An article by Margaret Halasnik, Director – Compliance Services, titled, "Educating Schools In Universal Waste Management" appeared in the September 2011 edition of the Commerce Magazine.

Schools are no different than a small city or town or a department store with a number of different operating locations when it comes to regulation of waste.  Facilities personnel have a myriad of responsibilities for managing when it comes to building maintenance from making sure that boilers are operating effectively and efficiently to changing out light bulbs. 

Daniele Cervino, Senior Vice President, published an article titled "Getting Ready for May 2012:  The Transition to LSRPs Proceeds" that appeared in the July 15, 2011 edition of the Mid Atlantic Real Estate Journal.

 Thousands of responsible parties in New Jersey have been receiving letters from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) reminding them that they should make preparations for the retention of a Licensed Site Remediation Professional (LSRP) by May 2012.  All new cases need to immediately involve an LSRP, however pending cases have had a few years to complete the transition.

Donald Richardson, Vice President, published an article titled "Controlling Post Remediation Care Cost and Liability Risks" that appeared in the April - May 2011 edition of the Mid Atlantic Real Estate Journal.

Implementing institutional and engineering controls is a highly effective means to perform cost effective risk-based cleanups.  By using these site controls, the responsible (or remediating party) benefits by reducing the scope (and cost) of site cleanup and safely leaving a legacy of low levels of contamination that is consistent with future site use. 

Donald Richardson, Vice President, was quoted in an article titled "Environmental Enthusiasm" that appeared in the March 2011 edition of New Jersey Business Magazine.

An article by Paul Schatz, CPG, Assistant Vice President, titled, "Environmental Firms Can Teach Schools, Colleges and Universities How to Avoid Big Trouble with the NJDEP" appeared in the February 2011 edition of the Commerce Magazine.

A private university in New Jersey was undergoing an inspection by the NJDEP for air emissions that affected dozens of their buildings.  NJDEP was threatening the university with inclusion in their most stringent permitting and sample collection program called “Title V” Air Permitting.  To be regulated by this program would cost the university several hundred thousand dollars a year; funds they did not anticipate nor budget.  Conversely, if they did not implement an air monitoring and permitting program they were subject to significant fines.  EWMA inspected the campuses, negotiated with the NJDEP, made recommendations, and utilized the permitting option that allowed the university’s potential to emit (PTE) to be outside of Title V and in the minor facility category.

An article by William Kovach, Senior Project Manager, titled "Why Department of Homeland Security is Interested in Cleanup Projects", appeared in the March 2011 edition of Modern Contractor Solutions.

Responsibility for chemical security is shared among federal, state, and local governments, as well as the private sector. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards for any facility that manufactures, uses, stores, or distributes certain chemicals at or above a specified quantity. Even if this is not its primary use, it includes remediation sites.

An article by Craig Gorczuca, CHMM, titled, "Hazardous Waste and School Laboratories:  Relevant EPA Regulations Offer 'Flexibility'" appeared in the October 2010 edition of the Commerce Magazine.

Chemical management is one of many issues facing schools today.  From preschool all the way through university affiliated teaching hospitals, a wide variety of chemicals are being stored and used.  In response to chronic mismanagement and prolonged storage issues, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently adopted new regulations concerning hazardous waste in educational institutions.  These regulations provide allowances and flexibility to eligible academic entities in dealing with their unwanted and/or hazardous material.  Under this new law, the waste determination decision will be shifted to RCRA (Resource Conservation and Recovery Act) trained personnel. 

An article by Elizabeth Davis, Director, Site Assessment - Remedial Investigatory Services, titled, "Availability of Grant Money for Replacing PERC Systems" appeared in the July 2010 edition of the Mid Atlantic Real Estate Journal.

As owner or operator of a dry cleaning business you may be eligible for a grant to replace your PERC-based dry cleaning equipment.  The NJDEP established a $5 million fund for replacing certain dry cleaning systems.  The grant’s objective is to target machines that use the chemical perchloroethylene (PERC) in the dry cleaning process for replacement or upgrades to dramatically reduce the amount of the toxic chemical emitted into the air.  Landlords should encourage their dry cleaner tenants to take advantage of this program to avoid future compliance problems for themselves and their tenant.

An article by Daniele Cervino, Esq., Senior Vice President and General Counsel, titled, "New Remedial Action Permits and How They Impact Commercial Transactions in New Jersey" appeared in the July 2010 edition of the Mid Atlantic Real Estate Journal.

New Jersey’s Site Remediation Reform Act (SRRA) P.L. 2009, Chapter 60 (May 7, 2009) established a remedial action permit program for institutional and engineering controls associated with site remediation projects where the most stringent cleanup standards could not be met.  This program started in January 2010 and is in the transitional stage.  The full program will be in place by May 2012.  This evolving New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) program seeks to create more Responsible Party accountability for the long term stewardship of these controls through the threat of permit compliance and enforcement.  In addition, new requirements for financial assurance of engineering controls will need to be budgeted into long-term site management plans.

An article by Kimberly Hicks, Assistant Project Manager, titled "Mold and the Re-use of Demolition Materials" appeared in the April 2010 edition of Modern Contractor Solutions magazine.

The presence of mold during construction, occupancy or demolition of a building can have significant effects on a project’s cost, timing, and public perception.  While mold plays an important role in the ecosystem, exposure to too much or the wrong type of mold can have serious health effects.