NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION (NJDEP) Commissioner Bob Martin has been a driving force for change in how the NJDEP and the business community work together.
“This year we are completing our second round of customer service training to build on the success of the first round,” explains Commissioner Martin. “Transformation at the NJDEP continues every day, even six-and-a-half years later.”
In addition to implementing customer service initiatives inside the NJDEP, he has supported stakeholder involvement in the remediation of contaminated sites through his support of New Jersey’s Licensed Site Remediation Professional (LSRP) Program. LSRPs have been successful in speeding up site cleanups Governor Chris Christie and Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno hold a cabinet meeting at the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Management in Bayville and reducing case backlogs at the NJDEP, and more progress is expected as the program matures in the years ahead.
Ira Gottlieb, McCarter & English, LLP
After a facility inspection by state and federal agencies found that ultra-hazardous wastes may have been mishandled, we assisted our client with a response to an anticipated RCRA Notice of Violation (NOV). The NOV could have resulted in substantial penalties. We collaborated with our client to investigate, identify issues and recommend ways to better handle, classify and properly dispose of wastes. We also helped create a training program, including written materials and a webinar. Upon receipt of the NOV, our client was able to provide a thorough explanation with concrete examples of how it had addressed and mitigated alleged violations. We also took a global approach to problem solving to ensure that the situation was addressed not only at the facility in question, but also at other facilities. Having taken these proactive steps, the company was found not to be in violation of regulations and was not penalized.