"This bill will help identify and remediate educational facilities located on environmentally high-risk sites," Corzine said in signing the legislation. "This puts New Jersey at the forefront nationally in protecting children from environmental contaminants."
The state defines high-risk sites as those used for industrial, storage or high-hazard purposes, as well as those already known or suspected to be contaminated. Besides heavy industrial usage, that could mean everything from a gas station, to a dry-cleaning facility, or even a nail salon.
Under the new law, if a childcare or educational facility on such a site applies for a building permit, it must meet two sets of criteria. First, it must get certification for indoor environmental quality from the state's Department of Health and Senior Services. And second, it must be demonstrated that the site has been remediated to state DEP standards, including obtaining a "no further action" letter.
The new law spells out penalties ranging up to $50,000 per day for violations of the certification process. It also provides the New Jersey DEP with a broader range of penalty-enforcement options and requires industrial facilities to alert local communities when a facility closes or changes ownership or operations.
© Arc, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to TMSalesOperations@arc-network.com. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.