Voluntary Cleanup Program (VCP)

During the 1999 legislative session, the Nevada Legislature passed the Voluntary Cleanup Program (VCP). This program provides relief from liability to owners who undertake cleanups of contaminated properties under the oversight of the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP).

Program Overview

The State of Nevada has established cleanup requirements for soil and groundwater which has been contaminated with hazardous substances or petroleum products. Sites requiring cleanup are usually identified through property transfer assessments or reports of contamination from the owners of a property or the general public. The owners of the property are required to remediate the property to State cleanup standards until the State determines that No Further Action will be required.

The no further action determination does not, however, provide the owner of the property any legal relief from liability regarding environmental issues which may arise as a result of site conditions discovered in the future. The VCP law was passed to provide a means of giving permanent relief of liability to owners of property where a cleanup is conducted under the oversight of NDEP staff.

The program was designed to encourage voluntary cleanups by providing a release from liability to:

  1. The current owners of contaminated sites,
  2. Prospective purchasers,
  3. Financial entities who hold an evidence of title to protect a security interest, or
  4. A government entity which has received a parcel of real property through default.

Acceptance to the program requires the completion of an application for admission which is available on this webpage, at NDEP offices, or by mail. A small amount of site characterization information is required to be submitted with the application; these requirements can be fulfilled through the completion of a Phase I site assessment. An application fee is also required to be submitted; these fees vary based on the type of property being applied for. The application will be reviewed by NDEP staff for approval. Projects with clearly defined redevelopment and re-use goals are given a higher priority status.

Program Contact
David Friedman
dfriedman [at] ndep.nv.gov
Brownfields/VCP
NDEP, Bureau of Corrective Actions
901 S. Stewart Street, Suite 4001

Carson City, NV 89701
775-687-9385

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