Top rated Raleigh, NC phase 1 and 2 environmental consultants in an easy to navigate format. Why do you need an environmental site assessment? A Phase I environmental site assessment looks into the history of a property. The resulting report provides a detailed summary of the environmental history of the property and findings about potential recognized environmental conditions (RECs). The report may also include preliminary information related to whether contamination is likely and if site cleanup might be required.

Loureiro Eng & Associates
Raleigh, NC
Phone: (860) 707-2419
Website: https://www.loureiro.com/

 

There are a host of reasons for a Phase I study to be performed in Raleigh, some of the most common being:

Purchase of real property in Raleigh

Scrutiny by a new lender to provide a loan on the subject real estate.

Buyout or principal redistribution of ownership.

Application to a public agency for change of use or land use permit.

Property owner's desire to understand toxic history of the property in Raleigh.

A regulatory agency who suspects toxic conditions on the site.

Scrutiny of the land in Raleigh includes examination of potential soil contamination, groundwater and surface water quality, vapor intrusion, and other issues related to hazardous.

The examination of a site in Raleigh may include: any chemical residues within structures; identification of possible asbestos containing building materials; inventory of hazardous substances stored or used on site; assessment of mold and mildew; and evaluation of indoor air quality.

In Raleigh, asbestos-containing materials are not typically surveyed during a Phase I site inspection, but suspect building materials may be noted.

Depending upon the company that performs the phase 1 in Raleigh, there are a number of variations of a Phase I study. The tasks listed here are common to almost all Phase I ESAs:

1. Performance of an on-site visit to view present conditions (chemical spill residue, die-back of vegetation, etc.)

hazardous substances or petroleum products usage (presence of above ground or underground storage tanks, storage of acids, etc.)

evaluate any likely environmentally hazardous site history.

Evaluation of risks of neighboring properties upon the subject property

Review of Federal, State, Local and Tribal Records out to distances specified by the ASTM 1528 and AAI Standards (ranging from 1/8 to 1 mile depending on the database)

Interview of persons knowledgeable regarding the property history (past owners, present owner, key site manager, present tenants, neighbors).

Examine municipal or county planning files to check prior land usage and permits granted

Conduct file searches with public agencies (State water board, fire department, county health department, etc.) having oversight relative to water quality and soil contamination issues.

Examine historical aerial photography of the vicinity.

Examine current USGS maps to scrutinize drainage patterns and topography.

Examine chain-of-title for Environmental Liens and/or Activity and Land Use Limitations (AULs).

In most cases, the public file searches in Raleigh, historical research and chain-of-title examinations are outsourced to information services that specialize in such activities. Non-Scope Items in a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment in Raleigh can include visual inspections or records review searches for:

Asbestos Containing Building Materials (ACBM)
Lead-Based Paint
Lead in Drinking Water
Mold
Radon
Wetlands
Threatened and Endangered Species
Mercury poisoning
Debris flow
Earthquake Hazard
Vapor intrusion
Emerging contaminants
Observations of Non-scope Items can be reported as "findings" if requested by the report user, however, these items do not constitute recognized environmental conditions.

here are several other report types that have some resemblance in name or degree of detail to the Phase I Environmental Site Assessment:

Phase II Environmental Site Assessment is an "intrusive" investigation which collects original samples of soil, groundwater or building materials to analyze for quantitative values of various contaminants.[11] This investigation is normally undertaken when a Phase I ESA determines a likelihood of site contamination. The most frequent substances tested are petroleum hydrocarbons, heavy metals, pesticides, solvents, asbestos and mold.

Phase III Environmental Site Assessment is an investigation involving remediation of a site. Phase III investigations aim to delineate the physical extent of contamination based on recommendations made in Phase II assessments. Phase III investigations may involve intensive testing, sampling, and monitoring, "fate and transport" studies and other modeling, and the design of feasibility studies for remediation and remedial plans. This study normally involves assessment of alternative cleanup methods, costs and logistics. The associated reportage details the steps taken to perform site cleanup and the follow-up monitoring for residual contaminants.

Limited Phase I Environmental Site Assessment is a truncated Phase I ESA, normally omitting one or more work segments such as the site visit or certain of the file searches. When the field visit component is deleted the study is sometimes called a Transaction Screen.

Environmental Assessment has little to do with the subject of hazardous substance liability, but rather is a study preliminary to an Environmental Impact Statement, which identifies environmental impacts of a land development action and analyzes a broad set of parameters including biodiversity, environmental noise, water pollution, air pollution, traffic, geotechnical risks, visual impacts, public safety issues and also hazardous substance issues.

SBA Phase I Environmental Site Assessment means all properties purchased through the United States Small Business Administration's 504 Fixed Asset Financing Program require specific and often higher due diligence requirements than regular Real Estate transactions. Due diligence requirements are determined according to the NAICS codes associated with the prior business use of the property. There are 58 specific NAICS codes that require Phase I Investigations. These include, but are not limited to: Funeral Homes, Dry Cleaners, and Gas Stations. The SBA also requires Phase II Environmental Site Assessment to be performed on any Gas Station that has been in operation for more than 5 years. The additional cost to perform this assessment cannot be included in the amount requested in the loan and adds significant costs to the borrower.

Freddie Mac/Fannie Mae Phase I Environmental Site Assessments[1] are two specialized types of Phase I ESAs that are required when a loan is financed through Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae. The scopes of work are based on the ASTM E1527-05 Standard but have specific requirements including the following: the percent and scope of the property inspection; requirements for radon testing; asbestos and lead-based paint testing and operations-and-maintenance (O&M) plans to manage the hazards in place; lead in drinking water; and mold inspection. For condominiums, Fannie Mae requires a Phase I ESA anytime the initial underwriting analysis indicates environmental concerns.[12]

HUD Phase I Environmental Site Assessment The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development also requires a Phase I ESA for any condominium under construction that wishes to offer an FHA insured loan to potential buyers.[12]