Phase I Environmental Site Assessments (ESA) and Planning

Environmental Site Assessments - France EnvironmentalA Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) inspection is an integral part to many commercial and industrial real estate transactions. Thorough and methodical execution of the Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) process is critical in identifying the environmental condition of a property. FEI conducts Phase I ESA’s according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) All Appropriate Inquiry, American Society for Testing and Material (ASTM) E-1527-05 standard.

The Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) is an important step a purchaser can take to access a property’s past use and possible presence of contamination. The goal of a Phase I ESA is to identify the presence or likely presence of hazardous substances or petroleum products.

FEI includes other properties in the assessment due to the fact that a liability may be assigned to another property owner who has released hazardous substances that contaminate other sites.  Contamination that has migrated to a target property from another site may affect the property value, impair/delay its development potential, or require remediation costs if the contamination cannot be proven to have originated offsite of the target property. FEI professionals have diverse technical skills and consider environmental issues in a realistic manner to support merger, acquisition and redevelopment of properties.

Phase I Environmental Site Assessments, may include the following elements:

  • A table summarizing our findings and where to locate key information in the report
  • A records search of federal, state and local databases
  • The location and legal description of your property
  • Site and vicinity characteristics including drainage patterns, wetlands, geology, hydrogeology and surficial characteristics
  • Improvements on the property including structures, roads and utilities
  • Current and past uses of the property and adjoining properties
  • A historical use review to include Sanborn Maps, local directories, title search information and aerial photographs
  • Hazardous substances identified at the property or believed to have been used on the property
  • Hazardous substance containers and unidentified substance containers
  • Above and underground storage tanks
  • Suspected PCBs
  • Suspected asbestos-containing materials
  • Suspected lead in paint, soil and water
  • Radon information
  • Indications of solid waste disposal
  • Other conditions of concern
  • Maps and figures
  • Color, digital site photographs
  • Interviews and source documentation
  • A review of ownership/title information
  • Drinking-water and other utility sources
  • Findings and conclusions
  • Copies of the report on CD, if requested
  • Reliance letters, as needed
  • Engineering survey results, if requested
  • Structural survey results, if requested
  • Hazardous sample results, if requested
  • Recommendations for further testing, if requested