NEWS RELEASES

As part of the 11th Annual CCGO-CORE Sacramento Drive-In on June 22, 2010, here are the delegates and dignitaries, Left to Right, Mark Magargee (CORE), Jim Arnold (Director, CORE), Tim Parker (CCGO), Ira Ruskin (Assemblymember), Jim Jacobs (Pres. CCGO/CORE), Ami Adini (Vice Pres CORE) and Peter Hartnett (Sr. Staff in Mr. Ruskin's office).  In this photo, CORE-CCGO presented an environmental award to Mr. Ruskin, Peter Hartnett and Erin Shaw for their work for the passage of AB1188 in 2009, which increase fees to financially stabilize the California Underground Storage Tank Cleanup Fund.  Members of both organizations (CORE and CCGO) benefitted greatly by this bill.

CORE Environmental Foundation

      The non-profit CORE Environmental Foundation, Inc. was founded in 2009.  CORE's members include Consultants, Owners, Regulators, and Enviro-vendors.  The founders recognized the funding crisis facing the California Underground Storage Tank Cleanup Fund (Fund) is a major problem for property owners, gas station operators, independent environmental consulting companies, regulatory oversight agencies, and environmental vendors who depend on this program of the California Water Resources Control Board to fund the oversight and cleanup of petroleum fuel leaks across California.  The founders formed CORE Environmental Foundation to find ways to streamline the processes involved and solve many of the problems the Fund was facing.

      The California UST Cleanup Fund has been for many years the primary source of funds to clean up gasoline leaks and spills from gas stations, fuel depots and other properties throughout California.  Since it was established by the California legislature in 1992, the Fund has been financed by "throughput fees" collected at underground petroleum storage facilities in California.   The Fund received about $250 million per year and has been providing the funding to gradually reduce the number of "open" sites.  Over time, sites progressed from the investigation and evaluation stage into the more expensive cleanup stage.  The 99 government oversight agencies across California did not have consistent requirements for investigation and cleanup of fuel contaminated soils and groundwater.  Over several years before 2008, the revenues received by the Fund and applied directly to contaminated properties did not keep up with the increasing costs of cleaning up properties, particularly the significant funds needed in the critical remediation stage.  By late 2008, the Fund's reserves had been depleted, and the State Water Resources Control Board took emergency steps to reform the Fund.  The Board immediately suspended 1,550 Class "C" claims (of small businesses and corporations).  Reimbursement payments on Class "B" claims (individuals and partnerships with properties and gas stations) were delayed, some for many months.  This crisis in funding interrupted the steady progress many sites were making towards closure, and severely impaired the viability of many small businesses, ranging from gas station owners and operators, to property owners who inherited old fuel tanks, to the smaller environmental consulting services companies. 

      The founders and the directors of CORE Environmental Foundation, Inc. became involved in seeking to understand what was not working with the UST Fund, and what steps could be taken to fix the processes.  The founders and directors helped shape changes in the way the Fund conducts business, and helped with improving the operations of the Fund and its liquidity.  Monthly meetings in Sacramento were attended by representatives of the Fund, as areas for cost savings, better understanding of the business model for environmental consulting services and supplies was gained by government staff, and a general recognition was gained of the economics necessary for cost-effective and scientifically based investigations and cleanups.  The legislation known as AB 1188 was sponsored by the California Independent Oil Marketers Association, a group of independent oil marketing and distribution companies.  The CORE Environmental Foundation's directors worked to educate the general public about the California UST Cleanup Fund and the reforms that were being made to make more efficient use of the money it was receiving.  The CORE Environmental Foundation also recognized that reforms could not occur unless there was a small increase in the "throughput fee" that supports the UST Cleanup Fund. 

          CORE got the word out about the need for the AB1188 legislation.  During 2009, it became more and more known that California was in the midst of the biggest Recession since the days of the 1930s.  AB1188 was estimated to add to the $250 million the Fund had been collecting, by bringing in $80 to $100 million per year to the Fund.  But the gallonages upon which the Fund depended dropped with the Recession.  And, even when the Water Board began closing sites -- and encouraging the 98 other oversight agencies to close sites -- it still was not enough.  At the same time, the money per site for "putting shovels into the dirt" for actual cleanups was a lot more than had been appreciated.  Today, the UST Fund is estimating it can budget for actual cleanups, but at a level significantly below the average cost of about $250,000 to $300,000.  This gap cannot be bridged with simply closing more sites "on the books."  Thoroughgoing reforms are needed -- and are underway -- with applying "sound science" and engineering to well-drawn plans for investigation and closure.  Of course, sites must be reviewed and those that have been open for decades without remediation work being needed should be evaluated for closure, on the basis of science and engineering data, exposure pathway evaluations, risk analysis, economics and common sense.  CORE now supports the efforts to extend AB1188 for two more years, in order to "get the job done" with the reform of the California UST Cleanup Fund -- and the California UST Program.  Both programs are the responsibility of the State Water Resources Control Board, which has been working to gather the input of many people and make significant changes.  

          CORE is undertaking initiatives in other difficult cleanup problems in California, including drycleaners. (http://www.coreenvironmental.org/drycleanerfund.php)   
Drycleaner sites, and former drycleaner sites, are even more common than gas station sites and former gas station sites.  The chemicals used in drycleaning are primary suspects in contaminating groundwaters through areas such as the 170 square miles of the San Gabriel Valley in Southern California, and Silicon Valley in Northern California.  Individual drycleaner sites are causing significant financial problems for owners and neighbors of such sites.  Cleanups are more expensive than those for gas station sites, and these chemicals are often the culprits in vapor intrusion problems in current homes and businesses.  CORE Environmental Foundation, Inc. is working on finding some answers to this significant problem. 

          CORE also joined forces with the California Council of Geoscience Organizations (CCGO; www.ccgo.org), to visit the California legislature in 2009 and 2010 to support the highest professional standards in the fields of both environmental consulting and environmental engineering.  In July 2009, the Legislature merged the Board for Geologists and Geophysicists (BGG) into the Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists.  (http://www.pels.ca.gov/)  CORE Environmental Foundation continues to work to educate the public on the need for strong professional licensure and qualifications for environmental and engineering professionals, because it is in the interest of all parties faced with the investigating and cleaning up contamination of California's soils and groundwaters.