The Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) identifies environmental contamination liabilities in real estate transactions, loan refinancing, or site audits. It is often required for new residential developments and serves as the first step in environmental due diligence. Standards are set by the US EPA and ASTM Standard E1527, with the latest being “Standards and Practices for All Appropriate Inquiries” (40 CFR, Section 312). Courts generally require a Phase I ESA for the “Innocent Landowner Defense.”
A Phase I ESA assesses land and physical improvements without collecting samples. If a Recognized Environmental Condition (REC) is found, a Phase II ESA may include chemical analysis of soil, gas, and groundwater.
AEG has acquired over 20 years of experience conducting Phase I ESAs for various clients, ensuring high reliability and legal defensibility.
Our assessment includes:
The Phase II Environmental Site Assessment is generally considered the second step in the process of environmental due diligence. If a Phase I ESA identifies a Recognized Environmental Condition (REC) as defined by ASTM Standard E1527, a Phase II ESA may be necessary based on lending or other property transaction requirements. Previous or existing property use that can typically create the need for a Phase II ESA include gas stations, dry cleaners, machine shops, metal plating and processing, manufacturing, hazardous materials or waste storage, etc. The Phase II ESA includes sampling of environmental media (soil, soil gas and groundwater) and laboratory analysis to investigate the presence of hazardous materials/contamination that may be associated with the REC. The Phase II ESA should outline additional site investigation needs and potential remedial actions that may be required to clean-up the property. For real estate transactions, the Phase II ESA is generally limited to an initial screen of environmental media in order to confirm whether or not a property is contaminated. If contamination is found to exceed federal, state or local cleanup or human-health risk standards, a Site Contamination Characterization may be required to establish the vertical and lateral extent of contamination. Contact and consultation with an oversight agency will be necessary if a “no further action” (NFA) letter is necessary as part of the transaction. AEG extensive experience in assisting our clients with negotiating and establishing voluntary cleanup agreements with oversight agencies that have specific, measurable and attainable objectives which are relevant to our client’s needs and resources. No Phase II ESA can eliminate all uncertainty associated with potential contamination. The quality of the Phase II ESA is entirely dependent on the expertise and experience of the personnel performing the assessment. Professional judgment and interpretation are inherent in the process. AEG provides our clients with over 20 years of performing simple to highly complex Phase II ESAs ranging from small business owners to Fortune 500 companies. Our Phase II ESAs are comprehensive and provide the highest level of reliability and legal defensibility for our clients. Depending on the scope of the environmental condition, Phase II ESAs and Site Contamination Characterizations performed by AEG can include the following:
Our Vapor Intrusion (VI) Risk Assessment consulting services involve evaluating the potential for hazardous vapors to migrate from contaminated soil or groundwater into indoor air spaces, posing health risks. This includes soil gas probe installation, sampling and analysis, as well as indoor and outdoor air sampling and analysis. These assessments help determine the presence and level of contamination, guiding necessary remediation actions to ensure compliance with health and safety regulations.
At AEG, we offer a range of environmental monitoring services to ensure compliance with regulatory standards and protect public health. Our services include:
Perimeter Fence Line Monitoring
Meteorological Data Collection
Weather Station Placement and Installation
