New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) announced it is enforcing an Underground Storage of Hazardous Substances Act Amendment to require contractors performing work on unregulated tanks to be certified.  The NJDEP is creating a program to pre-qualify professionals to investigate and remediate Unregulated Heating Oil Tanks. 

Just before the June 30 Statute of Limitations deadline the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) filed natural resources damage lawsuits against 120 NJ companies identifying them as the worst polluters in the state.  The state’s lawsuits targeted polluters that have damaged river resources.  In particular it focused on numerous manufacturers and marketers of the gasoline additive, MTBE.

Regulations already in place for construction on waterfront properties are now being closely monitored by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) and Bureau of Coastal and Land Use Compliance and Enforcement (CLUE).

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) has adopted, and in the process of becoming a formal rule, an amendment to the Technical Requirements for Site Remediation (NJAC 7:26E-1.4) in order to establish better public notification of remedial action at contaminated sites.  The proposal requires notification be sent to residents, business owners and local officials affected by remediation activities.

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) has adopted several program rules to adjust the fees for various submissions to the Site Remediation Program (SRP).  Specifically the fees under the UST, ISRA and Oversight rules are all being increased.  The goal of the fees increase is to ensure that the amount charged covers the Department’s costs to provide the service to the regulated community.  The effective date for the increased fees is October 1, 2007.

On June 1, 2007 Day Care Centers faced new environmental requirements for licensing and renewal of licenses.  They are required to obtain a No Further Action (NFA) letter from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection before submitting their new or renewal application to Department of Children and Families.  The first step of the NFA process is the Preliminary Assessment.

Beginning October 1st, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) announced it will issue notices of violation to responsible parties who fail to file post-NFA monitoring reports on NJDEP for remediation plan requirements.  These reports are commonly known as, Biennial Certifications, that monitor the condition of soil caps, classification exception areas for groundwater contamination, and status of deed notices.

New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) has proposed new soil remediation standards. The Brownfield and Contaminated Site Remediation Act (”Brownfields Act”) directs the Department to adopt minimum remediation standards for soil, ground water and surface water necessary for the remediation of contaminated sites.