Our Phase I ESA service includes:

• A Phase I ESA report compliant with ASTM Standard E 1527
• A link to download the full report in PDF format
• Qualified personnel to perform site visit, report prep, and review
• Dedicated project manager to ensure project quality and schedule
• Standard two to three week turnaround (faster turnaround times available)

Phase I Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs)

The scope of work for the Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment meets the technical requirements as stated in the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) guidelines published as the Standard Practice for Environmental Site Assessments: Phase I Environmental Site Assessment Process (Standard E 1527). The ASTM practice is intended to permit a user to satisfy one of the requirements to qualify for the innocent landowner, contiguous property owner, or bona fide prospective purchaser limitations on CERCLA liability.

On November 18, 2005, the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) released a new standard entitled “Standard Practice for Environmental Site Assessments: Phase I Environmental Site Assessment Process” (ASTM Standard E1527-05). The purpose of this practice is to define good commercial and customary practice in the U.S. for conducting an environmental site assessment of a parcel of commercial real estate with respect to the range of contaminants within the scope of Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) (42 U.S.C. 9601) and petroleum products. As such, this practice is intended to permit a user to satisfy one of the requirements to qualify for the innocent landowner, contiguous property owner, or bona fide prospective purchaser limitations on CERCLA liability.

On November 1, 2005, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) published the final All Appropriate Inquiry (AAI) Rule (70 FR 66070) titled “40 CFR Part 312, Standards and Practices for All Appropriate Inquiries; Final Rule.” The final rule establishes specific regulatory requirements for conducting all appropriate inquiries into the previous ownership, uses, and environmental conditions of a property for the purposes of qualifying for certain landowner liability protections under CERCLA. The final rule will be effective on November 1, 2006, one year following the date of publication. After November 1, 2006, parties must comply with the requirements of All Appropriate Inquiries Final Rule, or follow the standards set forth in the ASTM E 1527 - 05 Phase One Environmental Site Assessment Process, to satisfy the statutory requirements for conducting all appropriate inquiries. All appropriate inquiries must be conducted in compliance with either of these standards to obtain protection from potential liability under CERCLA as an innocent landowner, a contiguous property owner, or a bona fide prospective purchaser.

The purpose of the Phase I Environmental report is to identify, to the extent feasible, recognized environmental conditions in connection with the property. This assessment will include a site reconnaissance as well as research and interviews with representatives of the public, property management, and regulatory agencies. DGC will perform a Phase 1 ESA in accordance with the current ASTM standard E1527-05 and the AAI final rule. In response to a request for a Phase I ESA, DGC deploys experts to conduct an inquiry into current and past environmental management practices. We query property owners and key facility personnel and review historical documentation including deeds, records of use of the site and surroundings, historical fire insurance maps, aerial photographs, and agency databases. A Phase I ESA includes a regulatory search of historic records to evaluate the potential presence of concerns on or near the property being evaluated.

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