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.
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...
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 »
However, I do find it important at least once a month to keep a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA), Modified Phase...Read More »
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...
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 »
-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 »
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 »
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New SBA Environmental Policy in Effect Today, Banks Vow to Increase Small Business Lending Author: Dianne P. Crocker (dcrocker@edrnet.com) |
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It is very important, and most times required, by lenders to have a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) performed prior to a property transaction. The purpose of an ESA is to identify environmental risks associated with the property and to protect against liability related to existing site conditions. However, there are a number of environmental considerations which are outside the scope of a Phase I ESA; commonly referred to within an ESA as “non-scope considerations.” These additional...
Read More »In today’s market, August Mack understands the need for your organization to stay competitive in today’s market and our online Phase I ordering system can help you accomplish this goal. Unlike some of our competitors, our online ordering system can offer you an instant and cost-effective quote for a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment. This process allows us to offer you the best price and also allows us to get started immediately on completing your site assessment and provide you with a...
Read More »Preparing for my webinar on
"Addressing Vapor Intrusion during a Property Transaction," I ran
across an ASTM article that gave a great basic snapshot of the
four tiers involved in conducting a vapor intrusion assessment. I
have copied an exerpt below, but you can find more information at
www.astm.org.
Anthony J. Buonicore, chair of ASTM Task Group E50.02.06 on Vapor
Intrusion, says E2600 defines good commercial and customary
practice for conducting a vapor intrusion assessment on a...
While waiting on my client
appointment recently at a local breakfast place, I was
listening in on a neighboring table's conversation.
(Rude I know, but they weren't exactly whispering)
As soon as the word environmental was mentioned during
their chat, my ears perked up. One of the gentleman was
speaking about a recent project they were working on for
development and discussing the environmental considerations and
review that had to be completed prior to breaking ground. He
said that they had...
August Mack Environmental has
experts that perform hundreds of Environmental Site
Assessments. We have performed work in 40+ states and much of
this work includes due diligence related to environmental
assessments in real estate transactions. August Mack provides the
commitment to complete these projects in a timely fashion which is
usually of utmost importance.
Back when I began this
blog with a glossary of terms commonly used in Phase 1
Site Assessments, I failed to include the definition of an
Environmental Professional (or EP (as defined by ASTM
1527-05).
A person meeting the education, training, and experience
requirements as set forth…
|
Professional/Educational Qualifications |
Relevant Experience |
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PE or PG license/registration |
3 years |
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Federal or state license/certification to perform environmental inquiries |
3 years |
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B.A./B.S. degree or higher in... |
If you have EH&S problems that
need to be solved, call Tom Anderson at 317.916.3105 and he will
direct you to the resources to get your problem solved. Whether you
need to look at sustainability solutions, have a Phase I
Environmental Site Assessement completed, or are looking for
someone to help develop your lockout/tagout program, we have the
resources.
I have been spending my summer working in the transaction department mostly assisting with and participating in Phase I Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs). I recently assisted in historical research for a report on a property in downtown Indianapolis. My research included putting together and reviewing historical Sanborn fire insurance maps, and historic city directories for the property as well as surrounding properties at the state library. I was specifically looking for historical...
Read More »When a property is undergoing a transaction (e.g., sale, refinance, foreclosure), a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) is conducted to identify any potential liabilities associated with past or present use of the property. The industry standard for performing Phase I ESAs is based on the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) Standard E 1527, which specifies industry-accepted minimumrequirements for evaluating the environmental condition of a property. The Phase I ESA is...
Read More »Recently, I participated in a site inspection on 102-acres of
vacant, agricultural land for a Phase I Environmental
Site Assessment. Because the land was historically
agricultural, I was looking for signs of illegal dumping of
hazardous waste, evidence of historical homes or buildings on the
site, stressed vegetation or any other issues of environmental
concern. I have learned with every site inspection it is
important to be thorough and inspect every part of the
property because you never...
Read More »WE DO THEM!!! ACTUALLY WE
DO LOTS OF THEM. SO CALL KENT JOHNSON AT 317.916.3177 IF
YOU NEED TO HAVE AN ASSESSMENT COMPLETED.
We recently conducted some Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessments
in the western United States, and it's amazing how much further
contaminants can travel through the
porous, sandy subsurface soils out west! It was a
definite reminder that local geology plays a big role in making
determinations about off-site sources of contamination.
August Mack was awarded a
portfolio package of properties to perform Environmental Site
Assessments on with a very tight deadline. August Mack's commitment
to this client and project, and our expertise in this subject
area allowed us to complete the project very quickly and the client
was very happy with our deliverables.
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