Remediate your contaminated site

Voluntarily evaluate and clean up your contaminated property with local agency oversight.

The Site Assessment and Mitigation Program provides local agency oversight for the voluntary evaluation and cleanup of contaminated sites. This service is provided through a Remedial Action Agreement pursuant to Section 101480 of the California Health and Safety Code, and provides a path to a “No Further Action” letter. This process is available for motivated and fundable parties who want regulatory approval for redevelopment of brownfields. This process includes environmental site assessment, remediation, and mitigation of releases of hazardous waste. This process is not for parties under regulatory order.

Each cleanup site is different. This page describes general phases and requirements of the process.

Technical Guidance

Guidance on the cleanup process is available from the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board (Regional Board), and the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

Application

Contact us to begin coordinating with our program. We may ask you to submit an application, including relevant environmental documents, for us to establish cost recovery for preliminary review of your site.

Scoping and Agreement

Scoping meetings will be held to define target land uses, cleanup goals, scopes of work, and to execute a Remedial Action Agreement (RAA).

Investigation and Assessment

Site characterization involves performing environmental records reviews, interviews, site reconnaissance, reporting, and sampling of environmental media including soil, groundwater, and soil vapor. Additional sampling and evaluation steps may be necessary. This information is used to characterize contamination at the Site, public health risks, and to evaluate potential remedial actions.

Cleanup Planning

Detailed cleanup plans will be developed based on site conditions, regulatory requirements, and intended land use. This may include risk assessments, engineering controls, and mitigation strategies. Additional site data may be necessary to develop cleanup designs.

Cleanup Implementation

Cleanup activities will be implemented once they are approved. These activities may involve soil excavation, groundwater treatment, vapor mitigation, or other remedial measures.

Certification & Stewardship

Upon successful completion, the agency may issue a “No Further Action” letter. Long-term stewardship requirements, such as land use covenants or monitoring, may be required to ensure continued protection of human health and the environment.