From Tar Pits to Treasure: Reimagining Lynn Harbor Park

From Tar Pits to Treasure: Reimagining Lynn Harbor Park

What does it take to transform a crumbling waterfront landfill and former manufactured gas plant into a signature public park? In this episode, the team behind Lynn Harbor Park (Aaron Clausen, Principal Planner with the City of Lynn, MA, Mason Sandell, Chief Commercial Officer with Charter, and Alasdair Cunningham, Director of Project Development with Charter) shares the decades-long journey of environmental cleanup, regulatory problem-solving, beneficial soil reuse, and public-private partnership that helped turn a neglected industrial site into a new gateway for community access, housing, and waterfront redevelopment. Links from the Episode: Lynn Harbor Park Project Page: https://lynnincommon.com/harborpark [https://lynnincommon.com/harborpark] City of Lynn – Lynn Harbor Park: https://www.lynnma.gov/cms/one.aspx?portalId=109810&pageId=293650 [https://www.lynnma.gov/cms/one.aspx?portalId=109810&pageId=293650] Massachusetts Municipal Association: “Lynn transforms landfill into waterfront park”: https://www.mma.org/lynn-transforms-landfill-into-waterfront-park/ [https://www.mma.org/lynn-transforms-landfill-into-waterfront-park/] Boston.com [http://Boston.com]: “The Lynn waterfront was a dump. Literally. But what if it became a park?”: https://www.boston.com/news/the-boston-globe/2025/09/17/the-lynn-waterfront-was-a-dump-literally-but-what-if-it-bec [https://www.boston.com/news/the-boston-globe/2025/09/17/the-lynn-waterfront-was-a-dump-literally-but-what-if-it-bec] ItemLive: “Land deal powers plan for Lynn waterfront”: https://itemlive.com/2020/07/10/land-deal-powers-plan-for-lynn-waterfront/ [https://itemlive.com/2020/07/10/land-deal-powers-plan-for-lynn-waterfront/] Where to find Aaron, Mason, and Alasdair: Aaron’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-clausen-4876b919/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-clausen-4876b919/] Mason’s Professional Page: https://charter.us/our-people/mason-sandell/ [https://charter.us/our-people/mason-sandell/] Mason’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mason-sandell-79613418/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mason-sandell-79613418/] Alasdair’s Professional Page: https://charter.us/our-people/alasdair-cunningham/ [https://charter.us/our-people/alasdair-cunningham/] Alasdair’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alasdaircunningham/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/alasdaircunningham/] Where to find EBC: Webpage: https://ebcne.org/ [https://ebcne.org/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/environmental-business-council-of-new-england-inc-/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/environmental-business-council-of-new-england-inc-/] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLKLl6DmcaFbOwjJ2aB956g [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLKLl6DmcaFbOwjJ2aB956g]

A Cleaner Future for Portland’s Working Waterfront

This episode unpacks the decades-long effort to dredge Portland Harbor while confronting the legacy of contaminated industrial sediments. Bill Needelman, former Waterfront Coordinator for the City of Portland, Maine, and Michael Johnson, a Project Manager with Stantec, explore how collaboration between city officials, fishermen, environmental advocates, regulators, and engineers led to the creation of Maine’s first confined aquatic disposal (CAD) cell, an innovative solution that made large-scale harbor restoration possible. Links from the Episode: City of Portland, Maine, “CAD Cell Project”: https://www.portlandmaine.gov/345/CAD-Cell-Project [https://www.portlandmaine.gov/345/CAD-Cell-Project] Portland Harbor Commission: https://portlandharbor.org/revitalization-project [https://portlandharbor.org/revitalization-project] Friends of Casco Bay, “What the Portland Harbor Dredge Means for Casco Bay”: https://www.cascobay.org/what-the-portland-harbor-dredge-means-for-casco-bay/ [https://www.cascobay.org/what-the-portland-harbor-dredge-means-for-casco-bay/] Where to find Michael and Bill: Bill’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/william-needelman-00877714/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/william-needelman-00877714/] Michael’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-johnson-162a86237/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-johnson-162a86237/] Where to find EBC: Webpage: https://ebcne.org/ [https://ebcne.org/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/environmental-business-council-of-new-england-inc-/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/environmental-business-council-of-new-england-inc-/] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLKLl6DmcaFbOwjJ2aB956g [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLKLl6DmcaFbOwjJ2aB956g]

Massachusetts’ All-of-Government Climate Strategy: Inside the Programs Driving Resilience and Decarbonization

In this first episode of EBC’s APEX Awards winner series, four Massachusetts leaders share how the Healey-Driscoll administration is advancing an all-of-government approach to climate action. From affordable housing decarbonization and embodied carbon reduction to climate-ready infrastructure and the Mass Ready Act, the conversation explores how agencies are collaborating to build a more resilient and climate-ready Commonwealth. Links from the Episode: Mass Ready Act webpage: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/mass-ready-act [https://www.mass.gov/info-details/mass-ready-act] Massachusetts’ Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Program: https://resilient.mass.gov/mvp [https://resilient.mass.gov/mvp] Massachusetts Community Climate Bank webpage: https://www.masshousing.com/mass-community-climate-bank [https://www.masshousing.com/mass-community-climate-bank] Energy Saver Home Loan Program: https://www.masshousing.com/mass-community-climate-bank/energy-saver-home-loan [https://www.masshousing.com/mass-community-climate-bank/energy-saver-home-loan] Massachusetts Energy Savings Finder: https://www.masssave.com/massachusetts-energy-savings-finder [https://www.masssave.com/massachusetts-energy-savings-finder] ResilientMass Finance Strategy: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/resilientmass-finance-strategy [https://www.mass.gov/info-details/resilientmass-finance-strategy] Embodied Carbon in Construction Calculator (EC3): https://carbonleadershipforum.org/ec3-tool/ [https://carbonleadershipforum.org/ec3-tool/] Community Culvert Grant Program: https://transportationgrantcentral.mass.gov/s/program/a3Ics000001U0GYEA0/community-culvert-grant-program [https://transportationgrantcentral.mass.gov/s/program/a3Ics000001U0GYEA0/community-culvert-grant-program] HEET: https://www.heet.org/ [https://www.heet.org/] Dairyfoods.com [http://Dairyfoods.com] Case Study: “Cheese processor uses heat exchangers to increase cheese-drying capacity”: https://www.dairyfoods.com/articles/94849-cheese-processor-uses-heat-exchangers-to-increase-cheese-drying-capacity [https://www.dairyfoods.com/articles/94849-cheese-processor-uses-heat-exchangers-to-increase-cheese-drying-capacity] Where to find Katherine, Maggie, Adam, and Cassandra: Katherine’s EEA Information: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/eea-climate-team-contact-and-staff-directory [https://www.mass.gov/info-details/eea-climate-team-contact-and-staff-directory] Press Release for Maggie’s hiring: https://www.masshousing.com/press/2024-01-03_maggie-super-church [https://www.masshousing.com/press/2024-01-03_maggie-super-church] DCAMM “Meet our Leadership Team” Page: https://www.mass.gov/lists/meet-our-leadership-team [https://www.mass.gov/lists/meet-our-leadership-team]

Two Decades in the Making: Fall River’s City Pier

For the final episode in our awards series, hear from Sarah Page, Executive Director of the Fall River Redevelopment Authority, Ken Fiola, Executive Vice President of the Bristol County Economic Development Corporation and formerly with the Fall River Redevelopment Authority, and Joe McLoughlin, Vice President with BETA Group, discussing the decades-long process of redeveloping the Senator Thomas Norton City Pier in Fall River, Massachusetts. They share the challenges and successes of transforming the pier, reimagining the site as a hub of outdoor fun for the community and economic revitalization for the riverside. Links from the Episode: EBC James D.P. Farrell Award for Brownfields-Remediation Project of the Year: https://ebcne.org/news/award/brownfields-project-of-the-year/ [https://ebcne.org/news/award/brownfields-project-of-the-year/] Information about City Pier: https://www.vivafallriver.com/senator-thomas-norton-city-pier/ [https://www.vivafallriver.com/senator-thomas-norton-city-pier/] Information about the Fall River Redevelopment Authority Board: https://fallriverma.gov/government/boards___commissions/redevelopment_authority_board.php [https://fallriverma.gov/government/boards___commissions/redevelopment_authority_board.php] Where to find Sarah, Ken, and Joe: Sarah’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahwpage/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahwpage/] Ken’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenneth-fiola-jr-esq-097a0442/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenneth-fiola-jr-esq-097a0442/] Joe’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-mcloughlin-97866722/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-mcloughlin-97866722/] Where to find EBC: Webpage: https://ebcne.org/ [https://ebcne.org/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/environmental-business-council-of-new-england-inc-/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/environmental-business-council-of-new-england-inc-/] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLKLl6DmcaFbOwjJ2aB956g [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLKLl6DmcaFbOwjJ2aB956g]

Collaborative Thinking: Bringing renewable energy to buyers big and small through the Consortium for Climate Solutions

Today’s episode dives into the efforts of the Consortium for Climate Solutions, a groundbreaking collaborative model for large-scale renewable energy procurement that recently won the EBC Nicholas Humber Award for Outstanding Collaboration. Learn about their model for bringing together eleven partner organizations to procure renewable energy through today’s discussion with members of the four leading organizations: Jaclyn Olsen, Director at the Harvard Office for Sustainability, Steven Lanou, Senior Project Manager in MIT’s Office of Sustainability, Dennis Villanueva, Director of Utilities, Energy Strategy & Procurement at Mass General Brigham, and Heather Takle, President and CEO of PowerOptions. Links from the Episode: About the EBC Nicholas Humber Award for Outstanding Collaboration: https://ebcne.org/news/award/outstanding-collaboration/ [https://ebcne.org/news/award/outstanding-collaboration/] WBUR news item Harvard, MIT and MGB-led group helps build major solar and wind farms, November 22, 2024 by Martha Bebinger: https://www.wbur.org/news/2024/11/22/massachusetts-climate-consortium-renewable-energy [https://www.wbur.org/news/2024/11/22/massachusetts-climate-consortium-renewable-energy] Harvard Office for Sustainability webpage: https://sustainable.harvard.edu/ [https://sustainable.harvard.edu/] MIT Office of Sustainability webpage: https://sustainability.mit.edu/ [https://sustainability.mit.edu/] Mass General Brigham: https://www.massgeneralbrigham.org/en [https://www.massgeneralbrigham.org/en] PowerOptions homepage: https://poweroptions.org/ [https://poweroptions.org/] Boston Green Ribbon Commission homepage: https://greenribboncommission.org/ [https://greenribboncommission.org/] Better Together Brain Trust homepage: https://www.bt2energy.com/ [https://www.bt2energy.com/] Where to find Jaclyn, Steven, Dennis, & Heather: Jaclyn’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaclyn-olsen-5b95398/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaclyn-olsen-5b95398/] Steven’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-lanou/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-lanou/] Dennis’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dennis-v-5163a15/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dennis-v-5163a15/] Heather’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heathermarchtakle/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/heathermarchtakle/] Where to find EBC: Webpage: https://ebcne.org/ [https://ebcne.org/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/environmental-business-council-of-new-england-inc-/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/environmental-business-council-of-new-england-inc-/] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLKLl6DmcaFbOwjJ2aB956g [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLKLl6DmcaFbOwjJ2aB956g]