Webinar – The Dirty Side of Dry Cleaning: Liabilities & Transaction Considerations
Properties that contain or are adjacent to current and former dry-cleaning operations pose the risk of environmental contamination in soil, water, and air. Many of these sites eventually become brownfield sites, and with the prevalence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), increasingly dry-cleaning properties are making their way onto Superfund’s National Priorities List.
Understanding the regulatory frameworks that apply to these sites, potential liability considerations, and programs that support the cleanup and redevelopment of dry-cleaning sites is critical for environmental professionals. And as the regulatory arena changes for dry cleaners and the contaminants at these sites, so too do the liability, transactional, and practical considerations.
Larry Schnapf, Principal at Schnapf LLC, and Michael Marcon, VP and Principal at InControl Technologies, will discuss these important issues in this second part of our series related to dry-cleaning sites. This 60-minute webinar will cover the following:
• Key environmental regulatory frameworks and standards that apply to dry-cleaning sites.
• An overview of the most common contaminants at these sites, with a focus on the changing policy landscape related to perchloroethylene (PCE) and PFAS and what it means for dry-cleaning sites and adjacent properties.
• Frequently encountered environmental contamination issues, related liability concerns, vapor mitigation, cleanup, and redevelopment.
• Strategies for due diligence and transactional considerations involving dry-cleaning sites, including real-world examples illustrating common pitfalls that can arise at these properties.
• How to utilize state cleanup programs and financial incentives available to clean up and redevelop dry-cleaning sites.
About the Speakers:
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Michael F. Marcon, PG, CAPM, VP and Principal, InControl Technologies For over 25 years, Michael has been the Senior Principal with InControl Technologies helping clients navigate the complex world of environmental regulations and site restoration. He has helped numerous client develop strategies to convert Brownfield properties into viable real estate investments. Michael has vast experience in assisting dry cleaners and property owners who have historical or current dry cleaning plants address the environmental contamination commonly associated with historical waste management activities. He also has an extensive relationship with many of the vendors and suppliers in the dry cleaning business proving him unparalleled knowledge of the operational practices in the dry cleaning industry over the past 75 years. He has served as an environmental expert on over 40 cases involving dry cleaners. He has conducted numerous environmental compliance audits and managed over 500 dry cleaner investigation and remediation projects. Michael has used this experience to develop a number of streamlined assessment procedures to provide cost effective site characterization to help streamline site restoration. |
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Lawrence P. Schnapf, Principal, Schnapf LLC & Professor of Environmental Law and Real Estate Transactions, New York Law School Lawrence P. Schnapf is an environmental attorney based in New York City and New Jersey with over 39 years of national environmental transactional experience and is the principal of Schnapf LLC. With this background and his geology training, Larry is uniquely qualified to handle the legal and technical issues commonly encountered with environmental issues.Larry primarily concentrates on environmental risks associated with corporate, real estate and brownfield transactions; commercial financing including asset-based lending, syndicated loans, mezzanine loans and distressed debt; bankruptcy, workouts, and corporate restructuring. He has extensive experience with brownfield redevelopment and financing, including representing affordable housing developers and assisting local development corporations or not-for-profit organizations with their brownfield planning programs. Larry counsels clients on environmental issues, represents clients in federal and state environmental litigation, enforcement actions, administrative proceedings, and private cost recovery actions. He has also served as liaison counsel for PRP steering committees.Larry has written extensively on environmental law, including as editor, and contributing author on many articles, chapters, and guides.He has chaired numerous New York state environmental law association committees and has served on several ASTM Task Groups, including chair of the legal subcommittee for the ASTM E1527 task force for the 2013 and 2021 revisions to ASTM E1527 phase 1 standard and was co-chair of the legal sub-committee for the ASTM Vapor Intrusion Task Group.Larry is an adjunct professor of environmental law at New York Law School and a faculty member of the NYLS Center for Real Estate Studies where he teaches “Environmental Law and Policy,” a brownfield mini course as well as “Real Estate Transactions and Finance”.He is listed in the New York Super Lawyers-Metro Edition (2010-2021; the Super Lawyers Business Edition (2011-22); The International Who’s Who of Environmental Lawyers (2008-2022) as well as appearing in Chambers USA Client Guide of America’s Leading Lawyers for Business. Larry has received the AV® Preeminent Rating from Martindale-Hubbell, the highest possible Peer Review Rating. |
About the Host:
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Scott Davis, SVP, Industry Engagement, ERIS Scott joined ERIS with the merger of GeoSearch in December, 2020. Scott was a founding partner and the Chief Operating Officer of GeoSearch for over 23 years. Upon his arrival at ERIS, Scott was responsible for the development and implementation of ERIS operational strategies and service processes. As of March 2022, Scott was appointed Senior Vice President, Industry Engagement, to oversee ERIS’ significant activities in the market, engaging with customers, association interests, tradeshows, and developing webinars, podcasts, and promoting industry thought leadership. Additionally, Scott has a significant depth of industry experience including project management, technical support for numerous environmental assessments, feasibility studies, and wetland determinations throughout the United States while working at Carter & Burgess, Maxim Engineering, Huntington and Southwestern Labs. Scott is the treasurer for the Industry Council on the Environment (ICE), founder and board member of the Central Texas Association of Environmental Professionals, and the Vice President of Municipal Utility District 23. |