The Education Center

Starting a recycling business in New Jersey sounds like a great idea. After all, you're starting a new business, hiring employees, paying taxes, and doing something good for the environment!

But since this is New Jersey, you're also probably aware that you'll need some form of permit or approval from the NJDEP (New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection) to operate that recycling business. As you can imagine, it can be very confusing what type of permit or approval you'll need when it comes to opening a recycling center.

No Discharge on a DMR? Learn if you're putting yourself at risk.

Having a NPDES stormwater permit means having responsibilities, such as doing your regular stormwater sample reporting, usually via a Discharge Monitoring Report (DMR), which can be a very intimidating task. Particularly, now that electronic reporting is a requirement and is being implemented almost everywhere in the US.

The entire DMR process is now confusing, complicated, poorly functioning, full of "codes" and more headaches. So what should you do if you don't get a stormwater sample? If you're tempted to enter "NODI" or "no discharge" on that DMR, you should think twice.

Learn the difference between SPDES Permits and SWPPPs.

We get it. A lot of what we talk about is nothing but alphabet soup. SPCC Plans. Tier II CRTK Reporting. There's a lot of acronyms out there in the environmental world, and while I'm sure you're an expert in your own business, all these acronyms can get very confusing to people who aren't environmental professionals.

Hurricane Irma this past week was a natural disaster of huge proportions, resulting in numerous deaths and massive property destruction. While these impacts are in our mind as the most serious, we also need to consider the possibility of Irma's flooding and wind causing environmental impacts to Florida, and to the properties and homes of countless Floridians.

We explain when you need a Phase I ESA on vacant land.

When it comes to purchasing a Phase I ESA, there are many incorrect & preconceived notions which are incorrect with regards to what types of properties need environmental due diligence, mainly the incorrect notion that you don't need a Phase I ESA on vacant land. We occasionally hear things like "Phase I's are only for industrial facilities", or "you don't need a Phase I unless there was a dry cleaner nearby", both incorrect!

When it comes to recycling in New Jersey, many people are shocked to learn how tough it is to start a recycling business in New Jersey. From the costs associated with recycling in New Jersey to learning how long it takes to get a recycling permit or approval, many potential customers change their mind and head across the river to Pennsylvania or move up into New York, and I don't blame them!

Learn how long a Phase II Environmental Site Assessment is considered "good" for.

If you’re buying a property, or have one that you are considering selling, you probably have had a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment done at some point. It's pretty common for customers to ask us how long a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment is good for, or even what a Phase I ESA is.