A Phase I Environmental site Assessment (ESA) is the systematic process by which a Site Assessor seeks to determine whether a particular property contains contamination. A Phase I ESA does not normally involve significant intrusive procedures such as sampling.
Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessments
Phase I ESA’s may be used to make informed decisions about property transactions, establish baseline environmental conditions, assist in meeting regulatory requirements, and as an initial step in a site clean-up.
The four principal components of a Phase 1 ESA are:
(a) a Records Review
(b) a Site Visit
(c) Interviews; and
(d) Analysis and reporting.
If the Phase 1 ESA determines that there is a significant potential for contamination, a Phase 2 Study is typically recommended.
Phase I ESA’s may assist in reducing uncertainty about potential environmental liabilities and may be a basis for further investigation of the property. The Phase 1 study typically involves no intrusive testing and relies on background (historical) data plus visual inspections of the property.