Energy Environment Economy · Ann Gisinger

UnLOCKEing the Secrets of the Bureau of Waste Site Cleanup

·40 min·4 clips

Paul Locke spent 35 years at MassDEP, including 20 in the Bureau of Wayside Cleanup.

This episode features an interview with Paul Locke, a longtime official from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection's Bureau of Waste Site Cleanup, following his receipt of an award. Host Anne Giesinger is joined by a "fan club" of guests: attorney Michelle O'Brien and Marty Suuberg, the former commissioner of MassDEP. The conversation explores Locke's 35-year career in state environmental service and the operations of the waste cleanup bureau. Locke began his career at MassDEP in 1987 and led the Bureau of Waste Site Cleanup starting in 2003. The bureau oversees the assessment and remediation of thousands of contaminated sites across Massachusetts under the state's Chapter 21E program. Marty Suuberg notes the program's complexity, involving numerous stakeholders from consultants and lawyers to developers and community groups. A key challenge discussed is managing liability and encouraging voluntary cleanup and redevelopment of contaminated properties, known as brownfields. The episode highlights the 2014 Supreme Judicial Court case *Pioneer* as a pivotal moment that affirmed the department's authority in the cleanup process. Locke emphasizes the importance of clear communication and building trust with the diverse parties involved in any given site cleanup. He describes the bureau's work as a blend of technical science, law, and practical negotiation to move projects forward. One surprising insight is the sheer scale of the program, which has overseen the closure of approximately 40,000 waste site cases since its inception. The guests reflect on the non-glamorous but critical nature of the work, which directly impacts public health and community revitalization. Locke shares that a rewarding part of the job is seeing a cleaned-up site transformed into a new park, housing, or business. The tone is professional, conversational, and celebratory, with colleagues sharing genuine admiration for the award winner's career. The style is interview-based and informative, focusing on public policy and environmental management. This episode would appeal to Massachusetts environmental professionals, attorneys, consultants, and anyone interested in state-level environmental regulation and brownfield redevelopment. Listeners seeking a highly technical discussion of remediation science or a national policy debate might find the focus too localized and administrative.

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