Contaminated properties are properties that have received the Office of Land Quality’s (OLQ) initial assessment and determination of the type and extent of contamination on the property. OLQ will evaluate the details about each site to determine if a cleanup is needed to protect human health and the environment. When a cleanup is necessary, OLQ will assign the appropriate state and/or federal cleanup programs to manage the cleanup. In some cases, the same OLQ programs that conducted the investigations may be involved in cleaning up (remediating) the property.
Remediation may involve different methods, depending on the nature and extent of the contamination and how much risk there is to human health and the environment. OLQ will evaluate different methods and determine which one will be the most effective, provide the most protection, and require the least amount of future maintenance to keep the remedy working. When a location has been cleaned up, or the risk from contamination is adequately managed, OLQ will consider the site a completed property.