In another significant development for the company, ERMI’s President, Steve Hilfiker, was elected to the Board of Directors of the Florida Ground Water Association on May 12. “I’m excited to be able to build on 27 years of experience leading industry associations to protect the quality and quantity of groundwater in Florida,” says Hilfiker. “With substantial population growth projected… Read More...
ERMI Announces New Tampa Office
Fort Myers, FL – In May, Environmental Risk Management (ERMI) opened a new Tampa office, at 5810 Breckenridge Parkway (Suite D). Professional Engineer Tim Terwilliger manages the office, which is staffed by project managers and field technicians and supported by administrative personnel at ERMI’s headquarters in Fort Myers. Mr. Terwilliger’s 20+ years of risk management… Read More...
ERMI Plays a Part in South Florida Brownfields Symposium
Earlier this month, ERMI’s Steve Hilfiker participated in the 6th annual South Florida Brownfields Symposium in Sebring. The conference focused on growth management planning for the State of Florida over the next 25 years, particularly as it relates to the redevelopment of “brownfields” (former industrial/commercial sites). Hilfiker was the moderator and a speaker on a “Transaction Risk Management” panel,… Read More...
Phase I ESAs: Helping the Buyer (and the Lender) Beware
One of the early stages in the purchase of a commercial property can ultimately prove to be one of the most critical: the Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA). The Phase I ESA is a general overview of the property’s environmental condition, and it is typically required in loan transactions. The reason the Phase I… Read More...
New Redevelopment Funding Bill Effective July 1, 2017
July 1st marks the beginning of the new Fiscal Year for the State of Florida. The refresh button will be hit over the weekend, resetting $115,000,000 in State funding allotted for the Petroleum Restoration Program (PRP). Funding for the PRP includes $15,000,000 for the Low-Scored Site Initiative (LSSI) and $30,000,000 for Advanced Cleanups on low-scored… Read More...
Understanding New Environmental Legislation, Part 5 of 5: PCPP provides yet another option for cleaning up petroleum-contaminated properties.
This last entry in my five-part series on new environmental laws spotlights Florida’s Petroleum Cleanup Participation Program (PCPP), a cost-sharing program in which the state provides 75% of cleanup funds for an authorized property. Under this year’s legislation, the former statutory application deadline of December 31, 1998 has been removed. This opens up the possibility… Read More...
Understanding New Environmental Legislation, Part 4 of 5: “Case Closed” — or is it?
What happens when the matter of contamination on a given property has officially been declared closed… but then additional contamination is discovered on that same property? The answer to that question has not been completely clear. A new clause added with 2016 legislation adds some clarity by stating that a property may still be eligible… Read More...
Understanding New Environmental Legislation, Part 3 of 5: New opportunities to clean up properties burdened by abandoned petroleum tanks.
Thanks to this year’s Florida Legislative Session, a door that’s been closed for 20 years has been reopened. The statutory application deadline for the Abandoned Tank Restoration Program (ATRP)—previously frozen at June 30, 1996—has been removed. This means the ATRP eligibility program (which provides 100% state funding with no cap, and has a $500 deductible… Read More...
Understanding New Environmental Legislation, Part 2 of 5: Advancements in the Advanced Cleanup Program
This is the second installment in my five-part series summarizing environmental highlights from the 2016 Florida Legislative Session. This session saw a significant expansion to Florida’s Advanced Cleanup Program (ACP), which is designed to provide remedial funding to address petroleum contamination in advance of priority order. It is an excellent option for pending real estate… Read More...
Low-Scored Site Initiative Scores Some Big Improvements: Understanding New Environmental Legislation, Part 1 of 5
The 2016 Florida Legislative Session brought about some significant changes in the area of environmental legislation. This is the first in a series of five quick recaps I’ll give you, focusing mainly on amendments to Florida Statute 376—particularly as those amendments impact the Petroleum Restoration Program (PRP). One of the biggest developments is that this… Read More...