Governor Names Energy Resources Commissioner

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BOSTON — Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) Secretary Rebecca L. Tepper announced the appointment of Elizabeth Mahony to serve as Commissioner of the Department of Energy Resources (DOER). 
 
DOER develops and implements policies and programs aimed at ensuring the adequacy, security, diversity, and cost-effectiveness of the Commonwealth's energy supply to create a clean, affordable, and resilient energy future for all residents, businesses, communities, and institutions.
 
Mahony starts on Feb. 27. 
 
"I've worked with Elizabeth for many years," said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper. "I've seen her in action, thinking up creative solutions to complex problems and delivering real results for the Commonwealth. Elizabeth will be at the epicenter of our clean energy transition, and I know she will prioritize ratepayers and advance equity in everything she does." 
 
Elizabeth Mahony most recently worked for Attorneys General Andrea Joy Campbell and Maura Healey as an Assistant Attorney General and Senior Policy Advisor for Energy.
 
"I'm thrilled to be returning to the Department of Energy Resources to continue the important work of achieving the Commonwealth's bold clean energy goals," said Mahony. "We will be intently focused on preparing our grid for this transition, updating our housing stock for electrification, encouraging more solar, storage, and wind, and creating a fertile ground for the clean technology economy to flourish – all while centering environmental justice communities in the work." 
 
Elizabeth served in the Energy and Telecommunications Division, focusing on utility clean energy procurements, solar program development, clean energy rate design, consumer protections, and legislative engagement.
 
Before joining the Attorney General's Office, Elizabeth was Acting General Counsel for the Department of Energy Resources and Committee Counsel to Benjamin Downing, Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy before that. Prior to her work in the energy field, Elizabeth was an associate at a small litigation firm in Quincy, and was Public Affairs Director for the late Senator Susan C. Fargo.
 
She is the Chair of the Consumer Liaison Group at ISO New England and is a member of the Boston Bar Association's Energy Advisory Committee to the Energy Committee. Elizabeth is a graduate of Marist College and Suffolk University Law School. She lives in Walpole.

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Dalton Board of Health Amends Green Burial Verbiage

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
DALTON, Mass. —T he Board of Health amended the green burial guidelines during its meeting on Wednesday. 
 
In April, the board approved the guidelines stating that "Ebola or any other diseases that the CDC or Massachusetts Department of Public Health deem unsuitable for green burials can not be approved by the town Board of Health."
 
Following communication with the state Department of Environmental Protection, the board on Wednesday voted to revise it to add Anthrax and Prion to the list of diseases deemed unsuitable for green burials.
 
The revised guidelines say that if the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or state DEP "deems any disease unsuitable for green burials, the Board of Health will not approve it. Known examples include Ebola, Anthrax, and Prion diseases."
 
Over the last few months, the board has been navigating how to include communicable diseases in its guidelines to prevent them from spreading.  
 
During this process, Town Health Agent Agnes Witkowski worked to clarify the state's guidelines, attending a presentation on the practice and consulting with people from various organizations. 
 
Following this line of inquiry, it was determined that the state is behind in developing guidelines for green burials.
 
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