The current version of the budget bill (H.B. 64) contains language to create a gas station cleanup fund. The funding for this initiative is left over Clean Ohio money. It is estimated that $20 million in Clean Ohio funds were either unused or represent cost savings from completed projects.
Rather than redirect the
There has not been a lot of recent case law applying the CERCLA Bona Fide Purchaser Defense or Innocent Landowner Defense. Every time a new case emerges it is picked apart by the environmental bar trying to discern the value of the CERCLA defenses as well as pitfalls that will result in failure to establish
I interviewed Rob Snyder of the Fedeli Group. (click link to Rob’s contact information) Rob has more than 20 years of experience as a broker of environmental insurance. He has obtained everything from standard pollution liability insurance to brownfield insurance on highly complex cleanups. He has familiarity with all of the major carriers that
The Attorney General’s Office completed its review of compliance with job commitments the state received in exchange for various incentives. Here is the summary of its findings:
One of the issues that has prevented local governments from being more aggressive in addressing brownfields has been liability concerns associated with existing environmental contamination. Prior to 2009, some local governments learned the hard way that placing their name in the chain of title as an "owner" exposed the local government to liability under CERCLA
U.S. EPA has published in the Federal Register its action that removes the old Phase I standard (1527-05) from the "All Appropriate Inquiries" Rule (AAI). Until this action, AAI recognized both the old standard and the new standard- ASTM 1527-13.
The major differences between the old and new ASTM Phase I standard include:
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Last week, we hosted a very successful seminar covering commercial and industrial property redevelopment. I participated on a panel that included JobsOhio, the City of Cleveland and TeamNEO discussing brownfield redevelopment, in particular, incentives. A major focus of the discussions was the relatively new JobsOhio Revitalization Program.
I have worked with JobsOhio on
Phase I Environmental Assessments (Phase I ESA) are the first step in the environmental due diligence process. A Phase I ESA is a review of available information regarding a property to determine the possibility contamination may be present. The assessment includes a review of environmental databases, file reviews, interviews with regulators/property owners and a site
More than one environmental consultant has reported that Ohio EPA has changed its public records review procedures. Ohio EPA has centralized its document review process. It has developed a new public records request form that it asks any consultant requesting records to fill out (click here for the form).
After files are compiled
The federal government is the nation’s largest property owner. It holds over 900,000 buildings and structures totaling three billion square feet.
In 2010, the federal government spent more than 1.5 billion dollars to maintain approximately 77,000 underutilized and vacant properties. Another 14,000 properties are no longer used by the federal government and could be