Land Protection Branch Programs and Units

Land Protection Branch Management

Sarah Visser, Branch Chief
Jason Metzger, Assistant Branch Chief

Click here for Land Branch Technical Guidance and here for Land Branch Forms

Tradeport Office Contact Information and Associated Land Branch Programs

4244 International Parkway, Suite 104, Atlanta, GA 30354
Phone/Fax: 404.362.2537
Directions to the Tradeport Office    

Solid Waste Management Program

  • Technical Duty Officer: 404.362.2692

Solid Waste Permitting Unit 

  • Review applications and plans for solid waste handling facilities, including landfills, incinerators, petroleum bioremediation facilities, and solidification facilities. 
  • Review site suitability reports for solid waste handling facilities, excluding landfills
  • Recommend the issuance of permits for solid waste handling facilities
  • Conduct compliance inspections for industrial solid waste handling facilities
  • Coordinate the Landfill Operator Certification Program
  • Provide technical assistance to the District Offices and local governments

Environmental Monitoring Unit 

  • Review corrective action plans and analyses of groundwater, surface water, and methane monitoring at solid waste handling facilities 
  • Conduct compliance inspections for methane and groundwater monitoring at publicly and privately owned solid waste handling facilities
  • Review site suitability reports for solid waste disposal facilities
  • Review modifications to the environmental monitoring and corrective action plans at solid waste disposal facilities
  • Provide technical assistance to the District Offices and local governments

Surface Mining Unit 

  • Review applications and approve surface mining land use plans
  • Issue surface mining permits
  • Conduct compliance evaluations of surface mining operations
  • Investigate complaints regarding unpermitted surface mining operations
  • Review and approve bonding requirements for surface mining operations
  • Ensure reclamation of completed mining operations
     

Recovered Materials and Abatement Program

Recovered Materials Unit 

Technical Duty Officer: 404.362.2537

Solid Waste Trust Fund Grant Program: [email protected]

Scrap Tire Abatement Reimbursement (STAR) Grant: [email protected]

  • Issue permits for stand-alone solid waste handling facilities that divert solid waste from landfills, including material recovery facilities, and compost/anaerobic digestion facilities
  • Issue permits conduct compliance inspections, and enforce state regulations for scrap tire processors
  • Administer the Solid Waste Trust Fund and the  Solid Waste Trust Fund Grant Program
  • Coordinate the abatement of scrap tire piles through the use of state contracts

Tire Management Unit 

Technical Duty Officer: [email protected] or 404.362.2537 

  • Conduct compliance inspections and enforce state regulations for scrap tire generators, sorters, used tire dealers, distributors, and carriers
  • Respond to citizen complaints regarding scrap tire piles and take enforcement action to ensure tires are removed

Lead-based Paint & Asbestos Unit

Technical Duty Officer: [email protected] or 404.362.7026

Underground Storage Tank (UST) Management Program 

Corrective Action –Responsible Party Lead (CARPL) Unit  

  • Record and process new confirmed petroleum releases from UST and non-UST facilities.
  • Review and approve UST closure reports and corrective action plans for sites that are eligible for Georgia Underground Storage Tank (GUST) Trust Fund reimbursement
  • Oversee the investigation and remediation of non-UST petroleum releases.
  • Administer the GUST Trust Fund

Corrective Action -State Team Lead (CASTL) Unit 

  • Review and approve UST closure reports and corrective action plans for sites that are not eligible for GUST Trust Fund reimbursement
  • Provide and manage corrective action contractors for cleanup of eligible facilities
  • Review and approve Brownfield/UST closure reports and corrective action plans for petroleum groundwater impacts on sites under the Brownfield Program.
  • Administer the federal LUST grant and GUST Trust Fund

Regulatory Compliance Unit I (North Unit)

  • Conduct compliance inspections for the installation and operation of petroleum and hazardous substance UST systems in Metro Atlanta and the northern part of the state
  • Issue notices for violations of UST monthly monitoring, spill, overfill, and corrosion protection requirements for all new and existing UST systems
  • Report and investigate suspected and confirmed releases from USTs along with other UST related complaints

Regulatory Compliance Unit II (South Unit)

  • Conduct compliance inspections for the installation and operation of petroleum and hazardous substance UST systems in the middle and southern sections of the state
  • Issue noticed for violations of monthly monitoring, spill, overfill, and corrosion protection requirements for all new and existing UST systems
  • Report and investigate suspected and confirmed releases from USTs along with other UST related complaints

Enforcement Unit 

  • Issue enforcement for Regulatory Compliance and Corrective Action Units
  • Coordinate with underground storage tank owners and operators to restore their facilities to regulatory compliance

 

Floyd Towers Office Contact Information and Associated Land Branch Programs

2 Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. SE, Suite 1058, East Tower, Atlanta, GA 30334
Phone/Fax: 404.657.8600
Directions and Parking Information  

Response & Remediation Program  

  • Technical Duty Officer: 404.657.8600

Brownfield Unit 

  • Oversee investigation and cleanup of contaminated property conducted under the Georgia Brownfield Act
  • Issue limitation of liability certificates for brownfield properties where standards have been met
  • Review and certify brownfield cleanup costs eligible for property tax abatement
  • Maintain Georgia’s public records for brownfield properties

Response Development Unit I and II 

  • Administer the state Superfund program and the Hazardous Waste Trust Fund
  • Review notices of releases of regulated substances (Release Notifications) 
  • Maintain the Hazardous Site Inventory (HSI), including evaluation of sites for addition or delisting
  • Oversee investigation and remediation of HSI sites by private parties or state contractors in accordance with the Georgia Hazardous Site Response Act
  • Take enforcement actions requiring private parties to perform site investigations and cleanups
  • Reimburse qualified state and local government costs associated with investigating and remediating solid waste handling facilities

Voluntary Remediation Unit 

  • Oversee voluntary investigation and remediation of contaminated property conducted under the Georgia Voluntary Remediation Program Act (VRPA)
  • Maintain Georgia’s public records for voluntary remediation properties and properties subject to Environmental Covenants
  • Participate in evaluation of sites for addition to HSI or delisting in accordance with VRPA

Abandoned Sites Unit 

  • Clean up sites using the Hazardous Waste Trust Fund (HWTF) when responsible parties are unwilling or unable
  • Manage the State’s Hazardous Site Response contractors and publish the annual HWTF Report
  • Maintain abandoned sites on the HSI, including evaluation of sites to determine clean up priority, and for addition or delisting
  • Work with EPD Emergency Response to perform expedited removal of abandoned regulated substances
     

Hazardous Waste Management Program 

  • Technical Duty Officer: 404.657.8600

RCRA Notifications and Data Management Team

Generator Compliance Unit 

  • Conduct Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) compliance monitoring and enforcement at hazardous waste handlers, including generators, transporters, recyclers, universal waste facilities, marketers of hazardous waste fuel, and used oil transporters and facilities
  • Investigate citizen complaints and provide technical assistance regarding the management of hazardous waste

Treatment and Storage Unit 

  • Conduct Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) permitting, compliance monitoring, and enforcement at permitted hazardous waste treatment, storage, and disposal (TSD) facilities in Georgia
  • Oversee the investigation and remediation of releases at hazardous waste facilities regulated under the Georgia Hazardous Waste Management Act (HWMA) and the Georgia Hazardous Site Response Act (HSRA)

Department of Defense Facilities Unit 

  • Conduct RCRA permitting, compliance monitoring, and enforcement at facilities owned/operated by the Department of Defense
  • Oversee the investigation and remediation of releases regulated under HWMA, HSRA, and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act at both active and inactive military installations, including formerly used defense sites (FUDS)
  • Oversee the investigation and remediation of former ranges at military installations and FUDS, which are contaminated with unexploded military munitions and small arm munitions
     

Hazardous Waste Corrective Action Program 

  • Technical Duty Officer: 404.657.8600

Remedial Sites Unit I, II, and III

  • Conduct RCRA permitting, compliance monitoring, and enforcement at hazardous waste TSD facilities undergoing corrective action and post-closure care
  • Review cleanups for select privately-owned/operated sites on the National Priorities List 
  • Oversee the investigation and remediation of releases at hazardous waste facilities regulated under the Georgia Hazardous Waste Management Act
  • Review hazardous waste delisting petitions
     

Risk Assessment Program 

Risk Assessment Unit 

  • Assess and interpret health risks or hazards to human and ecological receptors under various exposure scenarios
  • Support programs and other branches in the development of toxicity guidelines and risk assessment guidance documents
  • Review project-specific approaches for assessing human and ecological impacts including sampling and analysis plans and statistical evaluations
  • Utilize appropriate human and ecological risk assessment algorithms, models, and other risk assessment tools to derive acceptable risk-based cleanup goals

National Priorities List (NPL) Unit

  • Coordinate with USEPA on the investigation and cleanup of NPL sites in Georgia, pursuant to CERCLA
  • Oversee operation and maintenance (O&M) conducted by state contractors of NPL Fund-lead remedies that have been transferred to Georgia
  • Collaborate with USEPA on Five-Year Reviews to evaluate the implementation and performance of remedies