Saturday, February 13, 2010

Environmental Affairs response?

Archie Mazmanian reports as of February 11, paragraphing added:

MassDOT Secretary Mullan wrote to EOEEA on January 22, 2010, concerning its intentions for Phase 2 of the Urban Ring project. As yet, no response from EOEEA has been posted at the Urban Ring website.

Is this because EOEEA has not responded? Usually EOEEA responds quickly to letters from MassDOT (and its predecessors) regarding Urban Ring matters.

Does this suggest that MassDOT's paring back of Phase 2 may result in less transparency? Surely EOEEA should respond, perhaps even invite public comment. Without transparency, what might be done by MassDOT as it continues with Phase 2 in limited fashion?

And doesn't any continuing role of the Citizens Advisory Committee as suggested by Secretary Mullan in his January 22nd letter have to be formalized by the Commonwealth to assure compliance with the MA Open Meeting and Public Records Laws governing governmental bodies?