Earn New Jersey Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Credits With GZA!

GZA offers several NJ CLE-accredited presentations on environmental and engineering topics to help partners expand their knowledge and apply to their legal work. These complimentary individual one-hour presentations—which may be presented remotely or made in your office during lunchtime or another time convenient to you—include: 
 

The Basics of ASTM Phase I Environmental Site Assessments

This presentation focuses on the details and components of ASTM Standard 1527, “Environmental Site Assessments for Commercial Real Estate.” The presentation includes the history of the development of the standard, a review of the information sources needed to construct a site history, a review of environmental information provided by a professional database search company, and a slide presentation of building features of environmental concern that often lead to a release to the environment.

Contract to Closure: Probabilistic Cost Estimating

Uncertainties in valuing environmental liabilities can often stand in the way of otherwise sound business transactions. Fixed-price remediation options, such as GZA’s Contract to Closure program, can reduce those uncertainties and facilitate the transactions. The presentation includes a description of how GZA values uncertainty under this program and develops pricing that pragmatically accounts for potential risk.

Current Practice of Green Remediation

The practice of considering all environmental effects of remedy implementation and incorporating options to maximize net environmental benefits of cleanup actions is known as green, or sustainable, remediation.  Over the past ten years these remediation practices have evolved from a qualitative best management practice to a quantitative portion of the Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study Process. Federal, state, and local agencies now require that remedial alternatives be evaluated based on sustainable principles. This presentation will focus on the fundamentals of green remediation, GZA’s Green Remediation Program, a tiered approach to green remediation, and a case study of how to calculate green metrics.

Legacy Hazardous Materials in Active Facilities

Many facility owners are unaware of the presence of hazardous materials under their own roofs, especially before critical construction, demolition, or renovation projects get underway.  Surprises are also common during real estate transactions.  This presentation provides an overview of the potential types of legacy hazardous materials that may be present and their locations.   The focus is industrial facilities, but these materials may also be present in other types of facilities.  

Land Use Law and Threatened and Endangered (T&E) Species

Rules and regulations relevant to land use law and T&E species differ from region to region within the state of New Jersey, and this presentation will help clarify the regulatory environment.  Through case studies of rare species, the presenter will compare the Highlands and Pinelands preservation acts. In addition, he will address coastal regulations versus inland wetlands regulations pertaining to land use law and T&E species.

High-Resolution Site Characterization (HRSC)

Recent advancements in site characterization technologies have enabled us to evaluate contaminant distribution at scales consistent with geological heterogeneities. This capability, in turn, makes it possible to identify and address data gaps, reduce uncertainty, provide faster and more effective characterization, and design more efficient and effective remedies. This presentation will focus on the fundamentals of High-Resolution Site Characterization (HRSC), the concepts of mass flux, the HRSC tool kit, and optimization of remedial approaches.

Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs), the New Lead Paint?

There is a great deal of knowledge and experience in the environmental, building services, and demolition industry regarding lead paint. However, many practitioners and property owners are not aware of the potential risks and prevalence of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in building materials -- especially paint. This presentation will provide an overview of what we know about PCBs in paint and how common it may be, as well as the current regulatory landscape - which was recently updated with the EPA's release of new guidance in May 2021.  A brief review of Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) regulations and implications will be covered.  

Emerging Contaminants

Recently, a generic class of chemical compounds referred to as “emerging contaminants” has drawn increased attention from regulators. This presentation will discuss two emerging contaminants -- 1,4-dioxane, and the family of compounds known collectively as PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) – and investigation and remediation approaches available to address these complicated compounds which, if present, are not effectively treated using conventional technologies.

Dam Safety Considerations

This presentation provides an overview of dam types and classifications as well as related regulatory and safety issues.

Case studies, providing details on land use and permitting, as well as typical dam deficiencies and related repair costs, will be shared.

Perimeter Air Monitoring (PAM)

In late 2021, the NJDEP is expected to release a new guidance document on the topic of "perimeter air monitoring" (PAM).  This talk will discuss the fundamentals of PAM as well as related risk management issues.  Because the draft PAM guidance document has not been released yet, the presenters will not speculate what will be in it.  However, the fundamentals of PAM are not difficult to understand and thus the talk described above should be very close to what is likely to be issued.

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