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Guidance Documents Public Notification & Guidance Notification Signs

 

Guidance for Notification Signs

If the person responsible for conducting the remediation chooses to provide public notice by posting a sign, the following shall apply:
  • A minimum of one sign shall be posted so that it is clearly visible to the public. Please consider the use of multiple signs for large sites.
    • o Please consider all factors when deciding where to place the sign to ensure the best possible location for the sign to be seen (for example, signs closer to the street and unblocked by other objects can be seen better than signs posted on a building or obstructed by trees).
  • The sign shall remain posted and shall be maintained so that it is legible at all times, until the required remediation is completed and the final remediation document is filed with the Department.
  • Remediating parties are responsible for developing the content to best summarize the site conditions and describe activities specific to the individual site.
  • The sign must include contact information for both the person responsible for conducting the remediation (RP) and the licensed site remediation professional (LSRP) of record for the site. The sign should also include the Preferred Identification (PI) number for the site. The Department's PI number can be found in the most recent edition of the "Department's Known Contaminated Sites in New Jersey" report found at: https://www.nj.gov/dep/srp/kcs-nj/.

The RP shall submit a photograph of the notification sign to the municipal clerk of each municipality in which the site is located, as well as the county health department and the local health agency.

The Department is aware that some municipalities have strict sign ordinances. Accordingly, the RP must comply with all local ordinances relevant to the posting of signs. Informational signs, such as those required under these regulations, may or may not be regulated under municipal codes. However, if a particular municipal code prohibits the posting of signs, even though to post a sign would satisfy these notification requirements, the RP would be required to instead send notification letters.

Is a Language other than English predominantly spoken in the vicinity of the site?

All public notices, whether in the form of a notification sign or a notification letter, shall be in English. However, if the RP finds that a substantial portion of the local population is non-English speaking, it is important that those people receiving the notification be able to read and understand the information being provided. Therefore, the RP must also provide the notification in the non-English language that is predominantly spoken by the property owners and tenants in the area within 200 feet of the site boundary.

Information about the percentage of people speaking languages other than English in a given area is available by accessing census information at: http://www.census.gov/

The Department anticipates that most RPs are already aware of whether a language other than English is predominantly spoken in the neighborhoods surrounding their sites. Existing business and community signs can often identify neighborhoods where a language other than English is spoken. If the RP is unsure whether property owners and tenants predominantly speak a language other than English, they should contact the municipality.