Within the next month, NJDEP will be sending letters to responsible parties providing them with the draft Remedial Priority Score (RPS) for their site. As part of the Site Remediation Reform Act (SRRA) passed in May 2009, NJDEP is required to establish a system creating categories to rank active sites (under NJDEP or LSRP oversight) on their potential risk to human health and the environment, length of time undergoing cleanup, economic impact on the municipality and surrounding properties, and other relevant factors. The RPS is intended to represent site conditions, contaminant pathways, and potential receptors based on available data to understand a broad scientific understanding of site risk. What is important is sites will have 60 days to submit new information to have their scores recalculated before this information goes public.

Some sites (homeowners, unregulated heating oil tank cases, sites with ongoing O&M, child care facilities, etc.) are excluded from this process. It is important to note that this RPS is a model for measuring the potential receptor risk of a site and ability to change it; as with all models, is only as good as the data on record with NJDEP.

NJDEP will utilize Geographic Information System (GIS) tools, multiple geographic data bases, information from NJ's Environmental Management System (NJEMS), the Known Contaminated Sites List (KCSL), and other site-specific sampling data (ground water) from HazSite data disks to assess the threat factor and receptor score.

Sites will be ranked between one (lowest) and five (highest). As the tier increases, the contamination threat also increases in terms of migration and potential health impacts. Sites in the early phases may be initially assessed a Tier 1 rank.

NJDEP has not released how it will specifically use this ranking. It is a tool to sort sites for further consideration. They may evaluate the information to determine which sites will be investigated/remediated using NJDEP funds or which sites will eventually find their way into direct oversight. The ranking system was included in the new requirements for the NJDEP to develop and maintain a database of information concerning each site that identifies the treatment of the site, the status of remediation, the contaminants of concern, and whatever institutional or engineering controls are in use at the site. Public access to these reports will be provided.

To discuss the potential RPS for your property contact Al Moffit at 800-969-3159 x144 or Al.Moffit@ewma.com. Mr. Moffit is with EWMA's Headquarters Office in Parsippany, NJ. He specializes in environmental assessments and remediation.

Reference: NJSA 58:10-23.16

NJDEP Remedial Priority Score