Happy Groundhog Day!

Thursday, February 2, 2012 by Health and Safety Account Team
Groundhog


Punxsutawney Phil lives in Pennsylvania just like August Mack Environmental! If you need help with Pennsylvania Environmental Consulting, call our office at 717.399.9587. We will be able to provide Environmental Compliance Solutions if needed.

Reliance Letters

Tuesday, January 24, 2012 by Cassie Anderson
The voltility in current commercial real estate lending has led us to see an increase the in the requests for "reliance letters" on Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessments (ESA).  So what is a reliance letter? 
 
Although whomever commissions the Phase 1 Site Assessment should also carefully consider any limitations a consultant may impose on who may use or rely on the report and explicitly provide for reliance by investors, lenders or others, this doesn't always happen. This is usually discussed...
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August Mack GSA Schedule GS10F0074W

Tuesday, January 17, 2012 by Government Program Development Team

GS10F0074W


Did you know that August Mack is a GSA Schedules contract holder?  August Mack can provide the following services directly to federal government buyers:

  • 899-1 Environmental Consulting Services
  • 899-3 Environmental Training Services
  • 899-8 Remediation and Reclamation Services

To learn more about purchasing these services through GSA Advantage, visit our contractor information page here.

Optimism for Small Business Growth

Thursday, January 5, 2012 by Due Diligence Account Team

Optimism among small business owners = increased SBA lending:

http://www.cnbc.com/id/45827467/

August Mack has extensive experience in conducting environmental assessments in accordance with SBA Standard operating procedures. From a Records Search with Risk Assessment (RSRA), to a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment, and all the way through a Phase 2 Investigation, we can help ensure a smooth environmental process for your SBA backed loans.

Phase One Environmental Site Assessments

Wednesday, January 4, 2012 by Tom Anderson

During 2011 August Mack Environmental was awarded more than 1,500 projects. Many of these projects were Phase I Environmental Site Assessments. Although this is not our largest revenue segment, it is our largest service area by number of projects awarded. Many of these projects are performed near our offices although we have completed transactional due diligence work in over 40 states. If you need help, give me a call at 317.916.3105.


Defining Due Diligence

Friday, December 16, 2011 by Cassie Anderson
Did you know?

Due Diligence is a term used for a number of concepts involving either an investigation prior to signing a contract, or an act with a certain standard of care.  
It can be a legal obligation, but the term is more commonly applied to voluntary investigations. In the environmental world, an example of due diligence is the process through which a potential purchaser evaluates a property for acquistion by means of a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment. 

Environmental Tenant Assessments - Take Control of Your Liability

Thursday, December 8, 2011 by Marketing Department

Taken from a previously published article in our newsletter:

Owning a commercial or industrial building can present unexpected environmental liabilities. A property owner is ultimately responsible for the environmental condition of the property which includes contamination caused by past or current tenants. Most of these environmental concerns and potential liabilities are unknown until a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) is performed. Unfortunately, a Phase I ESA is typically driven by...

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Continuing Obligations...um, continued.

Friday, December 2, 2011 by Cassie Anderson
So I started to write more about the new Continiuing Obligations Standard and how it pertains to new transactions, Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessments and liability protections and then I realized that one of my stellar Senior Project Managers here at August Mack had already done so! I figured, why write about it again when he already did an amazing job of it in our September (monthly) Newsletter.  

Check it out at www.augustmack.com/Newsletter/2011/September/Article0321.html



ASTM Methane Hazard Mitigation Standard

Tuesday, November 29, 2011 by Due Diligence Account Team
Looks like there is development in the works for a new ASTM standard for methane hazard mitigation practices (WK32621). It will be interesting to see how/if this will be incorporated into risk management policies for environmental due diligence. What immediately comes to mind are the numerous landfill facilities that are often identified in close proximity (sometimes adjacent) to a study site during a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment.

Wet Cleaning vs. Dry Cleaning

Monday, November 28, 2011 by Due Diligence Account Team
Dry cleaning facililties routinely are a source of concern while performing environmental site assessments due to the invasive and carcinogenic effects of the solvent used in the process. Tetrachloroethylene (also known as perchloroethylene, perc, or PCE) can easily migrate through soil and groundwater, and has been the topic of much controversy, specifically as it pertains to environmental due diligence. With all that is known about the harmful effects of perc, many states are working to ban...
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Vapor Intrusion Screening for Real Estate Transactions

Wednesday, November 23, 2011 by Marketing Department

Taken from our newsletter files:

Vapor intrusion (VI) is one pathway for building occupants to come in contact with chemicals of concern, occurring when vapors from contaminated soil and/or groundwater migrate into the indoor air of overlying structures. The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) Standard Practice for Assessment of Vapor Intrusion into Structures on Property Involved in Real Estate Transactions E 2600-08 has been developed based on an industry need to address the VI...

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Staying Sharp as a Manager/EP

Monday, November 14, 2011 by Due Diligence Account Team
As I've promoted to a position of management, I find myself conducting fewer and fewer Environmental Due Diligence Assessments. For logisitical and fiscal reasons, it only makes sense that managers and EPs will have less time with boots on the ground in the field, and more time keeping projects moving, reviewing reports for content and issues, and communcating with clients.

However, I do find it important at least once a month to keep a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA), Modified Phase...Read More »

An Interview with August Mack’s Michael Schutz, President of MSECA

Tuesday, November 1, 2011 by Marketing Department

Blog from the August Mack newsletter article archive:

What is MSECA?
The Midwestern States Environmental Consultants Association (MSECA) was founded in Indianapolis, Indiana in 2009 as a technical association focusing on site characterization, remediation and closure. MSECA’s mission includes two specific components: 1) educating the membership and 2) providing technical assistance to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) during development of policy and guidance.

MSECA...

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Why Would I Need a Phase I?

Monday, October 24, 2011 by Marketing Department
Phase 1 Site Assessments are done for a number of reasons. Below are common examples of why you would order a Phase 1:
  • Purchase of real property (property or personal property) by a person or entity not previously on title
  • Contemplation by a new lender to provide a loan on the subject real estate
  • Partnership buyout or principal redistribution of ownership
  • Application to a public agency for change of use or other discretionary land use permit
  • Existing property owner's desire to understand toxic...
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Drycleaners

Friday, October 21, 2011 by Due Diligence Account Team
Typically, drycleaners are a red flag for environmental assessments due to the inherent solvent use in the drycleaning practice. Specifically, tetrachloroethylene (also known as perchloroethylene, or perc) is a very invasive solvent, that when spilled can migrate through the subsurface and contaminate groundwater pretty easily. It travels quickly, and can cause problems quickly if groundwater is used for drinking water. It can also cause indoor air quality problems if the groundwater moisture...Read More »

Ohio Environmental Consultants

Friday, October 21, 2011 by Tom Anderson
We have the state of Ohio covered! Call Kyle Forsythe at 614.798.9922 and he can hook you up with the right technical expert to get your environmental problem solved.

Environmental Due Diligence

Thursday, October 20, 2011 by Due Diligence Account Team
I have been reminded lately that conducting a Phase One Environmental Site Assessment is not just useful for the purchaser of a property. Being proactive when preparing to sell is as good a time as any to complete this study. 

Add value to your property by having the study completed by a third party and ready for review by interested buyers and lenders. This is particularly helpful when the site in question is an existing commercial or industrial site. It limits the occasion of being surprised by...
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Getting Stuck When Someone Else is to Blame.

Thursday, October 20, 2011 by Cassie Anderson
 Federal Court of Appeals Rules Landowner Not Entitled to Common Law Indemnification
-by Bill Wagner

Great article on why a Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment is so important!!!
by Bill Wagner of Taft Law on the EDR Commonground Blog 

"A federal Court of Appeals recently held that a landowner who expressly warranted in his sales contract that his property was not contaminated and breached the warranty through no fault of his own, was not entitled under Illinois law to common law... Read More »

Ahhhh The Project Triangle...

Friday, October 14, 2011 by Cassie Anderson
A co-worker recently handed me an article about quality, timing, and price as it applies to projects and proposals.  Apparently there is an old saying (I say 'apparently' because this is the first I am hearing of it) that goes "You want quality, you want it cheap and you want it fast.  Well, in the real world you can only pick two."  So I figure this applies to most involved in the bidding process, but in my world it's about bidding Phase 1 Environmental Assessments, Phase II subsurface...Read More »

NEW SBA POLICY - Effective October 3, 2011

Thursday, October 13, 2011 by Cassie Anderson

New SBA Environmental Policy in Effect Today, Banks Vow to Increase Small Business Lending

Author: Dianne P. Crocker (dcrocker@edrnet.com)

 

The U.S. Small Business Administration issued a revision to the environmental due diligence requirements of the agency’s 7(a) and Certified Development Company (CDC) loan programs, effective as of Saturday, October 1, 2011. Many of the changes were in response to questions and comments from the SBA’s lending partners and the environmental professionals who...

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