Release-Based Cleanup Program

The Release-Based Cleanup Regulations (RBCRs) are the rules of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) for reporting, characterizing and cleaning up releases to the environment. DEEP says they also contain cleanup criteria for soil and groundwater and various compliance measures and variances, and that they fulfill statutory requirements in Connecticut General Statutes 22a-134pp to 134xx. DEEP's Voluntary Remediation Programs page, last modified April 13, 2026, gives March 1, 2026 as the effective date of the RBCRs.

In a Phase I ESA

ASTM E1527-21 does not name this program among its standard record sources. For a Connecticut property it is the program whose regulations DEEP says set the requirements to report, characterize and clean up a release, so a case in it is a record to read alongside the standard sources. Four details from DEEP's pages help in reading one.

• Reporting depends on the kind of release. DEEP's page says new releases (spills) are reported by phone, and that a newly discovered historical release or a new Significant Existing Release is reported in its Release, Environmental Assessment, and Cleanup Tracker (REACT).
• A release is closed or put in a tier. DEEP's Tiers page, last modified May 6, 2026, says a release must either be closed with a Release Remediation Closure report within one year of the date of discovery or be assigned to a cleanup tier. It describes Tier 1A as the highest risk because of unknown risks to receptors or noncompliance that DEEP oversees; Tier 1B as known risks to receptors, a remedial action plan that is not complete, or ecological risks that have not been completed, overseen by a Licensed Environmental Professional (LEP); Tier 2 as controlled risks and no receptor pathways, overseen by an LEP; and Tier 3 as completed soil cleanup with groundwater monitoring for natural attenuation. The page gives deadlines of one year for Tier 1A, two years for Tier 1B, four years for Tier 2 and five years for Tier 3, counted from the date of tier assignment, and says the commissioner may approve one-year extensions for good cause.
• Significant Existing Releases carry immediate actions. DEEP's page on them, last modified August 25, 2026, describes them as historical releases that pose an increased short-term risk, and says immediate actions are required until a transition point. For contamination in a private or public drinking water well, it says the creator or maintainer must report to DEEP within 24 hours.
• Tank releases are handled elsewhere. DEEP says releases from underground storage tanks that must clean up under 22a-449(d) are exempt from discovery under the RBCRs. See UST Clean-Up. It says releases from residential underground tanks that heat fewer than four residential units are subject to the RBCRs.

DEEP's Property Transfer Program page says properties already in that program may choose to transition to this one. See the Property Transfer Program page, and the Voluntary Remediation Programs page for how DEEP says that program relates to the RBCRs.

Where to look a site up

• DEEP's Release, Environmental Assessment, and Cleanup Tracker is where it says to search for properties where releases have occurred and track cleanup progress. See the REACT page.
• DEEP's Environmental Cleanup Comprehensive Map Viewer is an ArcGIS tool for geospatial information related to environmental cleanups.
• Questions about the RBCRs and REACT go to DEEP.RemediationDivision@ct.gov.

Getting the file

Documents are in REACT and in the DEEP Online Document Search Portal, depending on when they were submitted. The overview sets out the two cut-off dates DEEP's pages give.

Sources

Department of Energy and Environmental Protection pages, read October 8, 2026:

• Release-Based Cleanup Program, last modified August 25, 2026.
• Tiers, last modified May 6, 2026.
• Significant Existing Releases and Immediate Actions, last modified August 25, 2026.
• Voluntary Remediation Programs, last modified April 13, 2026.
• Environmental Cleanup, no modified date shown.
• Property Transfer Program, last modified April 13, 2026.