An Environmental Site Assessment (ESA), which is also referred to as a Phase I, is an investigation designed to determine whether environmental degradation has occurred on a property and the likelihood of hidden liabilities for purchasers, owners, operators, insurance and financial institutions.  The need for the ESA stems from the all appropriate inquiry set forth in Section 9601 (35) (b) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA).

An ESA is now a standard requirement for most lending institutions and insurance carriers prior to a commercial real estate transaction.  It is also sound business practice to have an ESA conducted prior to closing on a property in a private lending transaction to ensure against future liability.  As an added level of protection for our clients, ABS Environmental Group maintains Professional Errors and Omissions, Pollution and General liability insurance.

Our environmental site assessments typically include the following:

• A review of the site's history and that of adjacent properties to determine what hazardous substances may have been present and how they may have been released into the environment
• A review of federal, state and local databases to determine if the subject site or any sites within a 1 or ½ mile radius of the subject site are listed and a review of historical maps and aerial photographs, satisfying the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) Standard Practice for Environmental Site Assessments: Phase I Environmental Assessment Process (Practice E 1527-00)
• A study of the pertinent geologic, hydrogeologic and hydrologic data found at the site analysis of collected data to conclude the nature and extent of any environmental degradation of the site and the liability risk to all interested parties
• A written report of the findings with a separate recommendations section if proven necessary by the findings in the conclusions section.

If a contamination problem is discovered, ABS Environmental Group can design and optimize a mitigation plan, environmentally and economically.  In some cases, early implementation of a proactive remedial strategy will permit a property transaction to move forward while contamination clean-up is in progress.

Job References

Our clients include small, medium and larger financial institutions, insurance companies, REITS, law firms, industry and governmental agencies.  References are available upon request.