Remediation & Brownfields — Page 3
214 expert articles on remediation & brownfields from Envicon Group's NY and NJ environmental engineers.
NJDEP Historic Fill Investigation in Jersey City and Newark: Sampling, Soil Management, and Reuse
A suspected historic fill layer can change the cost, schedule, and regulatory path for a development project in Jersey City, Newark, Hudson County, Bergen County, or elsewhere in Northern New Jersey. The issue is not simply whether fill is present. You need to know what it contains, where it ends, how it may affect groundwater, […]
NY ‘Qualified Actions’ Explained: Faster Paths to Site Cleanup
New York’s Qualified Action pathway can remove a major procedural delay from certain housing projects: formal review under the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) and, in New York City, City Environmental Quality Review (CEQR). That can help a project move faster. But it does not eliminate environmental due diligence, hazardous materials controls, site remediation, […]
NYC OER and Environmental Justice: New Expectations for Site Cleanups
For NYC developers, property owners, and project teams, environmental justice is no longer a policy discussion that sits outside the cleanup plan. It now affects how you screen a site, evaluate future land use, design construction protections, communicate with nearby residents, and document the remedy. The technical cleanup standards have not been replaced with a […]
Phase I ESA 2026 Checklist: Every Document You Need Before Closing
A Phase I Environmental Site Assessment is more than a box to check before acquiring commercial real estate. It is one of the documents your lender, attorney, insurer, and investment committee may rely on before releasing capital. In 2026, the core standard remains ASTM E1527-21, which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recognizes as consistent with […]
NJDEP PFAS Final Rule: New Standards Changing NJ Site Cleanup
Published August 17, 2026, at 2:00 PM ET On June 15, 2026, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) adopted final remediation standards for four widely monitored PFAS compounds: PFNA, PFOA, PFOS, and GenX. The rule does more than add another table to a regulatory manual. It converts interim criteria into enforceable requirements under: […]
NYSDEC’s New DACAT Tool: What New York Developers Need to Know
Published August 17, 2026 at 2:00 PM ET New York developers now have another factor to account for during environmental review: the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Disadvantaged Community Assessment Tool, or DACAT. DACAT does not replace a Phase I ESA, Phase II investigation, SEQR review, or project-specific impact analysis. It does something […]
NYC OER E-Designation Removal: The Roadmap from (E) to Clean Title
An NYC E-designation can turn a promising development site into a financing problem. The designation appears in zoning records because a prior zoning action identified potential requirements related to hazardous materials, air quality, or noise. Until those requirements are addressed, your project may face delays with building permits, certificates of occupancy, lender approval, closing, or […]
Maria F. Cardenas Named to NYREJ 2026 Women in Commercial Real Estate Spotlight
Published August 26, 2026 Jersey City, NJ. The New York Real Estate Journal has named Maria F. Cardenas to its 2026 Women in Commercial Real Estate Spotlight, published in the journal's August 26 issue. Maria leads operations and people at Envicon. Her responsibility has grown well past the role she was hired into, and it […]
Phase I ESA Cost in NYC & NJ: What You’re Really Paying For in 2026
A Phase I ESA is often treated as a line item in a real estate budget. That’s a mistake. In New York City and New Jersey, the right Phase I Environmental Site Assessment can protect a closing, support lender approval, and give you a clear path to the next step. The wrong one can create […]
NYC OER Voluntary Cleanup Program: Turning Contaminated Sites Into Fundable Assets
A contaminated property in New York City doesn’t have to remain a liability on your balance sheet. With the right strategy, it can become a cleaner, more valuable, and more financeable development asset. The NYC Office of Environmental Remediation’s Voluntary Cleanup Program: commonly called the NYC OER VCP: offers more than a compliance pathway. It […]
Phase II Environmental Site Assessment NJ: Scope, Sampling, and Realistic Costs
A Phase II Environmental Site Assessment answers the question a Phase I ESA cannot: is contamination actually present, where is it located, and how could it affect your project? For developers, investors, contractors, and lenders in New Jersey, that answer directly affects acquisition decisions, financing, design, permitting, and construction risk. A poorly scoped investigation can […]
NJDEP’s New RAP System: Consolidated Permits, Electronic Filing, and What LSRPs Must Know
Effective February 17, 2026, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) changed how Remedial Action Permits are submitted, reviewed, modified, and maintained. The change is more than an updated form. NJDEP has moved to a consolidated RAP system that covers soil, groundwater, and indoor air. It also created five Focused RAP categories for qualifying […]