Staying current with environmental law developments is essential for businesses and property owners operating in regulated industries or managing assets with environmental compliance obligations. Regulations change, court decisions interpret existing requirements in new ways, and agency guidance evolves in ways that affect what regulated parties must do and how quickly they must act. Periodic updates from attorneys who track these developments closely help clients anticipate change rather than react to it.
Mandelbaum Barrett PC’s environmental law practice group publishes periodic bulletins to keep clients and contacts informed of significant developments in federal and New Jersey environmental law. The June 2017 Environmental Law Bulletin covered regulatory and legal developments relevant to the firm’s clients and to businesses operating in regulated sectors throughout the region. The firm’s environmental law and corporate law attorneys work with clients across New Jersey and New York on environmental compliance, permitting, real estate transactions with environmental components, and regulatory matters.
The Role of Environmental Law Client Bulletins
Environmental law touches virtually every industry and most categories of commercial and industrial real property. Compliance requirements — from air and water quality standards to hazardous substance management and site remediation obligations — evolve continuously as agencies issue new regulations, revise existing guidance, and respond to scientific and policy developments. For businesses with significant environmental compliance obligations, keeping up with these changes is an ongoing necessity.
Periodic client bulletins allow environmental law attorneys to synthesize the most significant developments from a given period and explain their practical implications for regulated businesses and property owners. These communications reflect the monitoring work the practice group performs continuously — tracking regulatory changes, guidance documents, enforcement trends, and significant court decisions that affect clients’ rights and obligations.
New Jersey Environmental Regulatory Context
New Jersey has one of the most comprehensive state environmental regulatory programs in the country. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection administers programs covering water quality, air quality, hazardous waste management, site remediation, and environmental review of development projects. New Jersey’s Industrial Site Recovery Act and related regulations create particular compliance and disclosure obligations for businesses involved in the sale or closure of industrial sites.
According to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, regulated parties have ongoing obligations to monitor and comply with state environmental requirements. The NJDEP provides regulatory guidance, compliance assistance, and enforcement resources to support those obligations, and the agency regularly issues guidance updates and permit modifications that affect regulated industries.
Environmental Compliance in Business Transactions
Environmental compliance is also a critical component of commercial and industrial real estate transactions. Buyers, sellers, and lenders involved in transactions affecting properties with a history of industrial use must understand the environmental history and current compliance status of those properties before closing. Environmental due diligence, including Phase I and Phase II environmental site assessments, regulatory database reviews, and compliance audits, is standard practice in transactions involving properties with any potential environmental exposure.
Contact Mandelbaum Barrett PC for Environmental Law Guidance
If your business has environmental compliance obligations, is involved in a transaction with environmental components, or needs guidance on New Jersey or federal environmental law requirements, the environmental law team at Mandelbaum Barrett PC is here to help.
Reach out through our contact page to speak with our team. We are here to help you understand and manage your environmental compliance obligations effectively.