Florida Site Investigation Section (SIS)

The Site Investigation Section of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) conducts assessments of known or suspected soil and groundwater contamination across the state, and issues technical reports that support assessment and cleanup decisions. DEP says that since the section began in 1982 its staff have conducted or supervised over 775 environmental studies.

In a Phase I ESA

ASTM E1527-21 does not name a state agency's own investigation reports among its standard record sources. A section study can still be the state's first technical record of contamination at or near a property.

• Sites come from the districts. DEP says sites requiring assessment are referred to the section by the DEP district offices. Ask the district office for the referral and for what it decided after the report.
• The facility types are familiar ones. DEP says the studies have included facilities specializing in electronics manufacturing, electroplating, dry cleaning, equipment repair and printing, and commercial storage and application areas for solvents, pesticides and fuel.
• Some studies start from a well. DEP says staff routinely conduct large-scale investigations to determine the sources of groundwater contamination affecting public and private supply wells. Check whether a study near the property was one of these.
• State-owned land has its own program. The section oversees the State Owned Lands Cleanup Program, founded in 2001, which addresses potential health-related and environmental issues on state-owned properties and is available to all state agencies. DEP says over 450 areas of concern on over 100 state-owned properties have been assessed.
• Emerging contaminants are part of the work. DEP says the section has been actively involved in assessments related to emerging contaminants. Its page links one titled Fire Training Facilities Assessment for PFOA and PFOS.

The section's page links Chapter 62-780 and Chapter 62-777, F.A.C., which are on the Contaminated Site Cleanup Criteria and Contaminant Cleanup Target Levels pages.

Where to look a site up

• The section's Site Inventory, which DEP links from the section's page.
• The section's page also links a dashboard and the Contamination Locator Map (CLM).
• To report a concern, DEP says to contact the district office that manages the area. Incidents needing an immediate response, such as spills, go to the State Watch Office at 1-800-320-0519.

Getting the file

DEP's OCULUS document system gives access to public records associated with permitted facilities and activities. Documents are filed under a DEP program and facility, so have the facility or site name or the facility identification number. For a paper records search, DEP says to contact the district office's Public Records Coordinator or the Office of Ombudsman and Public Services (Public.services@FloridaDEP.gov, 850-245-2118). The routes and fees are on the Public records and OCULUS page.

Sources

Florida Department of Environmental Protection pages, read October 6, 2026:

• Site Investigation Section, last modified July 1, 2026.
• Waste Cleanup Program, no modified date shown.
• Public Records, last modified October 2, 2026.