Environmental Site Assessment Search

DEP's Environmental Site Assessment Search Tool allows consultants conducting Phase I environmental site assessments and interested members of the public access to information maintained by DEP concerning permitting, licensing, inspection, compliance, discharges of pollution, regulated storage tanks, site remediation, and enforcement. Consultation with DEP's Environmental Site Assessment Search Tool is a means of identifying activities of potential environmental concern. It is not a substitute for an environmental assessment conducted by a qualified professional.

Below are guidelines for performing a search for Activity layers (e.g. xyz) with in a distance (or buffer) from either a user-supplied address or by clicking a map on a specific point on the map. The result of the search will include all the details of the activity layer, xyz, that are available.

Once the results are presented a user can choose to:

1) Make an informal request for additional information

2) Produce a summary report on DEP letterhead

3) Print/view a table summary of all data for an activity

4) Export an activiity information to the desktop

5) export all activity information to the desktop

ESAS Quick Reference guide Links

start a search

The user can search for a target address by using there two methods:

1) Enter an actual street address

2) Pick a point on the map

1. Type an address in the “find address or place” field and click search

For example: Here 400 Market St, Harrisburg, PA was entered in the address field.

The address appears on the map and icons for previously identified activity layers appear.

This feature also allows the user to enter a partial address and a suggested street address will appears.

The ‘Use Search for Location to buffer’ is always clicked so the User can search activities by the street address provided.

2. Pick a point on the map

To do a target address search by picking a point on the map, the User will need to unclick the ‘Use Search for Location to buffer’ box shown below.

Will appear as:

The user will then use the mouse to click a point on the map. The user will use the mouse to zoom in and out of the map. As the user zoom into the map, detailed street names will appear and the user can click on this area of interesting.

An example of the map detail provided on a pick a point search for 400 market Street is below.

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Search by Activity layer (or Layer to buffer)

1) Select the Activity Layer or Environmental Assessment area interested reviewing for the address entered above by click on the box to the left of the activity title.

2) Select one or more Activity Layers if the radius (or buffer) around the target address is less than 10miles. For an assessment +10miles only one Activity Layer at time can be chosen.

A complete list of activity layers in available at the end of the guide.

3) Click the box to the left of the Activity Layer to search the layer that applies.

to include all criteria.

to clear selections and start over

4) Enter the desired radius (or buffer) in feet or miles around the target address that is being assessed.

5) Click the ‘Create Buffer’ box to complete search

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Map Results

The search result will be summarized in a separate window for the target address.

Click on ‘x’ in the upper right corner to get to detailed map layer and tables in the background

A detailed description of the map icons can be found in the legends of the quick reference guide.

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Results Table

Below the results map is a table of all the information retrieved in the search

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Top Layer tabs

Each Activity layer is placed in a separate tab for a detailed review of each activity.

For example, to retrieve the ‘Captive hazardous Waste Operations’ details, click on the tab with that title.

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Actions within layer

The details within each Activity can be reviewed and a request for documentation can be generated. These actions include:

1. Informal Request

Submit a more formal request for this sites DEP’s history by click on this button.

A form will appear that looks like this:

2. Summary Report

This tab generates a summary of the assessment activities on DEP Letter head.

To create the official documentation, enter the contact information to display on Summary Report heading.

Once the contact information is entered, click’s on the ‘generate’ button and a summary of the search activities will be displayed in a pdf letter format. This can be printed, saved, or sent to interested parties.

A sample of the letter is below:

3. Clear Grid Selection

To clear the gridlines on the map above, click on the ‘clear grid’ button.

4. Close All tabs

To close all the table tabs and review only the map, click on the ‘close all tabs’ button

5. Print/view

To print a summary of the table results, click on the print/view button and a view of the activity table details will open in a web page. This page can be printed.

6. Export

The information provided in the Activity tab can be export to a .csv file for formulating a more focused and targeted request. Click on this tab to save the summary table to the desktop.

7. Export All

The information provided for all the Activities listed on all the tabs with results can be exported to a .csv file for formulating a more focused and targeted request. Click on the tab ‘export all’ to save a summary table of all the search Activities to the desktop.

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Legends for Map ICons

Before the target address search the legends box includes mapping icons:

The Legend Icon displayed when the target address is entered include:

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Activity layers

LAYER NAME	LAYER BRIEF DESCRIPTION
AML Inventory Site	The AML (Abandoned Mine Land) Inventory is a collection of areas where surface features of abandoned mines are present. Presently the data is shown using three layers. AML Inventory Sites is used to show the entire boundary of a problem area. AML Points and AML Polygons are used to show specific problems within a designated inventory site. The inventory Does Not Include complete and comprehensive coverage of abandoned underground mines, surface or underground mines that were permitted and closed after 1982, or active surface or underground mines. For further information concerning mining in your area, please contact the local DEP office.
AML Point Feature	This data set portrays the approximate location of Abandoned Mine Land Problem Areas containing public health, safety, and public welfare problems created by past coal mining. It is a subset of data contained in the Office of Surface Mining (OSM) Abandoned Mine Land Inventory. This layer identifies AML Points representing specific locations within an AML Inventory Site, examples include AML discharge.
AML Polygon Feature	This data set portrays the approximate location of Abandoned Mine Land Problem Areas containing public health, safety, and public welfare problems created by past coal mining. It is a subset of data contained in the Office of Surface Mining (OSM) Abandoned Mine Land Inventory. This layer identifies AML Polygons representing specific areas to large too be represented by points within the entire, AML Inventory Site, examples include AML dangerous highwalls.
Air Emission Plant	Air Emissions Plant is a DEP primary facility type related to the Air Quality Program. The sub-facility types related to the Air Emissions Plant that are included in eMapPA are: Air Pollution Control Device, Combustion Unit, Fuel Material Location, General Administrative Location, Incinerator, Point of Air Emission, and Process.
Beneficial Land Use	Beneficial Land Use is a DEP primary facility type related to the Water Pollution Control Program. The sub-facility type related to Beneficial Land Use is the Parcel. A parcel refers to the land application site that is proposed to received biosolids or residential septage. Land application for biosolids and septage means beneficial use, meaning it is applied to land as a soil amendment/fertilizer.
Captive Hazardous Waste Operation	A Captive Hazardous Waste Operation is a DEP primary facility type related to the Waste Management Hazardous Waste Program. The sub-facility types related to Captive Hazardous Waste Operations that are included in eMapPA are: Boiler/Industrial Furnace, Disposal Facility, Hazardous Generator, Incinerator, Recycling Facility, Storage Facility, and Treatment Facility.
Coal Mining Operation	A Coal Mining Operation is a DEP primary facility type related to the Mining Program. The sub-facility types related to Coal Mining Operations that are included in eMapPA are: Coal-Aboveground Storage Tank - aboveground tanks greater than 250 gallons used to store a regulated substance, motor oil or fuel on a coalmine permit. These tanks are regulated under the coal mining regulations since they are specifically exempted from the storage tank regulations. Discharge Point - Discharge of water from an area as a result of coal mining activities. Mineral Preparation Plant - Facility at which coal is cleaned and processed. Mining Stormwater GP - General permit for Stormwater discharges associated with coal mining activities in which the main pollutant is sediment. Discharge is not into a High Quality or Exceptional Value designated stream. NPDES Discharge Point - An effluent discharge at a coal mine operation permitted under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System. Post Mining Treatment - Post-mining discharges are groundwater seeps and flows that occur after a mine has been completed and reclaimed. Many of these discharges have become contaminated by contacting acid producing rock in the mine environment. Untreated discharges that enter clean streams cause acidification, which immediately kills much of the aquatic life. Coal mines that are predicted to have discharges are not permitted; however, coal mining operators are required to treat post-mining discharges in cases where the predictions do not come true. Through advances in predictive science, less than 2 percent of the permits issued today result in a post-mining discharge. New technologies, including alkaline addition and special handling of acid producing material, are being studied in order to help address the remaining 2 percent. Refuse Disposal Facility - An area used for disposal or storage of waste coal, rock, shale, slate, clay, and other coal mining related materials. Refuse Reprocessing - Facility at which coal is extracted from waste coal, rock, shale, slate, clay, and other coal mining related material, i.e., coal refuse. Surface Mine - Surface mining of coal by removing material which lies above the coal seam. Includes, but is not limited to, strip, auger, quarry, dredging and leaching mines. Underground Mine - Deep mining of coal. Includes, but is not limited to, portal, tunnel, slope and drift mines.
Coal Pillar Mining	Coal Pillar Locations are pillars of coal that must remain in place to provide support for a coal mine.
Coal Pillar Oil and Gas	Coal Pillar Locations are pillars of coal that must remain in place to provide support for a coal mine.
Commercial Hazardous Waste Operation	A Commercial Hazardous Waste Operation is a DEP primary facility type related to the Waste Management Hazardous Waste Program. The sub-facility types related to Commercial Hazardous Waste Operations that are included in eMapPA are: Disposal Facility, Hazardous Generator, Recycling Facility, Storage Facility, and Treatment Facility.
Encroachment Location	An Encroachment Location is a DEP primary facility type related to the Water Resources Management Water Obstructions Program. There are many sub-facility types relating to Encroachment Locations, ranging from Boat Launch Ramps to Dredging to Wetland Impact, that are included in eMapPA. Furthermore, these sub-facilities may pertain to more than one primary facility kind as listed: Abandoned Mine Reclamation, Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas, Soils and Waterways, Waterways Engineering, and Water Quality.
Erosion and Sedimentation Control Facility	An Erosion and Sediment Control Facility is a DEP primary facility type related to the Water Pollution Control program. The following is a list of sub-facility types related to Erosion and Sediment Control Facilities that are included in eMapPA: Agricultural Activities, Commercial or Industrial Development, Government Facilities, Oil and Gas Development, Private Road or Residence, Public Road Construction, Recreational Activities, Remediation/Restoration, Residential Subdivision, Sewerage or Water Systems, Silviculture, or Utility Facility and/or Transmission Line. Any of the above development activities that may discharge stormwater during construction fall under the erosion and sediment control permit category.
GP12 Prep Plant Emissions Operation	Mineral Preparation Plants with an Air Quality General Permit inspected by District Mining Operations staff for compliance with Air Quality Regulations.
Industrial Mineral Mining Operation	An Industrial Mineral Mining Operation is a DEP primary facility type related to the Industrial Mineral Mining Program. The sub-facility types included in eMapPA are: Deep Mine - Underground mining of industrial minerals, i.e., noncoal mining. Includes, but is not limited to, industrial minerals extracted from beneath the surface by means of shafts, tunnels, adits or other mining openings. Discharge Point - Discharge of water from an area as a result of industrial mining activities, i.e. noncoal mining. Mineral Preparation Plant - Facility at which industrial minerals (i.e. noncoal minerals) are cleaned and processed. Mining Stormwater GP - General permit for Stormwater discharges associated with industrial mineral mining activities in which the main pollutant is sediment. Discharge is not into a High Quality or Exceptional Value designated stream. NPDES Discharge Point - National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System effluent discharge point for Industrial Mineral (Noncoal) Mine Sites. Post Mining Treatment - Inactive Industrial Mine with a permitted treatment facility. Surface Mine - Surface mining of industrial minerals (i.e. noncoal minerals) by removing material which lies about the industrial minerals. Includes, but is not limited to, strip, augur, quarry, dredging and leaching mines.
Land Recycling Cleanup Location	Land Recycling Cleanup Location Land Recycling Cleanup Locations (LRCL) are divided into one or more sub-facilities categorized as media: Air, Contained Release or Abandoned Container, Groundwater, Sediment, Soil, Surface Water, and Waste. Media is the environmental resource that is associated with the cleanup effort. The following primary facility kinds describe the Acts from which cleanup locations are derived: Act2 Land Recycling and Environmental Remediation Standards The first declaration of Section 102 of the policy provides a brief description of the purpose of Act2: The elimination of public health and environmental hazards on existing commercial and industrial land across this Commonwealth is vital to their use and reuse as sources of employment, housing, recreation, and open-space areas. The reuse of industrial land is an important component of a sound land use policy that will help prevent the needless development of prime farmland, open-space areas and natural areas and reduce public costs for installing new water, sewer, and highway infrastructure. CERCLA Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, also known as the Superfund This act was passed by Congress as a federal law in December of 1980, creating a tax on chemical and petroleum industries to: Identify and respond to sites from which releases of hazardous substances into the environment have occurred or could potentially occur Ensure they are cleaned up by responsible parties or through government funding Evaluate damages to natural resources HSCA Hazardous Sites Cleanup Act [This Act] provides the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) with the funding and the authority to conduct cleanup actions at sites where hazardous substances have been released. HSCA also provides DEP with enforcement authorities to force the persons who are responsible for releases of hazardous substances to conduct cleanup actions or to repay public funds spent on a DEP funded cleanup action. HSCA funds are also used to pay the state share of costs of cleanup actions at Pennsylvania sites in the Federal Superfund program. Under the provisions of HSCA, most HSCA sites involve bankrupt facility owners, abandoned facilities, and inappropriate disposal of hazardous substances. As a general rule, HSCA sites do not include active facilities with financially viable owners. Other The Other primary facility kind includes a mixture of various different cleanup sites, no further action sites, and potential sites. This is optional data that the regional offices are not required to maintain. STSP Storage Tank Spill and Prevention Act Releases and/or ruptures from improperly installed or faulty storage tanks contaminate the Commonwealth's land and water resources. This act was passed to prevent such contamination through "improved safeguards on the installation and construction of storage tanks."
Mine Drainage Treatment Land Recycling Project	Mine Drainage Treatment/Land Reclamation Locations are clean-up projects that are working to eliminate some form of abandoned mine.
Municipal Waste Operation	A Municipal Waste Operation is a DEP primary facility type related to the Waste Management Municipal Waste Program. The sub-facility types related to Municipal Waste Operations that are included in eMapPA are: Composting, Land Application, Abandoned Landfills, Active Landfills, Processing Facility, Resource Recovery, and Transfer Station.
Oil and Gas Encroachment Location	An Encroachment Location for Oil & Gas is a DEP primary facility type related to the Oil and Gas Program. The sub-facilities that fall under Oil and Gas Encroachment also exist under Encroachment Locations. The difference is in the DEP program that regulates the facilities.
Oil and Gas Entity Oil and Gas Location	An Oil and Gas Location is a DEP primary facility type related to the Oil & Gas Program. The sub-facility types related to Oil and Gas that are included in eMapPA are: Land Application - An Area Where drilling cuttings or waste are disposed by land application. Pit - An approved pit that is used for storage of oil and gas well fluids. Well - A well associated with oil and/or gas production.
Oil and Gas Water Pollution Control Facility	An Oil and Gas Water Pollution Control Facility is a DEP primary facility type related to the Oil & Gas Program. The following are the sub-facility types related to Water Pollution Control that are included in eMapPA: Discharge point - The outfall from a wastewater treatment facility for oil and gas fluids. Internal Monitoring Point - A monitoring point within the wastewater treatment system where samples are collected. Treatment Plant - A facility for treating oil and gas wastewater to achieve permit effluent limits.
Residual Waste Operation	A Residual Waste Operation is a DEP primary facility type related to the Waste Management Residual Waste Program. Residual waste is waste generated at an industrial, mining, or wastewater treatment facility. The sub-facility types related to Residual Waste that are included in eMapPA are: Generator, Impoundment, Incinerator, Land Application, Landfill, Processing Facility, and Transfer Station.
Storage Tanks Active	A Storage Tank Location is a DEP primary facility type, and the storage tanks at the facility are the sub-facilities. Active storage tanks are aboveground or underground tanks regulated under the Storage Tank and Spill Prevention Act (35 P.S. §6021) and 25 Pa. Code Chapter 245. Active storage tanks are in a status of “currently in use” or “temporarily out of use”, which means the tanks still exist in a regulated status. These tanks are currently registered to hold a regulated substance, which could be a petroleum product or a hazardous substance. Aboveground storage tanks with a capacity greater than 21,000 gallons, and aboveground storage tanks that contain highly hazardous substances, are removed from this layer.
Storage Tanks Inactive	A Storage Tank Location is a DEP primary facility type, and the storage tanks at the facility are the sub-facilities. Inactive storage tanks are aboveground or underground tanks that were once regulated under the Storage Tank and Spill Prevention Act (35 P.S. §6021) and 25 Pa. Code Chapter 245. Inactive storage tanks include those tanks that have been removed, permanently closed, exempted from regulation, transferred to a different facility record, or otherwise removed from registration with DEP. These tanks previously held a regulated substance, which could have been a petroleum product or a hazardous substance.
Water Pollution Control Facility	A Water Pollution Control Facility is a DEP primary facility type related to the Water Pollution Control Program. The sub-facility types related to Water Pollution Control that are included in eMapPA are: Agricultural Activities - The management and use of farming resources for the production of crops, livestock or poultry. Biosolids Treatment - Indicates that the facility treats sewage sludge to produce a material that can be beneficially used, biosolids. Compost/Processing - Indicates that the facility treats sewage sludge by composting to produce a material that can be beneficially used, biosolids. Conveyance System - Sewage system without treatment. Discharge Point - Discharge point to stream. Groundwater Monitoring Point. Internal Monitoring Point - Used to monitor internal processes - not a discharge. Land Discharge - Land application of wastewater. Manure Management - Activities related to or supporting storage, collection, handling, transport, application, planning, record keeping, generation or other manure management activities. Outfall structure - Outfall structure to stream. Pesticide Treatment Area - These SFs are created to address treatment areas that in reality are often an entire water body, such as a pond. The lat/long coordinates are supposed to be entered at the mid-point or center of the treatment area. Pipeline or Conduit - Pipes or other smaller diameter conveyances that are used to transport or supply liquids or slurries from collection, storage or supply facilities or areas to other facilities or areas for storage, modification or use. These can be for longer-term, medium-term or short-term and would include design, capacity, maintenance, safety, inspection, accident and varying use and weather considerations. Production Service Unit - Catch all sub-facility that covers a variety of industries participating in a multitude of activities such as concentrated animal feeding, pharmaceuticals, paper, steel, utilities, etc. The majority of PSUs are classified as Industrial Waste or Stormwater-Industrial (Primary Facility kind). Pump Station - Sewage pump station. Septage Land Application - Indicates that the septage hauler treats residential septage for land application, meaning that it can be applied to land as a soil amendment/fertilizer. Storage Unit - Storage of wastewater. Treatment Plant - Sewage or industrial wastewater treatment plant.
Water Resources	A Water Resource is a DEP primary facility type related to the Water Use Planning Program. The sub-facility types related to Water Resources that are included in eMapPA are: Discharge, Ground Water Withdrawal, Interconnection, Storage, Surface Water Withdrawal, and Water Allocation.

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