[SRRA] DEP Announces 2nd Round of Technical Guidance Development

DEP announces the start of a 2nd round of Technical Guidance development

Background:
On Wednesday May 30th, 2012, a SRRA Listserv message was issued to announce the start of a 2nd round of Technical Guidance development. Stakeholders were invited to submit ideas on new guidance topics by June 18, 2012 and to attend a meeting held on June 20th, 2012 to discuss the topics. Approximately 30 topics were submitted for consideration from Stakeholders and NJDEP staff. These topics were evaluated and discussed during three meetings held on June 20th, July 19th and August 8th at NJDEP offices in Trenton. DEP staff and outside Stakeholders participated in all three meetings.

Topics appropriate for Technical Guidance development must be technical issues where guidance is needed. Topics cannot be policy issues or issues that require a change in statute or rule. In addition, the scope of the topic must be focused so that guidance development is reasonably achievable. During the August 8, 2012 meeting, six topics were selected to move forward for Technical Guidance Development. These topics are:

1. Off-site source (investigating/documenting)
   • Guidance will address all media and focus on approaches and information needed to adequately document off-site impact
2. Co-Mingled Ground Water Plumes
   • Guidance will focus on new technical approaches for ground water characterization, plume forensics and fate and transport. It will not address policy or litigation issues.
3. Historic Pesticide Use
   • Guidance will focus on sampling approaches and blending techniques to mitigate historic pesticide contamination. Document will not address policy issues.
4. Capping
   • Guidance will focus on technical considerations and options for cap selection and installation. This will also include capping recommendations in Presumptive Remedy Guidance. Document will not address policy or risk related issues.
5. Performance monitoring of in-situ ground water remedial actions
   • Guidance will focus on issues related to performance monitoring of in-situ GW remedial actions and identify needed components of a Permit-by-Rule application.
6. Evaluation of contaminated ground water discharge to surface water
   • Guidance will focus on new advances in GW/SW investigation and sampling approaches and the understanding of GW discharges to SW bodies.

Technical Guidance Committees will be formed to develop guidance on the above topics. Committees will be limited to 3-5 DEP staff and 5-7 Stakeholders and they will be Chaired by a NJDEP staff person. Committees typically meet every other week and conference call/web conferencing is available for most meetings so members do not always need to travel to Trenton to participate. Due to the limited membership, it is important that each committee have a good mix of regulatory perspective, technical expertise and practical application. Any individual who is interested in participating on a Technical Guidance Committee is invited to email a statement of interest by Wednesday August 29th, 2012 to George Nicholas (DEP/SRP Technical Guidance Lead) at George.Nicholas@dep.nj.gov. This statement should identify the committee of interest, confirm they have the time to invest in the process and see it through (please document management approval, if applicable), and outline qualifications and expertise in the guidance topic area. Statements of interest will be reviewed by DEP and committee members will be appointed to the six Technical Guidance Committees at the next scheduled meeting, which is September 5th, 2012 from 2:00-4:00 (DEP 1st floor Public Hearing Room).

SRP Site Remediation Reform Act (SRRA) Web site: https://www.nj.gov/dep/srp/srra/