Definitions for "Department of Environmental Protection"
The principal State agency responsible for management of the State's natural resources. Among other responsibilities, the DEP's Office of Long Island Sound Programs (OLISP) has responsibilities for implementing the Connecticut Harbor Management Act and for approving structures and other work affecting the coastal and navigable waters of the State, including the Connecticut River.
The DEP is the Massachusetts state agency overseeing the Commonwealth's environmental regulatory programs for air quality, wetland, and offshore protection, drinking water, solid waste (including hazardous waste), and land use controls. The DEP plays a significant role in developing and enforcing air quality regulations that affect fossil fuel generation as well as the lower emissions from biomass generation.
The state agency, formerly known as the Department of Environmental Quality Engineering, responsible for administering laws and regulations protecting air quality, water supply, and water resources, such as Chapter 91 and Title 5, and for administering programs such as the Wetlands Protection Program and Wetlands Restriction Program. It is also responsible for overseeing the cleanup of hazardous waste sites and responding to hazardous waste emergencies and accidents.