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Finalizing Remedial Projects: Easements, Certificates of Completion, and Templates

Environmental Easements and Deed Restrictions

Environmental Easements are required for remedial projects which rely upon one or more institutional and/or engineering controls. The Environmental Easement runs with the land in favor of the State, subject to the provisions of ECL Article 71, Title 36, and contains the use restriction(s) and/or any prohibition(s) on the use of land in a manner inconsistent with engineering controls. The placement of an Environmental Easement provides an effective and enforceable means of encouraging the reuse and redevelopment of a controlled property, at a level that has been determined to be safe for a specific use, while ensuring the performance of operation, maintenance, and/or monitoring requirements. The DEC project manager will relay instructions to remedial parties regarding execution of the Environmental Easement, including completion of the Environmental Easement Checklist (updated October 2011).

General Environmental Easement Template

Environmental Easement Template - State Superfund Program

Notice of Environmental Easement

Upon filing of the Environmental Easement, remedial parties must complete the notice of Environmental Easement with the recording information. The notice must be served on the necessary parties (any party having an interest in the property) and filed, along with proof of service, in the County Clerk's office. Proof of service and filing must be received by DEC within 30 days of filing the Environmental Easement.

Proof of service and filing should be mailed to: Environmental Easement Attorney, Office of General Counsel, 14th Floor, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Division of Environmental Remediation, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233-7020

Deed Restrictions

In place of an Environmental Easement, a Deed Restriction may be the required institutional control for:

  1. sites in the Voluntary Cleanup Program (VCP);

  2. sites that are class 2, 3, 4, or 5 in the State Superfund Program, or non-registry sites subject to an Article 27 Title 13 order, provided the consent order was executed, and the Record of Decision was issued, prior to October 7, 2003; or

  3. sites in the Environmental Restoration Program (ERP) provided the State Assistance Contract was signed, and the ERP Record of Decision was issued, prior to October 7, 2003.

Deed Restriction - Sites with Groundwater Restrictions

Deed Restriction - Sites without Groundwater Restrictions

Deed Restriction - Sites without Engineering Controls

Deed Restriction - Sites remediated by the DEC under State Superfund Program

Certificates of Completion (COC)

COCs are issued upon approval of a final engineering report or the issuance of the no further action decision document, and provide liability protections for site owners, developers and lessees. For eligible parties in the Brownfield Cleanup Program (BCP), the COC will trigger the availability of tax credits. Additional information on COCs can be found on the page titled Initial Notice and Transfer of Certificate of Completion and Change of Use Notifications.

Report Templates

As part of the finalization of remedial projects, remedial parties must submit two key documents to DEC for review - the Site Management Plan and the Final Engineering Report. To facilitate the review of these documents, DEC has prepared templates in Microsoft Word format which include instructions for use by remedial parties. Checklists that DEC staff use to review these documents, along with generic reports, are also provided for reference in Portable Document Format (PDF).

Final Engineering Report

Site Management Plan

Users of these report templates should contact their DEC project manager with any questions on report preparation.


More about Finalizing Remedial Projects: Easements, Certificates of Completion, and Templates:

  • Environmental Easement Checklist - Remedial parties must include a completed checklist that has been signed and certified by both the Remedial Party and Attorney in order to execute the Environmental Easement.
  • Remedial Program Sites with Environmental Easements - Information about Remediation Sities with Environmental Easements.
  • Survey Requirements for Environmental Easements - This page provides a list that describes what needs to be included on the survey that supports an environmental easement.
  • Title Requirements - The page details the requirements for the title report or an abstract of title as related to an Environmental Easement. Every title report or title abstract shall provide a Certification Page, Schedule A, and Schedule B.
  • Change of Use Notifications - The process for submitting notification of a change in the use of a site that may affect its remedial program (e.g. building construction or demolition) or result in a change in site ownership or responsibility for a proposed, on-going, or completed remedial program (e.g. sale of property and COC transfer).
  • Initial Notice and Transfer of Certificate of Completion - Pursuant to 6 NYCRR 375-1.9(d), a notice of the Certificate of Completion (COC) must be recorded when the COC is issued. In addition, pursuant to 6 NYCRR 375-1.9(f), the COC may be transferred to successors and assigns of the remedial party or parties named in the certificate.
  • Procedures for Processing Building Permit Evaluation Requests - The process for submitting a request for a building permit review to the DEC.
  • BCP Certificate of Completion Information Session Presentations - In an effort to facilitate the timely issuance of Certificates of Completion for sites in the Brownfield Cleanup Program, the Division of Environmental Remediation and the Office of General Counsel held an informational session for BCP Applicants and their representatives on February 28, 2011 in Albany, New York.