In a recent blog post, the Utah Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Division of Environmental Response and Remediation highlights its volunteer cleanup program (VCP), which promotes the remediation of contaminated sites through a streamlined process that encourages redevelopment and reuse. The agency described a case study in which a middle school unknowingly constructed atop an old mining canal impacted by arsenic. DEQ’s VCP allowed developers to clean up and safely build on the site.
The program allows for a risk-based approach to cleanup and results in the issuance of a Certificate of Completion, which provides a limited release of liability to qualified applicants. All non-treatment/storage/disposal facilities and non-National Priorities List sites are eligible for participation.
For more information on the VCP or other case studies illustrating how DEQ has resolved problems regarding contaminated sites in its state, see here.
