Keeping Charlotte Clean: How Carolina Environmental Response Team Is Protecting the Environment Right in Our Backyard
When a chemical spill happens on a Charlotte highway at 2 a.m., or a grease trap at a local restaurant fails without warning, someone has to show up fast and do the job right. That someone is Carolina Environmental Response Team — better known as CERT.
Based right here in Charlotte, North Carolina, CERT is a privately owned company that has grown into a full-service environmental solutions provider serving clients across a range of industries. They are not a giant national corporation with a call center two time zones away. They are a local team that knows the Carolinas and responds accordingly.
Always Ready, Any Hour
CERT’s Rapid Response Team is second to none, responding to hundreds of emergency calls each year. After an initial call, their team is mobilized within 30 minutes. That kind of turnaround matters when a fuel spill is threatening a local waterway or a hazardous material release is putting workers at risk.
Their emergency line runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. When something goes wrong with the environment, waiting until business hours is simply not an option.
What They Actually Do
CERT handles a wide range of environmental cleanup work. Here is a look at some of their core services:
Emergency spill response is at the heart of what they do. Whether it is a transportation accident, an industrial leak, or a chemical release, CERT specializes in both hazardous and non-hazardous cleanup across North Carolina and beyond.
Hydro excavation is another key offering. Unlike traditional mechanical digging, hydro excavation uses pressure washing and high-power vacuuming to excavate soil, which dramatically reduces the chance of damaging underground utilities while also minimizing environmental impact. It is a cleaner, smarter way to get beneath the surface.
CERT also handles underground storage tank closure from start to finish — pulling permits, locating buried utility lines, removing the tank, and testing the surrounding soil for contamination. If fuel has leaked into the ground, they load the contaminated soil and transport it for proper disposal, then restore the site with clean fill and sod.
Their industrial vacuum services operate on a large scale as well. They offer both liquid and dry vacuuming, taking on jobs that other companies simply do not have the equipment to handle.
Hazmat cleanup rounds out their core work. CERT maintains a fleet of commercial vehicles licensed and certified to transport hazardous and non-hazardous waste, including vacuum trucks and tank trailers, staffed by highly skilled hazmat professionals.
A Company Built Around the Green Movement
Since its founding, CERT has embraced the ideology of the modern-day Green Movement, which ties a healthy environment to public policy and individual behavior, with an emphasis on ecology, health, and human rights. That is more than marketing language — it shapes how they approach every job, prioritizing safety, compliance, and minimal environmental disruption in everything they do.
Serving the Greater Charlotte Region
CERT serves communities throughout the greater Charlotte area including Huntersville, Winston-Salem, Shelby, Gastonia, Lake Wylie, Rock Hill, Kings Mountain, and Lake Norman. Whether you are a restaurant owner dealing with a failed grease trap, a manufacturer facing a chemical spill, or a property owner who just discovered an old underground storage tank, CERT has the equipment and the expertise to help.
For emergency response, reach them any time at 877-505-6799. For general inquiries, call 704-648-4858 or visit cert-usa.com.
