What We Do

Remediation & Development Experts

Cantera specializes in the acquisition, decommissioning, remediation and redevelopment of environmentally impaired properties. We have also transacted many different types of distressed assets, including properties with known geotechnical, structural, asbestos and wetland issues.

Our team members have a unique blend of real estate and environmental experience – construction and development, environmental evaluation and remediation, insurance and legal. Since 1991, Cantera has acquired dozens of distressed assets including:

Bulk Petroleum and Oil Terminals
Steel Manufacturing & Processing Plants
Logistics Terminals & Truck Parking Facilities
Chemical Manufacturing Facilities
Scrap Metal Recycling Sites
Service Station Portfolios
Wood Treatment Plants
Former Landfills

Cantera looks to acquire facilities “as-is” and assumes the properties’ environmental cleanup liabilities and future compliance responsibilities. Cantera’s financial strength, coupled with its experience and knowledge, can provide a final and permanent solution to owners.

Our Core Services

Environmental Liability Transfers (ELTs)

ELTs typically involve a purchaser acquiring the property and assuming full responsibility for all environmental liabilities associated with the property.

Site Remediation & Risk Transfer

We offer a wide range of remediation capabilities to handle the various types of environmental issues and problems present at contaminated sites.

Property Development

Cantera has the experience, knowledge and financial ability to transform underutilized, distressed or environmentally impacted properties and put them back into productive use.

How We Do It

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Cantera? Why not do it ourselves?

Unless your core business is remediating contaminated properties, your resources are better spent on your core business. If you hire an environmental consultant most consultants are not rewarded for successful outcomes but are perpetually studying the problems.

Our business model is to solve problems quickly and efficiently. We are consultants who think like owners because we will own your problem asset. Cantera was started by the owners of Pioneer Engineering & Environmental Services, LLC. Pioneer has been in business for 35 years and is an environmental consulting firm that specializes in Brownfields redevelopment. We have worked on over 30,000 sites and have successfully obtained regulatory closure on over 2000 sites. Cantera has been in business for over 30 years and has successfully completed over 50 projects.

How am I protected financially?

Most projects are set up with an independent escrow agent. We are paid out when we complete tasks. We also obtain PLL and Excess Indemnity policies. The Pollution Legal Liability (PLL) Policies are designed to allow Sellers of contaminated properties to transfer their site pollution liabilities to an insurance policy or support a Buyer’s obligations to the Seller with respect to these site pollution liabilities. These policies can be placed in the name of the Buyer or the Seller depending on the negotiated environmental indemnity. Excess Indemnity will protect the owner in the unlikely event we fail to perform on the project.

What about cost overruns?

As stated above we have worked on 30,000 plus sites. Assessing and remediating sites has been our life’s work. Our core team of consultants have spent their careers with our firm. We have the requisite experience! We also use insurance products to help ensure that former owner’s never have to look back at their liabilities.