Services › Phase I Environmental Site Assessment
Definition
Phase I Environmental Site Assessments, or ESAs, are performed at a property to identify environmental conditions or liabilities, such as an underground storage tank, and normally include the following steps:
- Site and site vicinity reconnaissance
- Regulatory agency file review
- Aerial photograph review
- Historical title and land use review
- File and database searches
- Personal interviews about site history
- Data analysis and report preparation
Practical Applications
Phase I ESAs provide the documentation necessary to help protect the seller, the lender, and the buyer of a property from environmental liabilities. The Phase I ESA is the environmental disclosure documentation required by almost all institutions that finance the purchase of commercial property. Most often, a Phase I ESA is requested by clients involved in property transactions, such as lenders, developers, insurers or buyers, that may be held liable for cleanup of pre-existing environmental conditions at a property.
RRM Experience
RRM has completed Phase I Site Assessments at hundreds of commercial properties. We have experience working with a wide variety of lending institutions, and can tailor the methodology, report content, format of the ESA to satisfy the particular needs of the client. Our experienced staff of geologists, hydrogeologists, engineers, and scientists has been a vital problem-solving resource for clients confronted with environmental issues or liabilities.
Related Capabilities
- Phase II Environmental Site Assessments
- Underground and aboveground storage tank removal
- Facilities decommissioning, closure, and demolition
- Lead and asbestos sampling and abatement