EPA Report Released: Semiannual Report of UST Performance Measures Mid Fiscal Year 2013 (October 1, 2012 - March 31, 2013)

Recently, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), released a report titled, Semiannual Report of UST Performance Measures Mid Fiscal Year 2013 (October 1, 2012 - March 31, 2013) (2013). This 14-page report available here, authored by the Office of Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER) discusses the following,

EPA collects data from states and territories regarding [underground storage tank] UST performance measures. This data includes information such as the number of active and closed tanks, releases reported, cleanups initiated and completed, facilities in compliance with UST requirements, and inspections. The reports below provide data in table format for all states, territories, and Indian country for the reporting period indicated.

Previous reports from October 1987 to the present are available here.

Privatizing the Cleanup of Hazardous Sites: How the New Jersey Approach Transforms the Field

When New Jersey Governor Jon S. Corzine signed into law the Site Remediation Reform Act on May 6, he set in motion the long-awaited reform of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's site remediation program. This new law transforms how New Jersey manages the cleanup of its contaminated sites by authorizing the NJDEP to accept certifications of "licensed site remediation professionals," or "LSRPs," that a contaminated site has been adequately investigated and cleaned. Previously, NJDEP was directly responsible for the cleanup of contaminated sites.

New Jersey joins Connecticut and Massachusetts in allowing private outside contractors to supervise the remediation of contaminated sites. Other states are expected to look at the NJ law as a model for similar programs.