NEIWPCC hosted its annual fall Executive Committee and Commission meeting in Plymouth, Massachusetts in September. Attendees included representatives and commissioners from NEIWPCC’s seven member states, the U.S. EPA Regions 1 and 2, and invited guests from the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA), U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and the New York and New England Environmental Finance Centers. The three-day event included discussion on contaminants of emerging concern, staffing, stream gauge stations, and the impact of the recent significant rain events.
The commissioners also elected new officers for the upcoming fiscal year, October 1, 2023 – September 30, 2024.
Jennifer Perry, bureau chief of the Materials Management and Compliance Assurance for the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection was elected as chairperson. Perry previously served as vice chair. She is a licensed professional engineer with extensive experience in wastewater systems, ground water and surface water permitting, dam safety and infrastructure management.
Serving as vice chair is Rene Pelletier, Water Division director with the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES). Bringing nearly 50 years of experience at the NHDES, Pelletier has provided oversight related to subsurface systems, alteration of terrain, drinking water and groundwater, wetlands, dams, wastewater engineering and watershed management.
Harry Stewart was appointed as treasurer, a role he has held since 2018. Stewart is a senior associate at Normandeau Associates in Bedford, N.H. where he works on diverse water-related projects and Clean Water Act regulatory and permitting issues. Previously, he served for 30 years at NHDES, including 16 years as Water Division director, as well as working for the U.S. EPA. Stewart previously served on the NEIWPCC Executive Committee (16 years) and as NEIWPCC chairperson.