Transit-oriented redevelopments are an important part of smart growth, spurring economic growth and creating communities centered around high- quality train systems. Today’s commercial real estate market – particularly in New Jersey and New York – is largely influenced by environmental concerns. The sites on which these projects are built often require a remediation strategy to address contamination before redevelopment can continue.
These properties are designated as brownfield sites, where redevelopment/reuse has not previously occurred due to the potential presence of pollution in buildings, soil, or groundwater. In New Jersey, the developer becomes liable for any contamination at the property that is discoverable pre-purchase. In New York, developers can qualify for liability exemptions by participating in the Brownfields Cleanup Program (BCP), which requires a purchaser to perform an environmental assessment before purchase. Either way, site cleanup needs to be performed quickly and must meet vital remediation standards.
Atlantic Environmental Solutions Inc. (AESI) specializes in the regulatory, technical, and management aspects of environmental issues, and has successfully returned dozens of contaminated properties.
“In some instances, the developer and the community are removing a factory, an auto salvage yard or a petroleum distribution facility where contaminants may include chemicals used by those operators. In other cases, the prior use might have been a strip center, or a row of multiple single-parcel buildings partially comprised of problematic uses such as dry cleaners, gas stations or auto repair shops,” says Michael Novak, LSRP and President of AESI.
AESI was involved in the remediation of an 8-acre parcel of land in Monmouth County, the site of three former industrial factories.
“In this case we found multiple types of contamination related to the historic industrial uses of these properties,” says Novak. “Soil and ground water remediation was performed successfully and today this project is limited to annual ground water monitoring.”
In western Morris County, AESI performed the remediation of a 7-acre, 160-unit rental community. The former manufacturing property posed multiple complex challenges. A preliminary assessment was performed, where wetlands that require protection were delineated. Soil remediation and delineation of the wetlands were completed within one year. Groundwater was also remediated to trace levels of contamination.
To date, AESI has issued 148 RAOs (Response Action Outcomes), many of which involve the transformation of abandoned or underutilized industrial properties into functional facilities that help New Jersey’s economy and provide tax benefits to their respective communities.
