The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) recently announced that it had added approximately 1,950 sites to its Environmental Site Remediation Database Search database of sites that are subject to one of the agency’s remedial programs. The NYSDEC said it was adding these additional sites to facilitate real estate transactions and address the rising number of requests from the public for information about possible environmental contamination.
Previously, the NYSDEC searchable database contained summary information on on approximately 2,500 sites that were subject to one of the NYSDEC remedial programs such as the Brownfield Cleanup Programs (BCP), the Voluntary Cleanup Program (VCP), Environmental Response Program (ERP) for municipal sites, the Oil Spill Response Program (Spill Program) as well as sites on the Registry of Inactive Hazardous Waste Disposal Sites” (commonly referred to as the list of State Superfund Sites). The newly added 1,950 sites include three site classification types: Class P, Class PR, and Class N.
The “P” classification is used for are properties that the NYSDEC is considering placing on the Registry because preliminary information indicates that a site may have contaminated at levels that could warrant listing on the Registry. Generally, to qualify for placement on the Registry, there must be evidence that hazardous waste was disposed on the site and that any resulting contamination presents a significant threat (or reasonably foreseeable threat) to public health or the environment. If a site is found to present a significant threat, the NYSDEC may place the site on the Registry as a “Class 2” site unless a party agrees to implement remedial actions pursuant to an oversight document. Class P sites require information and/or investigation to if the property qualifies for listing of the site on the Registry. This contrasts to Class 3 Registry sites where NYSDEC has determined that contamination does not presently and is not reasonably foreseeable to constitute a significant threat to public health or the environment. A Class 3 designation is not used for sites where insufficient data is available to make a definitive decision concerning significant threat. Many Class P sites do not end up being listed on the Registry. Sites that do not qualify for Registry listing are typically then reclassified on the database as a “Class N” (No Further Action At This Time) site. In making information available about Class P sites, the NYSDEC emphasized that the information provided for a Class P site is preliminary in nature and unverified and that NYSDEC has not yet completed its investigation. Due to the preliminary nature of this information, NYSDEC said that significant conclusions or decisions should not be based solely upon these summaries.
Class PR sites (Potential RCRA Corrective Action) are sites that are, or have been, subject to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) program because hazardous wastes are or have been actively managed. These sites may have been contaminated if hazardous wastes were improperly stored, treated, or disposed. Similar to a Class P site, Class PR sites are investigated and reviewed to determine if RCRA corrective action is necessary. If so, remediation is carried out under a RCRA permit, order, or other legal mechanism.
The last category of sites that have been added to the Remediation Site Database are Class N sites. Many Class N sites were investigated decades ago before NYSDEC had an online database to store site information. This category can former Class P site where NYSDEC determined that contamination did not warrant placing the site on the Registry or it is being addressed under a brownfield program. Other Class N sites may include BCP, ERP or VCP sites where an application to participate was submitted but was either withdrawn or did not proceed because it did not qualify for the program. Other Class N sites include those where work was began under the brownfield program or voluntary cleanup program but work was not completed for lack of funding or some other reason.
Prior to 2013, information about Class P, PR, and N sites was usually only available by filing a Freedom of Information Law. In now making the information, NYSDEC cautions users that the information should be used with caution and should not be used to form conclusions about site contamination beyond what the definition of the classification provides.
Finally, another important category is the Class A (Active) site. This classification has been used for sites in the BCP where the work halted for economic reasons and the contamination qualifies for placement on the Registry. If a new party proposes to re-enroll the site in the BCP or other remedial program, the NYSDEC can reclassify the site to Class A (active) to indicate that work has recommenced as a non-registry site. This classification has also been used for Manufactured Gas Plant sites or those being remediated under an EPA Cooperative Agreement.
The newly added sites will make it easier to perform environmental due diligence as well as help developers identify potential brownfield sites. However, owners of Class P sites may be concerned that there properties may become stigmatized by the incomplete information about the extent of the contamination at their sites.
The NYSDEC Environmental Remediation Site Database Search is available at: http://www.dec.ny.gov/cfmx/extapps/derexternal/index.cfm?pageid=3. The Petroleum Spills database is available at: http://www.dec.ny.gov/cfmx/extapps/derexternal/index.cfm?pageid=2