[EXTERNAL]: January 3, 2022 winter storm preparedness

In anticipation of the winter storm impacting New Jersey today (Monday, January 3), those responsible for contaminated sites should evaluate any remediation cases for which they are responsible to ensure that they are as ready as practicable for this storm. It should be noted that there is a possibility for another storm later this week (Thursday night into Friday).

The primary hazard for much of our area for today's storm is snow and strong winds, including the potential for gale force winds in some areas. There is the possibility of flooding along coastal areas, including flash flooding.

This includes securing the site for the high winds and possible loss of power to remediation systems.

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) previously published the "Important Information About Vapor Mitigation Systems And Power Outages" fact sheet, available at: www.nj.gov/dep/srp/guidance/vaporintrusion/vapor_mit_sys_and_power_outages.pdf. NJDEP recommends that remediating parties distribute this fact sheet to property owners with subsurface depressurization systems prior to weather events that may cause power outages, as necessary.

Whether you are the person responsible for conducting the remediation or the Licensed Site Remediation Professional (LSRP) retained, all efforts should be made to prevent new discharges at your site and to maintain active remediation systems. Any discharges of hazardous substances are required to be reported to the DEP Hotline at 1-877-WARN-DEP (1-877-927-6337).

Subsequent to the storm, all sites should be re-evaluated to determine if any immediate environmental concerns needing action arose and whether site conditions changed, requiring re-evaluation of impacts to receptors.

Please refer to the "Planning for and Response to Catastrophic Events at Contaminated Sites" technical guidance (www.nj.gov/dep/srp/guidance/#catastrophic_events) for additional information regarding preparing for and responding to potential impacts from this storm.

For topic-specific questions regarding site remediation, please refer to the SRP contact list, available at www.nj.gov/dep/srp/srra/srra_contacts.htm.

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection is dedicated to protecting New Jersey's environment and public health. The agency prioritizes addressing climate change, protecting New Jersey's water, revitalizing its communities and managing and promoting its natural and historic resources.

For the most recent information, follow the DEP on Twitter @NewJerseyDEP, Facebook @newjerseydep, Instagram @nj.dep, and LinkedIn @newjerseydep, or visit www.nj.gov/dep.