DEQ Soil and Land Contamination 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is a 'brownfield' site in the context of DEQ land contamination programs?
- Any agricultural land that has been converted to industrial use
- A real property whose expansion, redevelopment, or reuse may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of hazardous substances or pollutants (Correct answer)
- Land designated as a National Priority List Superfund site
- Any property that has failed a Phase I environmental site assessment
Correct answer: A real property whose expansion, redevelopment, or reuse may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of hazardous substances or pollutants
A brownfield is a property where real or perceived contamination complicates redevelopment, and DEQ brownfield programs provide liability protections and cleanup assistance to encourage productive reuse.
Question 2: What is a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) designed to identify?
- The precise concentration of contaminants in soil and groundwater through laboratory sampling
- Recognized Environmental Conditions (RECs) — evidence of historical or current releases of hazardous substances through records review, interviews, and site reconnaissance (Correct answer)
- The cost of cleaning up a contaminated property to residential standards
- Whether a property qualifies for the National Priorities List under CERCLA
Correct answer: Recognized Environmental Conditions (RECs) — evidence of historical or current releases of hazardous substances through records review, interviews, and site reconnaissance
A Phase I ESA is a non-invasive investigation that identifies recognized environmental conditions through document review and site observation without collecting samples.
Question 3: What contaminant class is most commonly associated with underground storage tank (UST) leaks that the DEQ regulates?
- Heavy metals from industrial plating operations
- Petroleum hydrocarbons, including gasoline and diesel fuel (Correct answer)
- Chlorinated solvents from dry cleaning operations
- Pesticides from agricultural operations
Correct answer: Petroleum hydrocarbons, including gasoline and diesel fuel
Leaking USTs at gas stations and commercial facilities are a major source of petroleum hydrocarbon contamination in soil and groundwater, regulated under both RCRA and state UST programs.
Question 4: What is 'natural attenuation' as a remediation strategy for contaminated soil and groundwater?
- Physical excavation and removal of contaminated soil for off-site disposal
- Reliance on natural physical, chemical, and biological processes to reduce contaminant concentrations without active intervention (Correct answer)
- Chemical injection to neutralize contaminants in the subsurface
- Pumping and treating groundwater above ground before reinjecting it
Correct answer: Reliance on natural physical, chemical, and biological processes to reduce contaminant concentrations without active intervention
Monitored natural attenuation relies on naturally occurring processes such as biodegradation, dilution, and sorption to reduce contaminant concentrations over time, while monitoring confirms the site is progressing toward cleanup goals.
Question 5: What is the purpose of a 'deed restriction' or 'institutional control' on a contaminated property?
- To permanently prevent any human activity on contaminated land
- To limit land use or activities at a site to protect human health when residual contamination remains after cleanup (Correct answer)
- To assign cleanup liability to future property purchasers
- To qualify a site for CERCLA removal funding from the federal government
Correct answer: To limit land use or activities at a site to protect human health when residual contamination remains after cleanup
Institutional controls like deed restrictions limit land use (e.g., prohibiting residential use or groundwater extraction) to protect human health when cleanup leaves residual contamination in place.
Question 6: What triggers a 'voluntary cleanup program' (VCP) application to the DEQ?
- A regulatory order from the DEQ requiring a property owner to begin cleanup immediately
- A property owner or prospective purchaser choosing to voluntarily assess and remediate contamination in exchange for liability protection (Correct answer)
- A citizen petition requesting state intervention at a contaminated site
- A CERCLA enforcement order from the EPA requiring state participation in cleanup
Correct answer: A property owner or prospective purchaser choosing to voluntarily assess and remediate contamination in exchange for liability protection
VCPs allow willing parties to voluntarily address contamination under DEQ oversight in exchange for liability protection such as a 'no further action' letter or covenant not to sue.
DEQ Soil and Land Contamination 1
What is a 'brownfield' site in the context of DEQ land contamination programs?