Industrial Site Closure

Bringing industrial sites into regulatory compliance.

At Quick Environmental, our professional efforts regarding industrial site closure are focused on protecting the environment, for the betterment of public health and welfare. We are accustomed to working under stringent timelines, fixed budgets and strict confidentiality requirements. 

With so much at stake for you and your business, there are many things you’ll need to consider and be aware of. In addition, if you are a buyer of commercial property there are legal implications for not following government mandates that could spell financial disaster.

There are regulatory aspects for industrial site closure at both the state and federal levels and with ever changing mandates, you need a company that has in depth knowledge of all regulations in order to bring a site into regulatory compliance in a timely and cost effective manner. 

Following NJDEP and PADEP underground storage tank closure guidelines may not be sufficient for obtaining industrial site closure as many local municipalities have implemented their own ordinances and permit requirements that are more restrictive. In addition, industrial site closure requirements can vary significantly among implementing agencies.

As a property owner, you are required by law to clean up any known contamination. The property owner of record at the time of the contamination becomes the responsible party for compliance and subsequent environmental remediation.

If you are a buyer of commercial or industrial property, we strongly recommend you perform a Phase 1 ESA in order to obtain the complete history of the property along with a Phase 2 ESA if required. Lenders and real estate agents have not been excluded from liability lawsuits where contamination was discovered after a property transaction or change of lender.

The good thing is if you remediate and perform site closure, when you obtain a “No Further Action Letter”, it documents a liability endpoint that can be used for lending or conveyance purposes. 

Industrial Site Closure Process

All storage tank closures must occur under the supervision of a Certified and Licensed Tank Removal Company. Quick Environmental maintains all required certifications and safety training and we have  an established track record in obtaining closure, abandonment and “No Further Action” letters from regulators.

For underground storage tank closure, a closure site assessment is required for:

• tanks used for vehicle fueling at commercial occupancies
• heating fuel tanks exceeding 2,001 gallons
  
• any closure where signs of contamination are present. 

The site assessment consists of taking soil samples from the tank bed that are collected by a Certified Sub-Surface Evaluator following NJDEP and PADEP protocol. The results of soil sample analysis will determine if further investigation of site contamination is necessary.

In cases of contamination, where site remediation is required, industrial site closure is achieved when the remaining contamination in the soil, surface water, groundwater or air meets a risk or cleanup threshold determined not to pose a threat to human health or the environment. 

Final closure actions must be documented and filed with the appropriate government agency. Quick Environmental handles all paperwork and processing and when available we will file electronically to save you time.

Upon approval, the DEP will issue a “No Further Action” letter. This letter certifies:

• There are no discharged contaminants present at the site
• No contaminants at the area of concern or areas of concern
• No contaminants at any other site to which a discharge originating at the site has migrated
• Any discharged contaminants present at the site or that have migrated from the site have been remediated in accordance with applicable remediation regulations. 

Our in depth experience with both small and large scale industrial site closures will assure you of the right course of action.