NJDEP Licensed Site Remediation Professional (LSRP) Program
The New Jersey Site Remediation Reform Act (SRRA) was signed into law in May 2009. The enactment of SRRA significantly changed the New Jersey Site Remediation program and empowered Licensed Site Remediation Professionals, or LSRPs, to make decisions regarding compliance with NJDEP regulations and issue closure letters (Response Action Outcomes, or RAOs).
Firstech has some of the most experienced and respected LSRPs in the state of New Jersey. Our LSRPs are available 24/7 to advise you of the options available for regulatory compliance and create a customized Closure Strategy to obtain an RAO in a manner that best suits your needs.
Firstech Environmental, one of the leading environmental remediation companies in New Jersey, has provided excavation, structural support installation, and other contracting services to LSRPs and various environmental consultants for over 25 years.
Firstech’s highly skilled and experienced field operations crews will work directly with you and your LSRP of Record to complete field work (sample collection, excavation, remediation, etc.) to save you money.
Please ask us first if you have any questions regarding a potential environmental cleanup concern or issue on your property, are involved with a property affected by the NJDEP’s Industrial Site Recovery Act (ISRA), or are currently in the process of investigation/remediation on a property. Firstech's initial consultation is free of charge and can save you time and money on your project.
Overview of the New Jersey Site Remediation Reform Act (SRRA)
Signed into law on May 7, 2009, the New Jersey Site Remediation Reform Act (SRRA) significantly changed the New Jersey Site Remediation program and further streamlined the investigation and remediation of discharges of hazardous substances into the environment.
The SRRA recognizes the role of professional judgment to accomplish effective site remediation. Prior to this law, the NJDEP was intricately involved in all environmental cleanup projects and over time accumulated a backlog of over 18,000 cases awaiting remedial activity. The SRRA represents a major step toward expediting the remediation process, while maintaining a strict code of ethics and conduct.
As of November 3, 2009, all new cases that are non-UHOT applicable ARE REQUIRED TO USE AN LSRP. All existing cases are required to opt into the program.
Other changes include replacing NFA letters (issued by the NJDEP) with Response Action Outcome (RAO) letters, the adoption of the Administrative Requirements for Remediation of Contaminated Sites (ARRCS), and substantial revisions to the Technical Requirements for Site Remediation, among others.
Under SRRA, NJDEP approval is no longer required prior to proceeding with remediation. This allows contaminated sites to be cleaned up more quickly, thus providing a greater measure of environmental protection to the citizens of New Jersey and ensuring that development of underutilized properties are returned to the tax rolls more quickly.
Highlights of the NJ SRRA
- Established the Licensed Site Remediation Professional (LSRP) program and the NJDEP Site Remediation Program Licensing Board, which issues licenses to qualified individuals to conduct the remediation of sites in New Jersey.
- New Jersey LSRPs are bound by a strict code of ethics, violation of which could result in the assessment of penalties as well as suspension or revocation of their licenses.
- All remediating parties must use the services of an LSRP in New Jersey, and may proceed with environmental cleanup at their site without NJDEP approval.
- An affirmative obligation now exists on persons to remediate any discharge for which they would be liable pursuant to the Spill Compensation and Control Act. As such, the voluntary cleanup program which utilized Memoranda of Agreement (MOAs) no longer exists.
- The NJDEP established mandatory remediation timeframes for the completion of key phases of site remediation.
- The NJDEP is required to maintain direct Department oversight in cases in which the remediating party is recalcitrant in conducting timely environmental cleanup and for those sites that pose the greatest risk to human health and the environment.
- The NJDEP is authorized to establish presumptive remedies for residential development, schools, and childcare facilities.
Responsibilities of An LSRP in New Jersey
The Site Remediation Professional Licensing Board (LSRP Licensing Board), places responsibility to uphold the code of conduct established by the Board directly on the LSRP. The highest priority of a New Jersey LSRP in the performance of professional services is the protection of public health and safety and the environment.
LSRPs in NJ have responsibility for oversight of environmental investigation and cleanup. While the SRRA changes the process of how sites are remediated, it continues to ensure the same stringent standards required for environmental cleanup remain intact. The NJDEP retains significant authority over the remediation process, and ensures that LSRPs comply with all applicable regulations; however, the day-to-day management of site remediation and environmental cleanup will be overseen by LSRPs.
New Jersey LSRPs & Due Diligence
As detailed within the SRRA, New Jersey LSRPs are subject to a strict code of conduct, thereby ensuring the LSRP profession is established with the rigor and validity that goes hand-in-hand with other service professions on which the public relies for specialized expertise.
One unique aspect of the SRRA is that it addresses certain reporting situations that arise when an LSRP in New Jersey is performing work on behalf of his/her client. This includes requiring an LSRP to report Immediate Environmental Concerns (IECs) to the NJDEP should one be identified during the course of work, whether it is conducted for regulatory purposes or due diligence purposes on behalf of an owner or prospective purchaser. In addition, for those sites where an LSRP identifies a "reportable discharge of hazardous substances", the LSRP must notify the NJDEP if the discharge is not reported by the owner or operator of the site.
These and other code of conduct obligations are important considerations when engaging an LSRP in New Jersey, including engagements to perform Due Diligence.
The New Jersey LSRP You Need
If you need an LSRP in New Jersey, ask us first. Firstech is one of the state’s top environmental remediation companies, and can answer all your questions.
LSRP-Related Terminology
- LSRP: Licensed Site Remediation Professional
- LSRPA: Licensed Site Remediation Professional Association
- SRPLB: Licensed Site Remediation Professional Licensing Board
- SRRA: (NJ) Site Remediation Reform Act
- NFA: No Further Action (letter)
- RAO: Response Action Outcome (letter; replaces NFA letter)
