A Phase I ESA is an investigation of the current and historic uses of a property, and an inspection of current conditions of the property to determine the likelihood that contamination is present. The Phase I environmental assessment is intended to be a standardized review process looking for specific indications of contamination issues; it is not intended to be an exhaustive search looking for contamination that is not there.
Are There Different Kinds If Phase 1 ESA?
Different companies can use a variety of terms to refer to their own initial or cursory review of environmental issues associated with a property. It is sometimes difficult to determine what the review includes.
Therefore, to assure a comprehensive assessment, the only types of Phase 1 ESA accepted by the US government, States and most lenders uses the current ASTM standard method, referred to as “ASTM E 1527-13” or “E 2247 – 08”, with the later applying to large tracts of rural or forest lands only. These ASTM standards are updated every five years, so older, obsolete versions are referred to as E 1527-05, etc. At the present time, all environmental professionals should be using E 1527-13.