Various Notable Projects…
…completed for our exceptional clients.
What We Do
The Phase One Group completes Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment (Phase 1 ESA) Reports in general accordance with the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) Standard E1527-21, “Standard Practice for Environmental Site Assessments: Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment Process” (ASTM E1527-21).
What exactly is a Phase 1 ESA Report?
The purpose of completing a Phase 1 ESA Report is to gather sufficient information to develop an independent professional opinion about the environmental condition of a real estate holding and to identify actual or potential environmental contamination, which may impact the property value or affect claim to an “innocent land owner” exemption following acquisition. Banks and lending institutions typically require this report as part of their due diligence process.
A Phase 1 ESA Report identifies Recognized Environmental Conditions (RECs) associated with a property. RECs are defined as:
The presence or likely presence of any hazardous substances or petroleum products on a property under conditions that indicate an existing release, a past release, or a material threat of a release of any hazardous substances or petroleum products into structures on the property or into the ground, groundwater, or surface water of the property. The term includes hazardous substances or petroleum products even under conditions in compliance with laws. The term is not intended to include de minimis conditions that generally do not present a material risk of harm to public health or the environment and that generally would not be the subject of an enforcement action if brought to the attention of appropriate governmental agencies.
The Phase One Group uses a consistent systematic approach in conducting a Phase 1 ESA Report, which includes the following tasks:
Review of topographic, geological and hydrologic information associated with a property and the areas surrounding a property;
Review of historical land use activities and operations at a property using various sources including, but not limited to, historical aerial photographs, historical topographic maps, Sanborn fire insurance maps, historical city directories, municipal building permit records and plans, planning information, and other related sources;
Interviews with property owners, property owner representatives and property tenants;
Review of environmental regulatory information;
Review and summarization of previous environmental documents issued for a property by others; and
A site visit which includes a property site walk and observation of surrounding properties.
This information is then presented by The Phase One Group in a Phase 1 ESA Report which summarizes the findings during the course of the investigation, and provides recommendations for environmental conditions or concerns, if identified.
The Phase One Group analyzes environmental liabilities and helps businesses overcome environmental obstacles. We provide Phase 1 ESA Reports that are competitively-priced to our customers which include prospective property buyers, property sellers, property owners, brokers, lenders, attorneys, companies, and others involved in real estate transactions.
A typical Phase 1 ESA Report is usually completed in 14 calendar days.
