Pileggi and Erickson to Introduce environmental remediation legislation

Posted by Press Release on January 11, 2012

State Sens. Dominic Pileggi, R-9 and Ted Erickson, R-26, announced
plans to introduce legislation which will require that the owners of certain
commercial properties conduct environmental remediation at those sites.

“In Delaware County, we are seeing dramatic changes in the way
some very large commercial properties – such as the refineries in Trainer and
Marcus Hook – are expected to be used,” said Pileggi. “Ideally, new owners will
be found for those sites and they will continue to be used as refineries. But
if that doesn’t happen, and the owners significantly change the use of those
sites, there should be strong environmental cleanup requirements.”

“When the owner of a commercial property significantly changes the
use of that site, or discontinues productive use of the site, it is good policy
to require that owner to meet certain baseline environmental standards,” said
Senator Erickson. “This will help ensure that the site is left in a condition
such that it can be redeveloped for productive use if the owner decides to sell
or abandon the property.”

Pileggi and Erickson said the bill will require the owners of
commercial properties to conduct such remediation when the use of the site
changes significantly, including one or more of the following:

• a change which results in a
workforce reduction of at least 65 percent.
• a change which involves the idling and/or removal of at least 65 percent of
the equipment and/or machinery on the property.
• a change which
results in the number of square feet of improved, enclosed space on the
property currently in productive use being reduced by at least 65 percent.

This legislation will only impact properties with no ownership
change. Existing law adequately addresses environmental remediation standards
when a property is sold.