Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Executive Office of Energy & Environmental Affairs
Department of Environmental Protection
One Winter Street Boston, MA 02108' 617-292-5500
DCVAL L PATRICK
Governor
RICHARD K. SULLIVAN JR.
Secretary
TIMOTHY P_ MURRAY
KENNETH L. KIMMELL
Lieutenant Governor
Commissioner
August 16, 2011
Jeffrey B. Mullan
Secretary
Massachusetts Department of Transportation
Ten Park Plaza
Boston, MA 02116-3969
Dear Secretary Mullan:
In response to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) Response to Public
Comments Report dated January 28, 2011, this letter is to confirm that MassDOT has met its
filing and reporting obligations for 2010. The repoli was submitted pursuant to the public
process requirements of the Transit System Improvements regulation, 310 CMR 7.36(7). As
outlined below, the Massachusetts Depaliment of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) will
now commence review of the filings recently submitted by MassDOT for 2011.
The regulation at 310 CMR 7.36(7) requires MassDOT to develop an annual update and status
repOli on uncompleted transit projects. MassDOT submitted this repOli to MassDEP on July 9,
2010. MassDEP held public meetings on the report on September 8, 2010 and September 30,
2010. At these meetings, MassDOT presented a summary of and took comments on the repoli.
In the report, MassDOT indicated thadt anticipates a delay in the Fairmount Line Improvements
Project beyond its December 31, 2011 completion deadline. and a delay in the Green Line
Extension Project beyond its December 31, 2014 completion deadline. Many of the public
comments on the repOliexpressed a need for interim offset measures in response to the
anticipated delays in the implementation of these projects.
MassDEP has reviewed the January 28, 2011 repOli and has detennined that MassDOT has met
the public process and other reporting requirements of Subsection (7)(c) for 2010. However, in
relation to the anticipated delays of transit projects disclosed in the 2010 report, MassDEP notes
that MassDOT has submitted the 2011 State Implementation Plan - Transit Commitments Status
Report dated July 27, 2011 to MassDEP. This report includes a petition to delay the Fairmount
Line Improvements Project and 1000 Park and Ride Parking Spaces and includes proposed offset
measures for the Fairmount Line Improvements Project. The 2011 repoli also indicates the Green
Line Extension Project will be delayed and that MassDOT is in the process of developing interim
emission reduction offsets for this delay. The public meeting on the 2011 repOli will be held on
September 13, 2011 and the comment period will be open until September 20, 2011.
This information Is available in alternate format. Call Michelle Waters·Ekanem, Diversity Director, at 617·292·5751. TOD# 1-866-539-7622 or 1-617-574-6868
MassDEP Website: w'.vw.mass.gov/dep
Printed on Recycled Paper
If you have any questions or concerns regarding these regulatory requirements, please do not
hesitate to contact me or Christine Kirby of my staff at 617-292-5631.
Commissioner
Cc: U.S. EPA, Region 1
Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization