There are often misunderstandings about exactly what are Phase I and Phase II Environmental Assessments and the specific differences. A Phase I ESA identifies evidence of potential releases of regulated substances, while a Phase II determines if these substances are actually present.
Phase I Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs) identify factors that are recognized environmental concerns that may be an environmental liability or restrict the use of a property. This analysis provides property owners with detailed historical uses of a particular parcel of property and the nearby properties. A Phase I ESA is utilized to determine the potential for environmental impairment at a site, and these assessments are generally requested by a lending institution when applying for a loan for purchase of a commercial property, or utilizing the site for collateral purposes. No soil or groundwater samples are collected during a Phase I ESA. Phase I ESAs are also conducted as a more in-depth investigation based on findings of a Transaction Screening Report.
If a Phase I ESA identifies any potential releases of regulated substances at the site (i.e. abandoned drums, nearby underground storage tanks, adjacent waste disposal sites, landfills, chemical processing facilities, etc.), the conclusions of a Phase I ESA will be to recommend that a Phase II be completed. A Phase II ESA is conducted to assess if any of the potential releases of regulated substances have actually impacted the subject property. A Phase II ESA includes the installation of soil test holes in locations where environmental impact is suspected, and both soil and groundwater samples are collected for laboratory analysis. The scope of soil and groundwater sampling conducted during a Phase II is typically limited in nature, and only characterizes the soil and groundwater present at the identified sampling locations. A Phase II ESA should also be limited to only those compounds which were identified as target compounds from the potential releases of regulated substances at a given site.
A Phase II ESA report is prepared presenting the results of the laboratory analysis of the soil and groundwater samples. Point to Point Environmental will provide a detailed description of the investigation completed, and make recommendations for reporting to regulatory agencies or additional corrective action activities, as warranted.
P2P Environmental offers:
Phase I Environmental Site Assessments
Phase II Environmental Site Assessments
Should you require a Phase I or II Environmental Assessments on your property, or if you have questions about the differences, please call Point to Point Environmental 678.565.4435.