Brownfield Braintrust Podcast

California’s brownfield closure process is changing—and the finish line may not look the way it did a few years ago.

In this solo episode of the Brownfield Braintrust Podcast, I break down the different types of closure letters issued by DTSC and California’s State and Regional Water Boards, including no-further-action letters, low-threat closures, land-use controls, remedy construction completion, and suitable-to-occupy determinations.

I also look at recent DTSC closure trends, evolving soil vapor standards, and what developers, investors, lenders, and environmental professionals should consider before beginning a contaminated property assessment or remediation project.

The key question: What type of closure is realistically available for your site—and will it satisfy your financing and investment requirements?

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Contact Matt Winefield

Winefield & Associates

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (562) 618-0037

Website: winefieldinc.com

Why are No Further Action (NFA) letters for PCE and VOC vapor sites becoming nearly impossible to obtain in California?

In this episode of the Brownfield Brain Trust, host Matt Winefield, founder of Winefield & Associates, sits down with Don Kellar, MS, REP, PG, Executive Vice President of Fulcrum (A Blew Company), to break down a practical alternative: self-directed (self-certified) brownfield remediation.

They discuss how California’s 2023 Vapor Intrusion Guidance and increasingly conservative Environmental Screening Levels (ESLs) have stalled property transactions—often without improving human health or environmental outcomes.

Don explains when self-directed remediation is appropriate, how site-specific attenuation factors and indoor air testing can replace default assumptions, and why some lenders are now accepting consultant-certified cleanups in lieu of agency-issued NFAs.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why NFAs for PCE vapor sites have nearly disappeared in California

• How ESLs are being misused as cleanup goals instead of screening tools

• When self-directed remediation works—and when agency oversight is still required

• The role of soil vapor extraction and vapor intrusion mitigation

• How lenders evaluate risk on self-certified brownfield cleanups

This episode is essential listening for developers, investors, brokers, lenders, attorneys, and environmental professionals navigating contaminated property transactions in California.

Guest: Don Kellar, MS, REP, PG📞 310-876-4128 | 📧 [email protected]

Host: Matt Winefield📞 (562) 618-0037 | 📧 [email protected]

Brownfield redevelopment is one of the most powerful tools for community revitalization—and the funding window is open right now.

In this episode of Brownfield Brain Trust, Matt Winefield is joined by Jean Hamerman, Executive Director, and Lauren Ghazikhanian, Director of Communications at The Center for Creative Land Recycling, to break down how brownfield redevelopment actually works.

They cover what qualifies as a brownfield, why suspected contamination matters, how EPA Brownfields grants support assessment and cleanup, and why FY26 is a critical year for funding. The conversation also explores California-specific programs, real redevelopment success stories, and why brownfield projects succeed best when public agencies, nonprofits, and private partners work together.

If you’re involved in land use, redevelopment, environmental consulting, or community planning, this episode explains what to pay attention to now—and why.

In this episode of the Brownfield Braintrust podcast, Matt Winefield sits down with Greg McIver of Citadel EHS, one of the few environmental consultants in California who has successfully secured No Further Action letters for VOC-impacted sites in 2024 and 2025. With California closures down more than 50 percent in recent years, this conversation offers rare, practical insight into what still works under the state’s evolving vapor intrusion guidance.

Greg walks through two real dry cleaner case studies from San Mateo County and the Central Valley, highlighting the technical approach, remediation steps, stakeholder engagement, cost considerations, and multiple lines of evidence that led to successful closures. Together, Matt and Greg unpack the importance of early regulatory buy in, a complete conceptual site model, strategic use of the Low Threat Closure framework, and how to prioritize work when a property owner has limited resources.

If you evaluate, investigate, remediate, or acquire VOC-impacted properties in California, this episode provides a clear, candid look at how closure is still achievable today.

In this Brownfield Braintrust Podcast episode, our very own Matt Winefield, along with Steve Figgins of EKI Environment & Water, Inc. and Mark Johnson of Offit Kurman, discuss transforming oil production fields and how their remediation may differ from other industrial sites. For oil production think of wells, open fields, collection tanks, production pumps, and oil collection ponds. This topic is of particular interest as the State of California has not been shy about its intent to shut down oil production across the state. What may become a loss for oil production could be a gain for remediation companies, home builders, and commercial developers.

In this Brownfield Braintrust Podcast episode, we discuss environmental vapor sampling with two exceptional experts in the field, Will Rice of Enthalpy Analytical and Kevin Kelly of Langan Engineering. Those of you who are actively involved in brownfields assessment, remediation, and redevelopment have had to come to terms with new vapor intrusion agency guidelines and regulations that have tightened environmental screening. The reduced screening levels have prompted us to analyze more soil and soil vapor samples, so there is a greater need than ever to be efficient in the field and in the laboratory. To that end, we are going to examine one patented solution, VaporDeck™, a tool for soil vapor sampling everywhere. The VaporDeck™ provides a better solution to allow sample crews to simultaneously pull 2 or more samples from different depths, collect actual duplicates, and move from location to location faster, all while maintaining sample integrity and field documentation.

Our two esteemed guests:

Visit Winefield & Associates, Inc. at: ⁠https://www.winefieldinc.com/⁠
​Find Matt Winefield on LinkedIn at: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattwinefield/

This podcast episode is a companion discussion for the W&A February 26, 2024, Vapor Intrusion blog, which you can access here: https://www.winefieldinc.com/vi-blog/calepa-swrcb-site-closure-rates-continue-to-decline-likely-due-to-vapor-intrusion-guidance

Matt Winefield discusses the Winefield & Associates GeoTracker data review of No Further Action (NFA) letter issuance rates before and after the CalEPA Vapor Intrusion Guidance (VIG) was promulgated. The data is not pretty. There no longer appears to be a path to closure for remediation projects of sites impacted with volatile organic compounds. Absent the ability to eventually achieve an NFA, brownfield investments throughout California are precarious.

Visit Winefield & Associates, Inc. at: https://www.winefieldinc.com/
Find Matt Winefield on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattwinefield/

In our current Brownfield Braintrust Podcast, Matt Winefield of Winefield & Associates, Inc. sheds light on Vapor Intrusion Mitigation Systems (VIMS) with the help of Justin Conaway, Vice President and General Manager of Terra-Petra Environmental Engineering. Given evolving soil vapor mitigation standards, VIMS are currently much more prevalent than just three years ago. It is unlikely one can acquire, for example, a former dry cleaner site (with PCE releases), run a vapor extraction system, and then pour your foundation. The lead agency will likely specify a VIMS that operates for the life of the new building. Justin explains the three most common VIMS technologies now utilized.

Visit Terra-Petra at: https://terra-petra.com/

Find Justin Conaway on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinconaway/

Visit Winefield & Associates, Inc. at: https://www.winefieldinc.com/

Find Matt Winefield on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattwinefield/

And now for a brownfields topic that, at first, seems esoteric but will actually impact just about every facet of site cleanups in California. We get into the weeds about proposed changes to Water Code Resolution 92-49. This resolution conveys policies and procedures to the State Water Board and Regional Board officials relating to the investigation and cleanup of discharges into groundwater, surface water and even soil. The topic was much too detailed and cerebral for Matt to tackle alone, so he invited two special guests: Environmental attorney Jay Tufano, Partner at Ring, Bender, LLP and environmental engineer Jeremy Squire, Vice President at Murex Environmental, Inc.  

Ring Bender LLP can be found at: https://ringbenderlaw.com/

Murex Environmental is at: https://murexenv.com/

Visit Winefield & Associates, Inc. at: https://www.winefieldinc.com/

So, you’ve decided to sell your contaminated property. Our tenth Brownfield Braintrust Podcast discusses a three-leg support system to ensure you’re protected from future environmental liability after the deal closes. You’ll want to consider (1) an environmental indemnification, (2) how to manage your selling entity (LLC, trust, etc.), and (3) the brownfield expertise of the buyer. What could be more riveting than a 15-minute indemnification discussion?!

Visit Winefield & Associates, Inc. at: https://www.winefieldinc.com/