Division of Enforcement & Financial Operations

The Division of Enforcement, Technical and Financial Support has been charged with providing consistent, reliable assistance to the Program’s lead Division of Remediation Management. All issues dealing with enforcement actions, financial matters or hazardous site science are housed in this Division. The specific functions and responsibilities of the Enforcement and Information Support, Financial Services and Hazardous Site Science Elements and the Bureaus within those Elements are presented herein.

Enforcement & Information Support Element

This element is comprised of Bureau of Case Assignment & Initial Notice, Bureau of Enforcement & Investigations, and Bureau of Information Systems. The element is responsible for three main distinct program functions with the program. These areas include overseeing compliance and enforcement for all remediation activities, administrative processing of document submissions for new and existing remediation cases and management of the information technology necessary to track case activity and support the web-based flow of information and data.

While the nature of these functions varies, the coordination among these activities within the element is critical to the overall success of the LSRP Program. The nature of these responsibilities directly relates to the flow and processing of information upon which all Contaminated Site Remediation & Redevelopment (CSRR) rely. Having both the information technology responsibilities along with case processing allows for the close coordination of efforts to manage and implement transformation and streamlining opportunities. In addition, since compliance and enforcement activities are strongly linked to data quality, managing both the volume of data and methods of data acquisition within the same element provides an opportunity to identify data concerns and implement corrective actions.

Bureau of Enforcement & Investigations

This bureau is responsible for ensuring compliance with all site remediation laws including the Spill Compensation and Control Act, the Site Remediation Reform Act, the Underground Storage of Hazardous Substances Act and the Industrial Site Recovery Act and enforcing against all parties that have an obligation to comply. The Site Remediation Reform Act includes key requirements that parties meet specific milestones related to investigating and remediating known and suspected contaminated sites. These requirements include hiring licensed site remediation professionals and meeting time frames to insure timely remedial activities. Through a variety of functions, the bureau tracks compliance for the Site Remediation Program.

Other responsibilities include compliance assistance, DEP’s New Jersey Environmental Management System (NJEMS), data corrections/updating, preparing and issuing enforcement documents in response to site remediation violations, negotiating and preparing settlement agreements and providing support to the Division of Law for enforcing direct oversight, cost recovery and natural resource damages (NRD) litigation, bankruptcy proceedings involving contaminated sites and for hearings held before the Office of Administrative Law. The bureau is also responsible for identifying, locating and linking responsible parties to contaminated sites via responsible party searches and by requesting the collection of samples for unknown source investigations.

For more information, please visit CSRR Enforcement.

Bureau of Case Assignment & Initial Notice

This bureau is comprised of the Office of Community Relations and several units responsible for the processing of sites subject to site remediation obligations, the data management of all related document submissions for those sites and subsequent review and/or distribution to other key program areas. All data and actions are data managed in NJEMS in accordance with all SOPs and Procedures.

This work includes evaluating all site remediation related incidents called into the Department’s Hotline and processing all mail, reports, forms and checks received from Licensed Site Remediation Professionals or responsible parties and related compliance assistance activities. The bureau also processes and/or reviews submissions made in compliance with the Industrial Site Recovery Act (ISRA) including General Information Submissions, de minimis quantity exemptions and limited conveyances. For sites subject to the Underground Storage of Hazardous Substances Act, they manage the UST Registration and Billing functions, processes UST closures and issues permits for UST installations and repairs. Reports related to Immediate Environmental Concern and Unregulated Heating Oil Tank (UHOT) cases are data entered and transferred for review.

Office of Community Relations

This office performs outreach and information sharing, including public information bulletins, public meetings, and on-site assistance with field work related to IECs for potable well and vapor intrusion cases and re-evaluation cases. They organize and participate in public and stakeholder meetings, training, workshops and conferences to encourage understanding and involvement in site remediation issues. This office also provides guidance, support and information relating to new rules and legislation, conducts required public notification activities for publicly funded site remediation projects and reviews submittals for compliance with public notification requirements for responsible party cleanups.

This office also responsible for the management of the Technical Assistance Grant Program, internal staff and external training efforts, SRP referrals, the SRP General Questions telephone line and responds to the all SRP Ask DEP inquiries. For more information, please visit Community Relations.

Office of Data Quality

This office conducts data validation of analytical results associated with potable water samples, vapor intrusion samples, and other samples associated with IECs or other high risk sites. They define, coordinate and implement the program’s quality system activities as they pertain to the DEP’s Quality Management Plan, provide QA/QC support on traditional oversight cases as well as to SRP reviewers/inspectors. This group also participates in regulation and guidance document development, and training.

Financial Services Element

Provides fiscal, procurement and contract administration support to the Site Remediation Program.

Fund Management

This section is responsible for administration of the Petroleum Underground Storage Tank Remediation, Upgrade & Closure Fund (UST Fund), a grant and loan program for leaking underground storage tanks, as well as the Spill Compensation & Control Fund (Spill Fund) Claims program, an environmental damage claims program.

Bureau of Fiscal Support & Contract Administration

This section is responsible for all SRP fiscal support including budget preparation, funding establishment, general program procurement, State contractor invoice review and payment, as well as contract administration for all remediation contracts utilized by SRP through the Publicly Funded Cleanup program.

Bureau of Information Systems

This bureau provides information technology support to CSRR by overseeing information planning, data access and data sharing. This involves use of NJEMS, COMPASS and NJGeoWeb system design and implementation in partnership with the Division of Information Technology. In addition, they facilitate data development through coordination of manual data entry, electronic reporting by the regulated community and GIS data production. The bureau is responsible for making available electronic and hardcopy data products and documents to support the program and in response to the state’s Open Public Records Act and the Federal Freedom of Information Act. Additional responsibilities include web design and development for CSRR web pages and DEP’s Stakeholder web page, purchasing for Site Remediation Program, graphic unit support and map productions.

Direct Billing & Cost Recovery Section

This section is responsible for billing and collection of SRP remedial oversight costs and LSRP fees, as well as recovery of funds spent by State remediation contractors for work overseen by the Publicly Funded Cleanup program.

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