Phase 1 Environmental Assessment
Your trusted resource for an efficient and accurate Phase 1 ESA
We provide services from Desktop Reviews to complete Phase 1 Environment Site Assessments (ESA’s), through multi-phase Phase 2 Investigations, remediation and monitoring (Phase 3) and closure (Phase 4).
Phase 1 ESA
A Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) is an essential component of managing risk for potential property owners. A Phase 1 ESA is often required by lenders, investors, and regulatory agencies as part of due diligence in property transactions.
What is a Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment?
An environmental site assessment is a report that identifies existing or potential environmental contamination liabilities. Phase 1 ESA’s are typically provided for real estate transfer, financing, or for site development purposes as part of the due diligence, risk management and innocent landowner defense process.
The Phase 1 ESA helps to protect both the buyer and seller in a real estate transaction.
Your Phase 1 assessment reports findings that could impact the value of a specific property. You will determine whether the site has current contaminations that need to be resolved, or if it has had any problems with chemical or hazardous materials in the past.
Our Phase 1 ESA’s comply with the current ASTM E1527-13 Standard of Practice and the US EPA-All Appropriate Inquiry (or AAI) standard.
Our experienced professionals always perform the field observations and historic air photo interpretations, which are critical aspects of the Phase 1 ESA work.
Electronic database services supplement our research of local regulatory agency files. Our personnel are qualified Environmental Professionals as defined by the US EPA.
Should contamination be identified based on analytical results, we will discuss the best course of action based on the site-specific conditions.
Real Estate Due Diligence and Risk Management
- Desk-Top Reviews
- Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessments
- Phase 2 Investigations
- Phase 3 Remediation and Monitoring
- Phase 4 Closure
Also available
Phase 2 ESA
When performing Phase 2 Investigation services, our professional geologist work directly with the client to identify potential contamination sources and move quickly to conduct investigation within the constraints of an escrow period.
Phase 3 & Phase 4
If needed, the Phase 3 and 4 process typically involves a regulatory agency. EGS can provide full scale project and regulatory management, remediation alternatives and planning, monitoring services and all necessary permitting requirements to move the case as quickly as possible to the case closure stage.
The Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) entails the following tasks:
Task 1: Research and Review of Regulatory Information
Task 2: Site Reconnaissance (documented by field notes and photos)
Task 3: Data Analyses and Report Preparation
A detailed description of each task follows.
Task 1: Review Regulatory Information
Information from a number of sources limited to the following will be reviewed:
- Review of available regulatory lists of documented toxic release sites at or adjacent to the subject parcel, on file and readily available (at the time of our file review) at the local and State regulatory offices;
- Review of other State and Federal hazardous materials sites listed through our subcontract regulatory database company, Environmental Data Resources, Inc.;
- Review of available historic aerial photography, topographic maps, and Sanborn maps (if available);
- Site history information through limited interview with Client, and most recent owner(s), if available, or other people familiar with the site history.
Task 2: Site Reconnaissance
The purpose of this task is to visually observe if Recognized Environmental Conditions may exist or may have existed on the property and to identify conditions indicative of an existing release, a past release, or a material threat of a release of hazardous substances or petroleum products to said property or adjacent properties.
The site and surrounding area is visually observed by a qualified Environmental Professional experienced in conducting Phase 1 ESAs. The topographic and drainage characteristics of the site are observed and noted. Adjacent and contiguous property use and characteristics are noted. The location of potential and documented hazardous materials release sites (from Task 1 if any) in the vicinity will be located with respect to the subject site.
Observations of concern or interest will be documented with field notes and site photography will be performed. Site photos will be retained in the project file, and may not necessarily be included in the report.
Task 3: Data Analyses and Report Preparation
EGS reviews the results of Tasks 1 and 2 and assesses the potential for Recognized Environmental Conditions at the referenced property and adjacent properties. Documentation of such Recognized Environmental Conditions at or near the site will be presented, as available.
The information collected, and Consultant’s conclusions and recommendations will be summarized in a report to Client which will follow the ASTM E 1527-21 standard Phase I ESA format including the US EPAs All Appropriate Inquiry Standard. Consultant will discuss the findings with Client, if so requested.
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If you have any questions about the services we provide, please reach out. We are happy to go over your needs and our approach to finding you the best solutions.
What our clients say
Our goal is to provide our clients with cost-efficient and dependable environmental services on an individual level. Should you have questions about our services, please feel free to get in touch with us. We are more than happy to answer your questions. View our list of clients and read their feedback. We look forward to working with you soon, and appreciate the opportunity.