Phase I - All Appropriate Inquiry

Environmental Site Assessments are often conducted on behalf of banks, real estate companies, finance companies, insurance companies, industrial companies, law firms, public institutions (e.g., municipalities, school districts, universities), and government agencies. Obviously, institutions with financial responsibility, such as banks, lenders, financiers, etc. want to ensure they do not buy a property that could become listed on a state superfund list, or simply require costly remediation in the future. Landowners such as private companies and public institutions want to ensure that any property they acquire is either free of contamination or that the contamination can be identified to determine the cost of remediation and that cost be factored into the selling price. Similarly, property owners who wish to sell a property often have a Phase I conducted before they put the property on the market in order to correct any problems found, thus getting a better price.

Typical Phase I ESA Report Outline

There is no precise format for the report (just that it includes the information to to review, as found in ASTM 1527) but a good report is designed to provide the client with as much relevant information as possible in a format that is concise and easy to read. 

   •    Executive Summary: Summarizes potential environmental concerns identified on a subject property or adjacent/near properties. 

    •    Introduction: Contains general information on the Purpose, Methodology, and Scope of Services for the Phase I ESA, as well as who granted authorization and access, Definition of the Subject Property Boundaries, the Warranty, and the Limitations of the Phase I ESA.

    •    Subject Property Description: Describes the Location, Immediate Boundaries, Dimensions, Function, Soning, Improvements, Utilities, Topography, and Drainage Patterns, Geology, and Soil Characteristics of a Subject Property.

    •    Adjacent/Near Properties Description: Describes the land use of properties immediately adjacent to and near the Subject Property to a distance which potential environmental concerns on those properties will no longer represent a concern to the subject property.

    •    Historical Research: Includes the review of historical information sources such as topographic maps, aerial photography, city directories, fire insurance maps, and chain-of-title summaries in an effort... More

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