What You Need To Know About A Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment

By Daphne Bowen


On many construction or demolition projects, conducting environmental assessments on a site has become common. Its purpose includes identifying any potentially hazardous material or to confirm whether abatement is needed or not. Most contractors have professionals whose training involves conducting such assessments. Their findings ultimately appear in Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment reports.

Phase 1 ESAs are common reports performed in order to learn about a proposed sites history. It forms a useful document within the construction industry that results from valuable exercises. Instances vary where one is required and quite a lot emerges about a site from it. This kind of assessment has origins in the seventies. Its purpose then involved identifying risks arising from developing construction sites that had suffered exposure to toxic chemicals. Such studies helped developers reveal costs for cleaning up and ascertaining sites were fit for particular usage.

As time come to pass, Phase one of ESA became standard reports needed in diverse commercial transactions where property was concerned. Information analysed from such accounts involve tests carried out on land. It covers examination of physical and structural developments on a projects property. Interviewing neighbors, government officers and property owners is part of the process. These interviews bring out a certain sites history.

Getting a Phase one of ESA is critical for diverse commercial transactions. One is permit application where such a report is an essential requirement. It satisfies an important need for understanding a property history. It forms the bases for buyer protection where an individual or entity is contemplating buying a commercial property.

An ESA Phase One constitutes part of the evaluation process during a loan application on a property. This is because it projects better understanding of a property true value. Discretionary use of land permits such as change of use applications require ESAs. Government agencies usually demand ESAs procedures whenever certain sites toxic histories have queries.

Initial steps in getting a phase one ESA involves engaging qualified and trained environmental professionals. AAI and ASTM standards describe what is needed in an assessment. This is beside other requirements based upon directives by State, local or Federal regulatory agencies. A professional visits a site to view the latest conditions and form a historical understanding of a site.

Visits to neighboring sites feature for risk evaluation to those properties and risks from them. Discussions and interviews with people who possess relevant knowledge regarding a site then follow. These include employees, neighbors, government agents and previous owners. Visits to requisite agencies follow for discovery of files about soil contamination and water quality, among others.

Environmental site assessments have diverse variations with Phase One being the most common. In this regard, professional firms proficient in offering such services abound in each State. What is called for is careful research to identify those a client deems fit for their project. Research online with specific industry forum concentration helps to pick candidates for vetting. Vetting should cover expertise, training, education, experience and costs for an assessment. Local, State and Federal licensing is another critical area to ascertain since assessment, at a point, will involve their regulating agencies.




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