The New Jersey Site Remediation Reform Act (SRRA) was signed into law by in 2009 and is significantly changing how New Jersey handles site remediation. The SRRA law, which created the Licensed Site Remediation Professional (LSRP) program, is modeled after a similar Massachusetts law and streamlines the investigation and remediation of environmentally impaired sites. Historically, the New Jersey Site Remediation program is significantly backlogged as is most state programs. The Licensed Site Remediation Professionals (LSRP) Program has the potential to significantly improve backlog.
Who Are LSRPs?
Licensed Site Remediation Professionals are required to meet the same stringent cleanup standards as previously established and are bound by a strict code of ethics; however, the process of remediation will proceed much more quickly under this new program as they do not need approval from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) for routine decisions. This is a welcome change for industrial and commercial property owners and developers that are eager to achieve site closure and return properties to highest and best use.
Currently, the NJDEP has only issued temporary LSRP licenses. Our firm has two remediation professionals who qualified as temporary LSRPs based on their experience. The NJDEP is providing a licensing test this year and then the temporary LSRPs will have the opportunity to test for their permanent registration.
May, 2012 Deadline for Identifying an LSRP
Partner understands that as of May 7, 2012 the SRRA became fully effective, meaning that as of that point all remediating parties must use the services of a LSRP to conduct environmental investigations and cleanups of their site without prior NJ Department of Environmental Protection (NJ DEP) approval. Of the thousands of known contaminated sites in the New Jersey a little better than half have identified an LSRP. While some do not need to enter the program, thousands more will be receiving letters from the NJDEP encouraging them to indentify an LSRP.
Partner’s LSRPs
Partner employs two professionals who have been granted the temporary LSRP title based on their experience, and are in the process of testing for the permanent LSRP license.
Michael Morris is a seventeen year veteran of the environmental consulting field. Michael is a NJDEP temporary Licensed Site Remediation Professional and a Licensed Professional Geologist New Hampshire. He also holds he holds a NJDEP UST Certification – Subsurface Evaluator. Most importantly, Michael has a great understanding of the perspective of the real estate owners. He is known for dispensing sound technical advice that makes good business sense.
Dave Umbach has thirty years experience in the environmental field. Mr. Umbach is a Professional Geologist in the State of Virginia, a temporary Licensed Site Remediation Professional, and a NJDEP Subsurface Evaluator. While a geologist by degree, Mr. Umbach is quite expert at engineering remedial systems.
Contact Partner today at 201-942-0687 if you have questions or would like help entering the NJDEP LSRP Program.
