Phase I and Phase II Environmental Site Assessments

When your organization is buying or selling property, considering an asset or business purchase, or refinancing, there are a lot of factors that play into the decision making process. If you’re like most companies, you are facing time constraints, varying internal experience levels, lender requirements, and working within your organizational risk tolerance.

Phase I Environmental Site Assessments

Once you have decided to buy or sell a physical property or business asset, you want to maximize its value and minimize your risk. If you are financing the purchase, your lender will want to know that there aren’t any current or likely future liabilities that will put their investment at risk. A Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (Phase I) is one way to begin assessing a property for risk from toxic contaminants.

A completed Phase I assessment, as defined by the ASTM E1527 Phase I ESA Standard, is intended to allow a user to satisfy one of the requirements to qualify for ”landowner liability protections” as defense from Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) liability for cleanup of an environmental release. The standard is rigorous and needs to be followed and documented in detail by an Environmental Professional to provide a valid assessment and legal defense if necessary.

Our deep experience allows us to craft Phase I ESA solutions that span a broad range of transaction types, property uses, environmental conditions, information formats and stakeholder groups.

Our Phase I ESA Experience

Our Phase I ESA experience includes:

Multi-site portfolios, international portfolios and mixed-use portfolios
International work performed by in-country local resources
Assessment of business and construction project risk
Providing solutions to problematic findings
Alternative due diligence processes and presentation of findings
Data room research, information summary, categorizing and ranking
Use of web-based tools and delivery platforms
Transportation corridor assessments

Other services we often pair with Phase I ESA's to address other environmental and business risks include:

Environmental, Health and Safety Program and Compliance Review
Presence and Standing of Permits to Operate
Baseline Assessment of Previous Environmental Contamination
Inspections for Potential Asbestos-Containing Materials and Lead-Based Paint
Identification of nearby Wetland Areas, Flood Zones, Geologic Faults, Oil Wells
Materiality Estimates of Identified Conditions
Evaluation of Insurance or State LUST Funds
Pre-Demolition Hazardous Materials Building Surveys

Phase II Environmental Site Assessments

Findings of recognized environmental conditions and data gaps noted in the Phase I are usually further evaluated during a Phase II ESA to verify or clarify the nature and extent of environmental risk. Antea Group’s US team and worldwide associates have broad and deep experience with most means of intrusive sampling and data evaluation necessary to provide answers. Our industry leading probabilistic cost modeling tools enable us to provide sound, defensible data relating to the financial implications of identified environmental liabilities.