GuideWire Consulting, LLC services

The objective of a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) is to assess the presence of or potential for environmental concerns associated with current and past Property use as well as potential impact to the Property from off-site environmental concerns. The Phase I ESA consists of several components, including the following: visual inspection, historical records review, regulatory records database review, limited hazardous materials assessment and specific, detailed recommendations for addressing or correcting any identified concerns. With the aid of a Phase I ESA, property owners, prospective buyers and lenders can fully understand the potential for environmental impact to the site and evaluate the liability associated with past or present site use and operations.

Often Phase I ESAs identify environmental concerns related to historical property use or activities on nearby properties that require additional investigation before a determination can be made regarding the environmental condition of a property. In these instances, a Phase II ESA is recommended. The environmental concerns addressed may include asbestos, lead-based paint, radon or other indoor air quality issues. However, most Phase II ESAs are performed because of potential subsurface impact to the Property from the use or storage of chemicals and petroleum products and involve the installation of soil borings using a hydraulic probe or rotary drill rig and the collection of soil and groundwater samples.

The Transaction Screen assessment is a cursory review of the property to identify potential for environmental impairment and consists of a site visit, interviews and review of state and federal regulatory database information. When used appropriately, this practice can provide beneficial property information without the expense of conducting a complete Phase I Environmental Site Assessment. Closely related to the Phase I ESA, the purpose of completing a Transaction Screen is also to provide some basis for the innocent landowner defense and to minimize liability associated with property ownership.

When you have adequate knowledge of current and historical property use, but want to ensure that your property or nearby properties are not listed with state or federal regulatory agencies, and subsequently subject to potential environmental impairment or regulation, an Environmental Scan is recommended. The environmental scan is a detailed review of state and federally listed facilities located within an approximate 1.0-mile radius of the subject Property. An environmental professional experienced in interpreting the state and federally accumulated data will map the coordinates of your property and obtain a compilation report for that area.

Advanced contamination assessments are performed on properties that have identified contamination. These assessments are usually defined by state regulatory agencies and are performed in accordance with state-specific assessment standards. The assessments often involve extensive interaction with regulators charged with oversight and approval of site assessment work. These assessments generally include numerous soil borings and the installation of groundwater monitoring wells to define the lateral and vertical extent of contamination. Soil and groundwater aquifer properties are also evaluated through physical testing. The contamination assessment results are used to evaluate the necessity and advisability of remediation and provide estimated costs of any proposed remedial project.

In many instances a Risk Assessment is performed instead of traditional advanced contamination assessments. The scope of the Risk Assessment is often defined by state regulatory agencies but generally involves the collection of data on the extent of contamination, the nature of near surface soil and groundwater, and an evaluation of area development. GuideWire is familiar with local, state and federal requirements for site assessments including Risk Assessments in accordance with ASTM Standard E 1739. The Risk Assessment considers the physical and chemical characteristics of the contaminant and projects the contaminant migration based on size and location of the source and the location and composition of potential migratory pathways. The final evaluation takes into account the proximity of potential contaminant receptors and evaluates the risk or threat posed to those receptors by the defined contamination.

Asbestos is a general term applied to a wide variety of naturally occurring fibrous minerals. Because asbestos is strong, incombustible and corrosion-resistant, it was widely used in buildings constructed prior to 1975. Unfortunately the unique physical characteristics of asbestos that make it a good building material are the same characteristics that make it harmful. When inhaled, asbestos fibers can cause serious health problems. Although many substances are listed as suspected carcinogens, asbestos is one of the few substances that are a proven carcinogen. For these reasons, federal, state and local governments now regulate the use and removal of ACM.

Underground storage tanks (UST) have historically contributed to a substantial number of contaminated sites. It has been estimated that one-quarter to one-third of all UST systems have leaked. During the 1990s, federal and state regulations dictated the upgrade, replacement or removal of many UST systems and these system modifications will continue as long as USTs are utilized for the storage of chemicals and petroleum products.