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Petroleum Contamination Cleanup 

After years of improperly stored hazardous substances and the passage of the Water Quality Assurance Act of 1983, it became apparent that Florida's petroleum contaminated sites would need additional oversight in the assessment and cleanup effort. In 1986, the Florida Legislature created the Underground Petroleum Environmental Response Act to accelerate this process.  In addition, the Inland Protection Trust Fund (IPTF) was created to pay for cleanup of petroleum contamination so severe that it is an immediate threat to human and environmental health.  The IPTF is generated from an excise tax placed on each barrel of petroleum produced or imported into Florida. Since 1988, the state of Florida through the Department of Environmental Protection has contracted with ERM to manage petroleum contamination cleanup activities in Palm Beach County providing restoration management and technical oversight for both state funded sites and on sites not eligible for state funding.

ERM has protected public health and safety, the environment, and property values by overseeing remediation of petroleum contamination.