Massachusetts – October 3, 2012 – Pannone Lopes Devereaux & West LLC (PLDW) Senior Counsel Bruce H. Tobey will keynote the 2012 Legislative Reception at the Massachusetts Water Pollution Control Association’s (MWPCA) October 10th annual event. The program begins at 5:30 p.m. at the Parker House in Boston, MA, and will include a legislative update on local and national considerations affecting the water industry and water quality issues in the Commonwealth. Attorney Tobey will address the results of a report released in June by the state’s Water Infrastructure Finance Commission, to which he was appointed by Governor Deval Patrick, and will provide an update on legislative initiatives the report will prompt.
“Massachusetts must address an estimated $21.4 billion gap over the next 20 years in funding needed upgrades to aging water and sewer systems that are often out of sight and out of mind for the public,” said Attorney Tobey. “It’s important we share the commission’s findings and promote the solutions it identified.”
Attorney Tobey is a member of PLDW’s Municipal Infrastructure Team and focuses his practice on representing local and regional governments in the areas of public contracts, water law, solid waste management, environmental law and litigation. He has extensive legal experience advising and representing governments, including municipalities, counties, public authorities and federal agencies, as well as private companies on environmental policy, programs and financial and regulatory matters with a specialty in water and wastewater infrastructure, public-private partnerships and other business development opportunities for sustainable communities. Mr. Tobey presently serves as a City Councilor for the City of Gloucester, MA where he was Mayor from 1993 until 2002.
His extensive experience includes participation on numerous Federal Advisory Committees of the United State Environmental Protection Agency, as President of the Massachusetts Municipal Association, and as Chair of the Advisory Council of the National League of Cities. Mr. Tobey is also a past member and chair of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Local Government Advisory Committee, and he had served on the state’s Federal Stimulus Task Force.
The MWPCA 2012 Legislative Reception is being co-sponsored by the New England Water Environment Association (NEWEA) and the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control. For information, contact the MWPCA office at (774) 276-9722 or mwpca2011@yahoo.com.
For more information about the firm’s Municipal Infrastructure Team, contact Mr. Tobey at btobey@pldw.com or call (401) 824-5121. To learn more about PLDW, contact David C. Sweet, Director of Administration, at dsweet@pldw.com or call 401-824-5100, or visit www.pldw.com.
About Pannone Lopes Devereaux & West LLC
The attorneys and staff at Pannone Lopes Devereaux & West LLC (PLDW) are committed to developing practical and cost-effective solutions while also being supportive of the community in a meaningful way. With offices in Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York and Florida, PLDW has developed a business model that combines international expertise with a more cost-effective delivery system that involves cross training of lawyers and a more practical approach to problem solving. The primary areas of practice for the firm include administrative, corporate and municipal law, civil litigation, employment, government relations, real estate and commercial lending and estate planning and special masterships. The partners demand of themselves and those on the PLDW team, an unparalleled sense of urgency and responsiveness which is derived from an authentic appreciation for their clients and the community in which they serve. For more information, visit www.pldw.com.