By Ellen Radow Sadat, Esq.

At a well-attended New Jersey Chamber of Commerce Breakfast in late May, Deputy Commissioner Irene Kropp described the evolving organizational responsibilities of three key managers at the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), Chief of Staff Magdalena Padilla, Chief Counselor Ray Cantor and Irene Kropp. These responsibilities are evolving as Commissioner Bob Martin develops the Department’s Vision Statement, which should be posted on the NJDEP website soon.  Shortly thereafter, the Department will publish its “Transformation Agenda,” which will be designed to implement the Vision Statement and presumably change the way NJDEP does business.

In the meantime, the Department is actively acknowledging that it should be a  responsive and transparent agency.  There are three key managers who will try to accomplish this goal while attending to the following responsibilities. » Read the rest of this entry «

By Glenn S. Pantel and Michael A. Smith

On March 24, 2010, the Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection issued Administrative Order No. 2010-03 – a measure that extends the deadline for wastewater management planning entities to submit revised wastewater management plans (WMPs), until April 7, 2011.  This administrative order also provides property owners with new rights in connection with NJDEP’s wastewater management planning process.

Background

WMPs are legally binding documents that govern where new sanitary sewer lines can be built. For a sewer line to be extended into a property, it must be included within the sewer service area (SSA) in the area wide WMP. Properties that fall outside the SSA are generally required to be served by septic systems. » Read the rest of this entry «

By John C. Ryder, P.E., P.P., P.W.S., C.M.E.    Effective November 2, 2009, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) has amended the Freshwater Wetlands Protection Act Rules to expanded the list of Freshwater Wetlands Statewide General Permits (SGP) requiring mitigation as follows: SGP No. 2 (Underground utility lines); SGP No. 6 (Isolated wetlands); SGP Nos. 10A & 10B (Road crossings); SGP No. 11 (Outfalls & intake structures); SGP No. 21 (Above ground utility lines); and SGP 27 (Redevelopment of previously disturbed areas).  Wetlands permits previously requiring mitigation included: SGP No. 4 (Hazardous site investigation and cleanup); SGP No. 5 (Landfill closures); and all Individual Permits (IP).  » Read the rest of this entry «

Although the Site Remediation Reform Act (SRRA) gives Licensed Site Remediation Professionals (LSRPs) substantial authority once the exclusive purview of NJDEP, not all of the functions held by NJDEP case managers under the pre-SRRA process for remediation will be transferred to the LSRP.  Such is the case with Alternate Remediation Standards (ARS).  An ARS is a remediation standard developed for use at a given site based on site-specific conditions and risks that is often less restrictive than adopted standards.  One of the laws modified by SRRA continues to allow the use of ARS in lieu of the established minimum soil remediation standards for residential or non-residential use.  » Read the rest of this entry «

Currently, NJDEP requires a biennial certification for engineering and institutional controls.  Every two years, a certification must be prepared, signed and submitted to NJDEP reporting on the monitoring, inspection and maintenance for caps, covers, fences, signs, Classification Exception Areas (CEAs), deed notices and other engineering and institutional controls implemented as part of the remediation of a contaminated site.  Under the Site Remediation Reform Act (SRRA), NJDEP will now be implementing a new permit program for this purpose.  NJDEP is wrestling with the best way to move forward with the transition of these requirements into a permit program. » Read the rest of this entry «

The Department of Environmental Protection is proposing amendments to the Coastal Permit Program rules, N.J.A.C. 7:7, which contain the coastal general permits and the permits-by-rule.  Under this proposal, the Department is proposing a new permit-by-rule and two new coastal general permits for the construction of wind turbines on land; a new permit-by-rule for the construction of solar panels; and is describing the situations in which construction of a wind turbine or solar panel does not require a coastal permit. The Department is also proposing amendments to the Coastal Zone Management rules, N.J.A.C. 7:7E, to facilitate the construction of wind turbines in the coastal zone in appropriate locations. » Read the rest of this entry «

By Ellen Radow Sadat, Esq.  &  Joseph Schmidt, Esq. 

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (”DEP”) is taking another weapon out of its abundant arsenal, which may make it harder to implement reasonable remedial actions and delay cleanups.  Under draft guidance, titled “Requirements for Remedial Actions Rendering Properties Unusable,” issued on October 5, 2009, DEP plans to implement a seemingly innocuous provision of the Site Remediation Reform Act (“SRRA”): » Read the rest of this entry «

There are two significant provisions in the Site Remediation Reform Act (SRRA) that will impact how NJDEP pursues its claims for Natural Resource Damages (NRD). The first is a fairly obvious change to existing law (the Statute of Limitations) setting deadlines for the state to bring a claim for NRD.  The second, and more significant provision, stems from a subtle reference nestled amid NJDEP’s newly defined powers of direct remedial oversight.  » Read the rest of this entry «

The Site Remediation Reform Act (SRRA) will affect the choice and pace of remedies. SRRA provides that, for any site that is to be used for residential purposes, a licensed day care center, a public or private school, or a charter school, the Licensed Site Remediation Professional (LSRP) must ensure that the person responsible for conducting the remediation completes the remediation in a manner that complies with either unrestricted use standards, a soon to be established “Presumptive Remedy,” or an alternative remedy approved by the NJDEP. » Read the rest of this entry «

As with any new and major environmental law, the Site Remediation Reform Act (SRRA) had its share of critics from all ends of the political spectrum.  The New Jersey environmental activist community was among the most vocal objectors to certain aspects of the proposed Licensed Site Remediation Professional (LSRP) legislation.  Executive Order No. 140 was designed by the Governor’s Office to ease the concerns of the environmental groups. » Read the rest of this entry «

The Site Remediation Reform Act (SRRA) will have significant impacts on commercial transactions.  In addition to the learning curve in familiarizing sellers, buyers and lenders with new terminology and the loss of some of the familiar mechanisms, such as the No Further Action (NFA) letter issued by NJDEP and the signed Covenant Not to Sue set forth in a NFA, SRRA requires some new strategic thinking by parties to a transaction.  Particular issues include broader obligations to report and remediate contamination and an impact on funding options. » Read the rest of this entry «

SRRA effectively abolishes the Voluntary Cleanup Program (VCP) for responsible parties by 1) creating an affirmative obligation to remediate the discharge of a hazardous substance and 2) requiring remediation activities to be performed in accordance with mandatory remediation time frames and/or expedited site specific time frames.

Prior to the enactment of SRRA, owners and operators of contaminated properties in New Jersey had several potential remedial options, depending upon the circumstances: » Read the rest of this entry «