We have completed hundreds of Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs) for commercial, mixed-use, industrial, and agricultural properties across Central and Northern California.  Our assessments conform to the American Society for Testing and Materials’ (ASTM) standards for Phase I and Phase II ESAs, as well as the US EPA’s All Appropriate Inquiries guidance for Environmental Site Assessments. Â
Phase I Environmental Site Assessments
The purpose of the Phase I ESA is to provide a professional opinion regarding environmental risk conditions at a property, including potential impacts from documented environmental releases in the surrounding area.
Our services include:
- Historical Database search of on-site and vicinity land usesÂ
- Interviews with parties knowledgeable about the property’s past
- Site Visit and Investigation.
- A conclusive report identifying any potential Recognized Environmental Conditions.
While Phase I ESAs can only provide limited assurances of risk potential, as they rely on current site conditions (site inspections), cooperative and candid interviews/questionnaires, and a limited database of regulatory and historical documentation, they have become a standard means by which lending agencies, developers and property owners screen a property for environmental risks and determine whether further investigation is warranted.
Based on the conclusions of the Phase I ESA, Weber, Hayes and Associates may recommend that Phase II soil, groundwater and/or soil vapor sampling be conducted to determine whether the recognized environmental conditions identified have caused a significant release to soil or groundwater beneath the property. Generally speaking, Weber, Hayes and Associates can provide this recommendation within a week after initiating Phase I research so that the purchaser of the ESA can decide if they wish to complete environmental sampling concurrently. This is done to meet the often narrow time-frames involved with property transactions and Escrow.
Phase II Environmental Site Assessments
Weber, Hayes, and Associates has also completed hundreds of Phase II environmental site assessments across Central and Northern California. These soil, groundwater, and/or soil vapor screening assessments are conducted to identify potential risk in response to recognized environmental conditions identified during Phase I ESA research. Sampling strategies designed for Phase II ESAs are catered to the site-specific high-risk locations identified for the property, and incorporate knowledge of soil/geological conditions, groundwater depth and flow direction, site infrastructure and potential future land-use changes.
