RICHARD REIBSTEIN
| Work 617 626-1062 | 2407 Massachusetts Avenue |
| Home 781 861-0204 | Lexington, MA 02421 |
| Admitted to MA Bar 6/85 | rickreibstein@rcn.com |
Professional Experience
9/2003 - present: Environmental Analyst, Office of Technical Assistance for Toxics Use Reduction, Executive Office of Environmental Affairs, Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Evaluating the effectiveness of pollution prevention assistance program, designing and implementing initiatives for purchasing of environmentally preferable products and services, evaluating and proposing preventive options before approval of major development initiatives, developing outreach to enhance the security of chemical facilities, training staff.
2000 - present: Professor, Boston University, Center for Energy and Environmental Studies. Environmental Law and Policy. Senior Research Associate, 2003. Founder, Co-Director, Regulated Community Compliance Project.
1/2003 - 9/2003: Enforcement Policy Specialist, Enforcement Attorney, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. Developing guidance on inclusion of environmental management systems in settlements, protocol for self-auditing, review of settlements for supplemental environmental projects, penalty calculation alternatives, conducting casework.
2000 - 20003: Pollution Prevention and Assistance Specialist, Enforcement Attorney, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 1 New England. Interservice personnel agreement. Developing new methods for measuring environmental performance and increasing interaction with state programs, consulting on the interaction of enforcement and assistance, providing assistance to sector projects.
1989 - 2000: Assistant Director, Director of Policy and Outreach, Office of Technical Assistance for Toxics Use Reduction (OTA), Executive Office of Environmental Affairs, Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Share supervisory responsibility over all staff (35 environmental engineers, analysts, and scientists), direct supervision of special projects and support personnel, (9 employees). Responsible for developing or overseeing new initiatives, all policy and legal issues, ensuring achievement of legislative mandate. Chief troubleshooter, grant writer, liaison, editor. 1998 Recipient, Hammer Award for reinvention in government. Board member, National Pollution Prevention Roundtable. 2000 Recipient, Environmental Merit Award, Individual Category, Region I New England.
Developed methods for performing on-site pollution prevention assistance visits to industry, trained and supervised delivery of services by engineers. Conducted outreach efforts to industry, generating demand for OTA services. Organized over 100 public events. Gave more than 150 public presentations. Wrote dozens of publications.
Established working relationships with enforcement agencies. First trainer of hundreds of government officials in pollution prevention and the provision of assistance services. Advised U.S. EPA, nationally and regionally, on pollution prevention and assistance. Key advisor to the state's Department of Environmental Protection in the establishment, development, and routine functioning of its toxics use reduction program. Consultation to dozens of national, state and local authorities on provision of assistance and incorporation of pollution prevention into regulatory operations.
Was key to the success of the Toxics Use Reduction Act, which has eliminated a quarter of a billion pounds of toxics use and resulted in company-identified benefits of $90 million (value to society of reduced risk not monetized). Strong partner to director in creating award-winning office, which received: 1992 and 1999 Ford Foundation awards for Innovation in Government, 1992 US EPA Administrator's Award, regional finalist, 1988 and 1996 Governor's Performance Recognition, 1996 Awards for Excellence in Public Service and for Outstanding Achievement in Toxics Use Reduction.
International Projects. OTA assistance to EPA.
* Described the benefits and techniques of promoting pollution prevention and conducting assistance in conjunction with enforcement at weeklong conference in Sao Paulo, Brazil, as part of EPA delegation fulfilling an international agreement, 1997. Upon request of CETESB, the environmental agency for the state of Sao Paulo, developed and conducted weeklong intensive training for staff newly dedicated to establishing pollution prevention and pollution prevention assistance programs, 1998. Established link between South American environmental agencies and U.S. National Roundtable on Pollution Prevention. Trained delegation of Brazilian officials visiting Massachusetts, 1998.
* Upon request by Chilean agencies for similar training, led team conducting weeklong intensive seminar for environmental, health and related agency staff in Santiago, Chile, 6/1998. Chilean-sponsored travel to present at International Cleaner Production Conference in Santiago, 11/1998. Requested by Chilean and Brazilian agencies to draft principles of organization for Cleaner Production Roundtable of the Americas.
Federal Grants Authored and Conducted.
Merrimack Pollution Prevention Project. Early model - possibly the first - of performing pollution prevention assistance in conjunction with sewage treatment authorities. 1991 - 1993. Named first honorary member of the Massachusetts Pretreatment Forum. Termed an EPA "Demonstration Project", pioneered documentation of pollutants eliminated and economic benefits:
Clean States Multimedia Audit Team. Integrated the expertise of several agencies and prompted pollution prevention and resource conservation activities at state agencies. 1993 - 1995. No precedent found.
Chemical Use Reduction for Indoor Air Quality in Schools (CURIAS) Project (and two succeeding school-related projects). Broke new ground by linking chemical use and indoor air, focusing on schools as pollution sources, and identifying easily implementable solutions. 1995 - present. Projects have led to formation of a Multi-Agency Task Force on Environmental, Health and Safety Issues in Schools (MATS). Assisting in formation of Healthy Schools Coalition.
Massachusetts Dry Cleaners Project. Dry Cleaner trade associations were provided with training in clarified rules summarized in collaboration with the state's enforcement agency. 1996 - 1998. Project subsidized certified trade association "compliance technicians" to provide assistance to dry cleaners unwilling to utilize government help. Citation by Korean Dry Cleaner Association.
Massachusetts Autobody Project. Defines what an inspector will look for in a plain language, practical guide. 1997 - present. Produced in concert with industry experts, and all relevant enforcement agencies. First known use of provisions for penalty mitigation for good faith in existing enforcement policies to generate streamlined rules incorporating best management practices.
One-Plan Demonstration Project. Pioneering effort underway to showcase value of integrating contingency planning, and to demonstrate importance of pollution prevention in emergency planning. 1998 - present.
Central Massachusetts Pollution Prevention Project, (known as the Blackstone Project), coauthor. Originator of the key concept of training enforcement agency inspectors to refer companies to technical assistance program. 1989 - 1991. Initiated outreach to the targetted clientele. Oversaw quality of work of engineers performing assistance.
Selected Initiatives at OTA.
Created business organizations dedicated to pollution prevention and environmental improvement. Founder, Northeast Business Environmental Network; editor, NBEN's NetBenefit. Co-founder, Central Massachusetts Business Environmental Network. Unique, nonpartisan business organizations which promote information sharing on pollution prevention and environmental requirements and initiatives, and which have provided an effective vehicle for constructive interaction between government and regulated entities interested in responsible action. Requests for information on creating these networks received from the White House, Colorado, governments of Germany, Scotland, and others.
Chair, Workgroup on Overcoming Barriers to Pollution Prevention, EPA's Common Sense Initiative. Proposed concentration on Obscure Policies, (first recommendation to EPA passed by Common Sense Initiative Council), helped prompt current Enhanced Public Access initiative. Proposed formation of Electronic Product Recovery and Recycling Roundtable and Conference, now established through a cooperative agreement with Environmental Health Center and currently providing a forum for the promotion of electronics recovery as the preferred method of waste disposition. (Invented acronym EPR2 to displace EOLEE (End of Life Electronic Equipment), which ignores EPA's waste management hierarchy). Worked on recommendations for deregulation of glass-to-glass cathode ray tube recycling and regulatory changes to promote zero wastewater discharge. Presented twice to Common Sense Initiative Council. Contributor to CSI Final Report. Recipient, EPA "Tribute of Appreciation".
Member, National Advisory Council on Environmental Policy and Technology, Toxics Data Reporting Committee. Successfully inserted chemical use reporting concepts into contentious arena, proposing a chemical use index which would help track source reduction while protecting confidential business information. Authored first draft of workgroup recommendations on changes to reporting format.
Participant, Department of Environmental Protection Environmental Results Program (photoprocessors, industrial wastewater, printers, and dry cleaners). Assisted with development of new approach to regulating these sectors.
Chair, Photographic Waste Prevention Project, Massachusetts Environmental Trust. Produced extensive study on sources and fates of photographic waste in the state and prevention methods. Used by authorities and professional associations. Asked to chair this effort because of previous work organizing four silver recovery fora.
Participant, Regulatory Integration Committee, National Roundtable on Pollution Prevention and Massachusetts Hazardous Waste Advisory Committee. Worked on incorporation of pollution prevention into regulatory structure and other reform and streamlining efforts.
Participant, Department of Environmental Protection Zero Wastewater Discharge Committee. Prompted the formation of this 1990 - 1993 effort to address regulatory barriers to zero wastewater systems.
September, 1998: Trainer, U.S. Agency for International Development U.S./Asian Environmental Partnership technical representatives in how to promote pollution prevention during times of economic stress.
February, 1995: Trainer, World Environment Center, Tallin, Estonia. Developed and delivered course in establishing pollution prevention assistance programs for recipients of U.S. AID funding from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland.
1992 - 1994: Chair, Water Quality Committee, Environmental Section, Boston Bar Association. Organized lectures on water quality, prevention, new requirements.
1993 - 1999: Instructor, Northeastern University, Continuing Education. Hazardous Waste Law, Pollution Prevention. First to develop and teach the latter course.
1992: Instructor, Northeastern University, University College. Environment for Managers. First to develop and teach this course.
1988 - 1989: Environmental Analyst, Office of Safe Waste Management, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Management. Wrote the state's annual report on the management of hazardous wastes; promoted source reduction of hazardous wastes through public presentations, conferences, and published articles; identified importance of small pollution sources; developed initiatives for working with laboratories, metal platers, small businesses and households on reduction of waste at the source, handled hundreds of phone requests, establishing bank of referral sources now used by OTA.
1987: Environmental Planner and Budget Analyst, Division of Capital Planning and Operations, Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Established the first comprehensive environmental compliance program for state facilities. Identified environmental responsibilities of state agencies for the state's property owner, created interagency task force.
1985 - 1990: Founder, editor, Radiation Events Monitor (REM). Wrote and produced a newsletter for a nonprofit research organization, the Center for Atomic Radiation Studies, Inc. REM presented scientific, medical, legal and political concerns related to the use of radioactive materials. Pro bono legal work on behalf of veterans of the atomic testing program.
Summer 1985 - Spring 1986: Editor, Hazardous Materials Intelligence Report. Researched and reported on current events, legal and regulatory developments, technical innovations, and commercial opportunities pertaining to hazardous materials and hazardous wastes.
Before 1985: Legal staff at Norgaard & Scher, Englewood, NJ, (general practice); development and marketing of natural sweetener for MacAndrews & Forbes Company, Camden, NJ; research on the impact of increased coal combustion expected as a result of the Power Plant and Industrial Fuels Use Act (PIFUA) for the non-profit organization Inform, Inc., New York City; legislative aide to New York Assemblyman Samuel Hirsch, Boro Park, Brooklyn (developed and submitted a bill to improve waste management in New York State); editor, Russian science journals, Plenum Publishing; sales, college science textbooks, Academic Press; type and graphics.
Education
Brooklyn Law School (grad. 1981). Co-founded Natural Resources Law Society, created and edited an environmental law newsletter, (Natural Resources), conducted an environmental lecture series, and presented environmental resolutions to the 1980 ABA law student convention (unanimously passed).
Hampshire College (grad. 1975). Environmental studies, alternative sources of energy.
Merit Finalist and Regents Scholar, 1970.
Volunteer Activities
Board of Directors, Center for Atomic Radiation Studies, 1986 - 1990.
Lecturing on "Increase of Radioactivity in Our Environment" at various events and locations, including Tufts and Boston University, on radio, 1986 - 1989.
New England Environmental Conference. Organized panels on environmental and health concerns raised by use and dispersion of radioactive substances, 1986 - 1988.
Waste Management Committee, Town of Lexington. Participation in planning and evaluation of town recycling and hazardous waste collection programs, 1990 - 1995.
Member, National Pollution Prevention Roundtable, 1990 - present.
Member, Board of Trustees, Temple Beth El Center, Belmont, MA, 2002 - present.
Selected Publications
Environmental Law Reporter: ÒGood Faith as a Fundamental Principle for Relational Environmental GovernanceÓ, February, 2002 (32 ELR 10219).
In Pollution Prevention Review: "The Small Pollution Source", Summer, 1992; "How Companies in the Merrimack Valley Built a P2 Self-Help Network", (with Cynthia Barakatt and George Frantz), Spring, 1994; "P2 in Permitting", (with Richard Bizzozero), Autumn, 1996; ÒCoordinating Enforcement and AssistanceÓ, (with Terri Goldberg), Spring, 2001.
Selected OTA reports: The Merrimack Project. Report on a demonstration project for EPA, one of the first to document savings by companies implementing pollution prevention. OTA Progress Report. Details over one hundred public events and results of on-site visit program. Toxics Use Reduction, It's the Law. Plain language summary of TURA. Chemical Use Reduction and Indoor Air Quality in Schools. Findings of visits to schools, includes pollution prevention activities that can alleviate indoor air problems. Immortal Etchants. One-pager on extending the life of chemical baths that was effective at motivating several firms to change practices, and which gained national attention. Created monthly article on pollution prevention by office staff in Manufacturer's Mart. Editor: Practical Guide to Toxics Use Reduction, Guidebook of Part Cleaning Alternatives, OTA Case Studies and Fact Sheets.
Other publications available on request