Creekside Environmental Consulting, LLC » Creekside Articles http://www.creeksideenvironmental.com Thu, 11 Jun 2009 17:19:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v= en hourly 1 Environmental Considerations for Working with Oregon Brownfields http://www.creeksideenvironmental.com/blog/oregon-brownfield-considerations.htm http://www.creeksideenvironmental.com/blog/oregon-brownfield-considerations.htm#comments Fri, 29 May 2009 18:05:46 +0000 Brent Jorgensen http://creekside.davidmihm.com/?p=1 Brownfield Cleanup & Remediation
Creekside has obtained over 30 “No Further Action” (NFA) Determinations for our clients in the last 6 years on properties that required environmental assessment and “clean closure.”  Below is an outline of a presentation we recently gave at Portland State University’s Hatfield School of Government.

Key Brownfield Legislation

Federal
American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009
“Small Business Liability Relief & Brownfields Revitalization Act”-2002

State (Oregon)
HB 3352 Recycled Lands Act, 1995
HB 3724 Provides Public Funding, 1997
Oregon Sustainability Exec. Order , 2000
PPA, Limits Purchaser Liability for cleanup

City (Portland)
Fed Grants: $400,000 for Assessment; $180,000 for Cleanup

American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009

$300 M – Emissions reduction
$100 M – Brownfields Cleanup
$600 M – HW Cleanup (Superfund Sites)
$200 M – Leaking USTs
$6 Billion – Water Quality / Wastewater Improvements

Brownfield Process

  • Interest in a Specific Site
  • Site Investigation
  • Reporting Contamination
  • Remedial Action Work Plan
  • Current & Future Land Use
  • Environmental Land Use Restriction
  • Soil Management Plan
  • Liability Protection

Site Interest

  • Community Benefit
  • Neighborhood Revitalization
  • Grant Money Available
  • Contamination is minimal
  • Profit

Site Investigation

  • Recognized Environmental Conditions & COPC
  • Operations: gas station, landfill, auto shop, steel mill, dry cleaner, ag plant, etc.
  • Features: ASTs, USTs , UICs, oil-water separators …
  • Agency Lists: Confirmed or suspected release (ECSI)
  • Offsite sources – air, groundwater, surface water
  • COPC – TPH, VOCs, PCBs, metals, pesticides, etc.

Reporting Contamination

  • Do contaminants exceed regulatory levels?
  • Seek legal opinion
  • Be accurate
  • Reporting deadlines
  • May change project direction

Remedial Action Work Plan

  • Health & safety
  • Strategy to resolve
  • Methods to be used
  • Implementation plan

GW / air monitoring

  • Quality Control
  • Schedule for completion

Cleanup Costs & Timeline

  • Removal Action ($25,000 – $10 Million)
  • Residual Risk Assessment ($5,000 – $100,000)
  • Soil Management Plan ($5,000 – $10,000)
  • GW Monitoring ($5,000 – $25,000 per yr)
  • Est. Cost: $40,000 – $10 M
  • Schedule: 3 months – 2 yrs

Land Use

  • Current
  • Planned
  • Allowed (City)
  • Restrictions / Cleanup
  • Deed restriction
  • EE&S (terms on deed)
  • Soil Management Plan
  • SW Management Plan

Soil Management Plan

  • Establishes protocol
  • Provides guidance
  • Outlines regulatory requirements
  • Minimize risk / exposure
  • Agency approved

Liability Protection

  • Small Business Liability Relief & Brownfields Revitalization Act – 2002
  • Purchasers Agreement
  • Due Diligence Required
  • Protects New Owners
  • Commitment to Cleanup

Who’s Responsible and Who Pays for Cleanup?

  • Current / Past Site Owners Operators
  • Insurance Companies
  • Suppliers
  • Future Developers
  • Tax Payers (State / Fed Agencies, Orphan Sites)
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