What Are Phase 1 ESA Environmental Site Assessments?
April 11th, 2014
Phase 1 ESA Environmental Site Assessments are surging in demand around the Charlotte area as commercial construction and commercial investors flock back to developing commercial properties. But what exactly is a Phase 1 ESA?
In general, Get The Lead Out® performs Phase 1 ESAs with a full report identifying any potential or existing environmental contamination liabilities discovered in an existing commercial building and land site. The actual analysis is called the ESA, or Environmental Site Assessment.
“The ESA that we perform typically addresses both the underlying land, or building site, as well as any physical improvements that have been performed on the property,” said Kathryn Hubicki, president of Get The Lead Out®. “The actual sampling of soil, air, groundwater or building materials is typically not conducted during a Phase 1 ESA.”
A Phase 1 ESA from Get The Lead Out® is generally considered the first step in the process of environmental due diligence. “The standards and steps that we perform for a Phase 1 ESA have been established by the Environmental Protection Agency,” adds Hubicki. “Now, if our Phase 1 ESA determines that a building site is considered to be contaminated, we then provide a Phase 2 ESA, which is a much more detailed and testing analysis for hazardous substances.”
It is important to point out that any piece of real estate can be the subject of a Phase 1 ESA performed by Get The Lead Out®. “The testing site does not have to be a site that is going to undergo demolition or renovation,” says Hubicki. “We perform Phase 1 ESAs on existing and active building sites, schools, churches, manufacturing facilities, office buildings and homes.”
If you would like to learn more about having a Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) performed, please contact Kathryn Hubicki at 704-376-3594 or email koh@198.199.69.131. We can help you determine or uncover any hazardous conditions or substances that may exist on your building site.