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“The stormwater management regulations in the state have been updated to help mitigate flooding,” Protasiewicz says, adding that new projects coming online must have systems in place to slow the runoff on their property.
“The NJDEP is now requiring towns to track all their stormwater management systems in GIS,” he says. While not all towns are tracking yet, Protasiewicz says that some have started. “When we do stormwater evaluations, the NJDEP requires us to go downstream of our site and figure out how much is being dumped into the river. It wants to know how your water is going to affect that line. As a result, the towns are saying to developers: If you want to develop this site, you have to map out all this information to slowly stitch it together as projects get completed,” he notes.
New Air Monitoring Guidance
Sites that are currently under remediation are required to monitor air quality to ensure that residents in the surrounding neighborhood are not exposed to harmful toxins. In December of 2023, the NJDEP released a 95-page guidance document to help the environmental community develop best practices for perimeter air monitoring. LSRPs will be required to implement the guidance on New Jersey sites by June of this year.
To meet these new requirements, GZA GeoEnvironmental, through its subsidiary AirLogistics, deploys “smart,” programmable equipment that provides continuous, real-time, remote analysis of air monitoring data, tailoring the equipment to the site’s specific contaminants.
“The equipment has GIS capabilities for data display and interpretation, delivering cloud alerts to LSRPs when emissions exceed acceptable thresholds, so corrective action can be taken quickly,” notes David Winslow, PG, Ph.D., senior vice president, GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc.
Dr. Winslow notes that 24/7 real-time remote monitoring is not always available with some other systems. The company also offers professional services for the operation and maintenance of equipment, as well as industrial hygienists to handle data management and reporting. Current applications of the monitoring system include gas plant sites, residential developments where historic fill is an issue, and the South Amboy ferry project.
What Is the Need for Remediation?
“The success of the Site Remediation Reform Act, which certifies qualified Licensed Site Remediation Professionals (LSRPs) to move projects forward to closure with less dependence on state regulators, has successfully cleaned up many contaminated sites in the state at a faster pace than previously possible,” states Dr. Winslow.
“We need a lot of remediation in New Jersey,” says SESI’s Protasiewicz. “The LSRP program, when it was first created 10 years ago, was as good as they said it was. Having LSRPs responsible for everything was a great idea. It accomplished everything it was meant to accomplish,” he explains.
The problem today, according to Protasiewicz, is that the NJDEP is reverting to its pre-LSRP case management mentality. “LSRPs were supposed to be able to use professional judgment, however, the NJDEP is questioning every decision the LSRP makes. It is over-reviewing everything and backups are causing issues,” he laments.
“However, I think the proposed new streamlined permit program will help to resolve our problems for property owners,” Protasiewicz adds.
Conclusion
“The need for remediation of brownfields and other contaminated sites remains strong in New Jersey,” notes GZA’s Dr. Winslow. “Remediation can spur development to provide much-needed housing and economic opportunities for communities,” he concludes.
To access more business news, visit NJB News Now.
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