Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ASTM E 1527-05)
- All Appropriate Inquiry (AAI)
Because hazardous waste cleanups can be very expensive and take years to
complete, environmental concerns have become an important factor in property
acquisition. A Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) (now known as "All Appropriate Inquiry" or AAI) is an important
action a purchaser can take to learn about the property's past use, the
environmental conditions at the site and adjoining sites, and the likely
presence of hazardous substances. Armed with this knowledge, the prospective
purchaser can:
1) Better assess the financial risk posed by potential environmental
contamination;
2) Take steps to avoid full or partial liability for cleaning up the
property;
3) Demand that the current landowner clean up the property prior to the sale;
or
4) Have the cost of the property reduced commensurate with the cost of the
cleanup activities.
This Phase I assessment involves conducting some or all of
the following activities:
- Site walk through
- Surrounding area walk through
- Historical aerial photographs review
- Review of chemical use and storage records
- Historical document review
- State, county, and local record review
- Asbestos sampling (if requested)
- File search
- Personnel interviews
Based on the information gathered during the Phase I assessment, EDI
will prepare a report summarizing the findings and providing professional
opinions regarding the potential for an environmental problem to be present at
the site. As necessary, EDI will make recommendations for additional
work and provide associated cost estimates.
Our standard Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) report is conducted
in accordance with the ASTM E 1527-05 Standard Practice for Environmental Site
Assessments: Phase I Environmental Site Assessment Process. The final product is
a bound report with appendices attached as warranted. You can depend on our
reports because we guarantee they will meet or exceed the ASTM standards
established for each of our products. Our reports have been developed with more
than 15 years of experience, resulting in a format that is well organized and
easy to read and understand.
As part of the SBA's 504 or 7(a) programs, the SBA requires an environmental
investigation of every commercial property that will serve as collateral for an
SBA loan guarantee. EDI's Phase I ESA, Records Search with Risk Assessment
(RSRA) and Transaction Screen Assessment are compliant with SBA’s SOP 50 10 5(B)
for Lender and Development Company Loan Programs.
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