Chamber Seeks Changes to NJ’s Site Remediation Program

In April, Jorge Berkowitz and Stewart Abrams, both with Langan Engineering & Environmental Services, represented the Chamber’s Platform for Progress Environment Coalition by providing testimony before a special joint hearing of the Senate and Assembly Environment Committee which is looking at ways to improve New Jersey’s Site Remediation Program managed by the state Department of Environmental Protection.

Chamber lobbyist Michael Egenton also testified, speaking about the Chamber’s site remediation program benchmarking study (PDF), which concluded that the program is not working effectively because it takes far too long to clean-up properties and to get decisions made on cases. In fact, the study reveals that there is an 88-year backlog of cases at DEP.

The report recommends that the state should look at how other states expedite cleanups and that DEP should give serious consideration to hiring outside professional to assist in the remediation process. This has worked successfully in Massachusetts, with brownfield sites being turned into viable areas benefiting communities.

Berkowitz testified about the lack of available resources in the DEP to handle the program and the need for programmatic reform. He also advocated for the use of outside professionals to assist in site cleanups. Berkowitz said one reason reform is needed is because the DEP uses a “one size fits all” philosophy in reviewing cases when no two are identical.

Abrams spoke about the Massachusetts program utilizing outside professional to assist in site remediation. He said sites are being cleaned up faster and that local and state entities are benefiting.

Senate Environment Committee Chairman Bob Smith said he was very interested in the concept and asked that representatives from Massachusetts provide more details at a May 19 committee meeting.

April 2008