actually hosted by third party providers. Thus when accessing these third party social media sites, you are subject to different privacy policies and terms of service. Please review MassDEP Web site's Social Media Usage and Policies to review more detailed information on how the MassDEP Web site uses specific social media sites and for links to the relevant terms of service and privacy policies for those sites.
MassDEP strongly suggests that you read the privacy policies and terms of service for each Commonwealth Web site that you access, and any external Web site that you access through a link appearing at this Web site. Occasionally, a web page or pages that is part of this Web site (such as a web-based application that requires you to request a username and password) may specify its own privacy policy or terms of service, and MassDEP strongly suggests that you read such privacy policies and terms of service.
Privacy Partnership. Your privacy with respect to the use of this Web site results from a partnership between MassDEP and you, the user. At this Web site, MassDEP attempts to protect your privacy to the maximum extent possible. However, because the information that MassDEP receives through this Web site is subject to the Public Records Law, Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 66, Section 10 (including the definition of and exemptions to a public record at Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 4, Section 7(Twenty-sixth)), MassDEP cannot ensure absolute privacy. Information that you provide to us through this Web site, even personally identifiable information may be made available to members of the public under this law. This Policy informs you of the information that MassDEP may collect from you at this Web site, how MassDEP uses it, how secure it is, to whom it may be disseminated, and how you can access it. This Policy also describes our process for making changes to this Policy, provides you with contact information, and defines terms used in this Policy. Based on this information, you can make an informed choice about your use of this Web site and any personally identifiable information you decide to share.
Personally Identifiable Information. MassDEP uses the term "personally identifiable information" to mean any information that could reasonably be used to identify you, including your name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, Social Security number, birth date, bank account information, credit card information, or any combination of information that could be used to identify you.
Information Voluntarily Provided by You. This Web site collects voluntary information from you through surveys, e-mails, and any comments posted on social media pages hosted by this Web site (such as blogs or wiki). All such information, including comments and E-mails sent by you to this Web site will contain personally identifiable information.
Information Automatically Collected and Stored by this Site. This Web site may use "Persistent Cookies" to collect and aggregate data regarding the user's activity on the Web site. Such data enables MassDEP to evaluate and improve its web-based services. You may elect to disable persistent cookies. Please be advised that disabling persistent cookies may affect your ability to view or interact with some Web sites, including this Web site. The Web site may also use temporary "session cookies" to allow visitors to interact with the Web site and to use online applications. "Session cookies" in and of themselves do not allow us to personally identify a visitor (unless the visitor also authenticates and logs into a portion of the Web site, such as the online permitting application that is available at: https://edep.dep.mass.gov/DEPLogin.aspx) but does allow us to present material consistently throughout the Web site. These cookies are stored only in memory and are deleted when the user's browser is shut down. Certain Web-based applications (hosted at public.dep.state.ma.us and edep.state.ma.us) that are accessible through this Web site may automatically set temporary "session cookies" to facilitate visitors' interactions with the web-based applications.
When you visit this Web site, it stores your Internet Protocol ("IP") address (which does not identify you as an individual) for an indefinite period of time, as well as information about the date and time of your visit, whether a file you have requested exists, and how many "bytes" of information were transmitted to you over the Internet from this Web site. MassDEP uses your IP address to assess the frequency of visits to this Web site and the popularity of its various pages and functions. MassDEP will not attempt to match any personal information or data that you provide to us with your IP address, unless there are reasonable grounds to believe that doing so would provide information that is relevant and material to a criminal investigation.
Usage Data
Occasionally, MassDEP may use a tool to collect information about the use of this Web site, such as Google Analytics™. MassDEP uses this information to improve the way the Web site delivers information to its users. Tools such as Google Analytics may collect information about how often users access this Web site, what pages they access, and what other Web sites they used immediately before coming to this Web site. Google Analytics collects only the IP address assigned to you on the date you access this Web site, rather than your name or other identifying information. MassDEP does not combine the information collected through the use of Google Analytics with information that may personally identify you. Although Google Analytics plants a persistent cookie on your Web browser to identify you as a unique user the next time you access this Web site, the cookie cannot be shared or used by anyone but Google in accordance with Google's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, which are available online at http://www.google.com/analytics/tos.html and at http://www.google.com/privacypolicy.html. You can prevent Google Analytics from recognizing you on return visits to this Web site by disabling cookies on your browser.
This Web site may also use survey tools such as ForeSee™ provided by ForeSee Results. Tools such as ForeSee collect information that you provide when you participate in surveys posted at this Web site. This information you voluntarily submit may include information such as your name, e-mail address or phone number, so that MassDEP may contact you to follow up about your question, concern or recommendation. Other than utilizing survey information voluntarily provided by you, we do not combine the information collected through ForeSee's surveys with their information that may personally identify you. ForeSee also collects data such as browser information, operating system, and page views through the implementation of session cookies. Although ForeSee plants a persistent cookie on your web browser that identifies you as a unique user, the data stored by ForeSee Results in connection with the cookie cannot be used by anyone but ForeSee Results. ForeSee Results' ability to use and share the information it collects is restricted by the ForeSee Results' Privacy Policy, which is available online at https://www.foresee.com/privacy-policy/. You can opt out of ForeSee's information collection system by declining to participate in a survey when the invitation pops up on the Web site. When you respond to the invitation by declining to participate, failing to complete a survey or submitting a completed a survey, ForeSee uses a persistent cookie that prevents the survey from appearing on your subsequent visits to this Web site. You can prevent ForeSee from using persistent cookies by disabling cookies on your browser. However, if you do so, ForeSee will not recognize you on return visits and may present the survey to you again.
Dissemination of Your Personally Identifiable Information.
MassDEP does not sell any personally identifiable information collected through this Web site or submitted to MassDEP in conjunction with using functions on the Web site, and there is no direct or online public access to the information. However, once you voluntarily submit personally identifiable information to us related to your use of the Web site, its dissemination is governed by the "Public Records Law" (Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 66, Section 10 (including the definition of and exemptions to a public record at Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 4, Section 7(Twenty-sixth)), the "Fair Information Practices Act" (Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 66A), "Executive Order 504" and other applicable laws and regulations. For this reason, part or all of the information you send us may be provided to a member of the public in response to a public records request. There are pieces of information, such as credit card numbers, TIN, username, or password that are not considered public for the purposes of a public records request. For more information on types of data exempted from disclosure under the Public Records Law, please read the Secretary of the Commonwealth's Public Records Law.
In addition, the information that you voluntarily submit will be disclosed only to Commonwealth employees or officials (including those at MassDEP), or those under contract with the Commonwealth, with a "need to know" for purposes of fulfilling their job responsibilities. The information will be used for such purposes as: answering your questions, responding to any requests for assistance, generating summary statistics about usage, auditing applications and detecting fraud, aiding in the planning, design and development of the MassDEP Web site, and fulfilling MassDEP's and the Commonwealth's legal obligations.
MassDEP will collect and aggregate the information you provide through surveys and through the Web site's collection of non-personally identifying analytics data for purposes of market research to improve this Web site by making it more responsive to customer needs. Where appropriate, MassDEP may provide the information you submitted voluntarily through an e-mail to the person or company that is the subject of your inquiry, or to a government agency responsible for the matters referred to in your communication.
Your Access and Opportunity to Correct Personally Identifiable Information. The "Public Records Law" and the "Fair Information Practices Act" provide you certain rights to get information about you that is in our records. To learn more about the circumstances under which you can get and correct this information, please click on the above references to these laws. Your rights under third party products such as Google Analytics and ForeSee are governed by the policies for those products.
Security. Although information sent via edep is encrypted, other information sent to MassDEP via this Web site may not be encrypted. Therefore, you should not send messages containing information that you consider highly sensitive. In accordance with Executive Order 504 , MassDEP uses standard security measures to ensure that information provided by you, including your personally identifiable information, is not lost, misused, altered, or unintentionally destroyed. MassDEP also uses software to monitor network traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information, or otherwise cause damage. This software monitors network traffic (e.g., to identify hacking attempts and other attacks). MassDEP does not associate any information collected through this means with an individual's computer, except to identify specific computers (or IP addresses) that could be responsible for launching an attack or in connection with authorized law enforcement investigations.
Special Protections Against Misuse Of Personally Identifiable Information Within Commonwealth Offices. In 2008, Executive Order 504 was issued, which enhanced the privacy protection given to any information about you as a named individual held by the Executive Branch of state government. Executive Order 504 limits the collection and dissemination of personally identifiable information within the Executive Branch and requires Executive Branch agencies to greatly enhance the security and integrity of such data. This Web site complies with Executive Order 504, so all of the personally identifiable information that you submit to this Web site is given the privacy protections set forth in Executive Order 504.
Changes To This Policy. MassDEP will post any changes to this Policy on the Web site at least 30 days before they take effect. Any information MassDEP collects under the current Privacy Policy will remain subject to the terms of this Policy. Any new information MassDEP collects under a changed policy will be subject to that new policy.
Contact Information. For questions about your privacy while using this Web site, please contact: dep.www@mass.gov
Definition of Terms
Cookies. Cookies are files that a Web site can place on your computer. A cookie file contains unique information that a Web site can use to track such things as your password, lists of Web sites you have accessed, and the date when you last looked at a specific Web site, by identifying you to a particular Web site. A cookie file allows the Web site to recognize you as you click through pages on the site and when you later revisit the site. A Web site can use cookies to "remember" your preferences, and to record your browsing behavior on the Internet. Although you can prevent Web sites from placing cookies on your computer by using your browser's preference menu, disabling cookies may affect your ability to view or interact with some Web sites. "Persistent cookies" are cookies that are stored on your hard drive by your web browser until a defined expiration date and may be accessed upon subsequent visits to a Web site. "Session cookies" are cookies that are normally deleted when the web browser is closed and that generally only lasts for the duration of users using the Web site (or until the web browser is closed).
Internet Protocol Address or IP Address. An IP address is a series of numbers that identifies each computer and machine connected to the Internet. An IP address enables a server on a computer network to send you the file that you have requested on the Internet. The IP address disclosed to us may identify the computer from which you are accessing the Internet, or a server owned by your Internet Service Provider. Because it is machine-specific, rather than person-specific, an IP address is not, in and of itself, personally identifiable information.
Social Media. A social media Web site is a Web site on a social media application that is usually maintained by an individual and has regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. A social media identity is a specific user identity that has been registered on a third party social media Web site. Government social media Web sites or identities are typically associated with a government agency and typically provide forums for commentary or news on topics related to the government agency that hosts the social media Web site or has secured the social media identity. A typical social media Web site (whether hosted by a government agency or a third party) combines text, images, and links to other Web sites including blogs, wikis, and other media related to the topic and enables readers to leave comments in an interactive format.
Weblog or Blog. A weblog or blog is a Web site, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Government blogs typically provide commentary and news on topics related to the government agency hosting the blog. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, Web sites, and other media related to the topic, and enables readers to leave comments in an interactive format.
Wiki. A wiki is a Web site that uses collaboration software to enable the creation of a number of interlinked web pages. Many authors can contribute to the Web site and upload content to the Web site. Government wikis typically provide a venue for commentary and discussion regarding topics related to the government agency hosting the wiki. A typical wiki combines text, images, and links to other Web sites outside the wiki also related to the topic, and enables readers to leave comments in an interactive format.