Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessments
Preliminary assessment and site investigation is an integral part of purchasing a commercial or industrial property. NORCON specializes in the Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) of real estate for the commercial banking industry, school boards, municipalities, utility authorities, and county governments. Our primary goal is to provide clients with a clear understanding of a site’s environmental history, along with a list of potential environmental liabilities that may be associated with ownership. Preliminary site assessments reduce a site owner’s chances of being burdened with unexpected remediation or contamination management costs.
NORCON Environmental’s Phase 1 environmental site assessments are often referred to as environmental due diligence. Purchasers and lenders use Phase 1 assessments to evaluate properties for environmental contamination and assess the potential for future contamination.
Quality in Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessments
While it might seem logical to buy a Phase 1 investigation as a pre-defined and itemized package to achieve cost savings, pre-planning and generic procedures are not the key to a proper environmental site assessment. Investigators using a pre-defined, tightly budgeted process can’t afford to pursue the unique aspects of a property. Don’t be lulled by the security of a unit price. Generic procedures are not effective if the Phase 1 assessment does not meet the standards and practices defined by EPA’s final AIA Rule.
NORCON Environmental performs Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessments in compliance with AAI and ASTM E-1527-21 standards of practice. These procedures are more likely to result in discovery of potential problems during the pre-purchase assessment process, and are more likely to hold up in court if contamination is found during post-purchase.
NJ Green Acres Open Space Acquisition Program
The NJDEP Green Acres Open Space Acquisition Program requires New Jersey governments to complete a Preliminary Assessment (PA) prior to receiving program funding. The purpose of this PA is to identify the presence of potentially contaminated areas through a diligent inquiry into current and historic site use. NORCON Environmental has completed over 30 assessment reports (PAR) for a variety of municipal and county entities. NORCON investigations are completed according to requirements defined in the Technical Requirements for Site Remediation, N.J.A.C.7:26E-1.8, as well as the Site Remediation Reform Act (SRRA).
A Preliminary Assessment Report (PAR) presents a history of ownership and use of a property, from the time the site was naturally vegetated or utilized as farmland in accordance with NJAC 7:26E-3.1(c). If the assessment identifies the historic or current agricultural use of a property, the assessment report must address the potential for pesticide contamination. This requirement is based upon the findings of the Historic Pesticide Contamination Task Force March 1999 Findings and Recommendations for the Remediation of Historic Pesticide Contamination.
NORCON Environmental offers clients both the technical environmental expertise to determine if historic pesticides are present and the proven ability to address the problem with practical solutions. There are various cleanup options available to meet these regulatory criteria, and the resolution requires (1) a thorough understanding of site cleanup regulations, (2) a grasp of available cleanup options, and (3) the business acumen to integrate solutions into the overall project.
For the convenience and peace of mind of our commercial, municipal, and government clients, NORCON provides the following services relating to historic pesticide concerns:
- Evaluation of areas of concern (AOC)
- Recommendation of remedial actions for site cleanup
- Formulation of remedial costs
- Full-service site remediation and soil disposal
- In-situ soil blending
- Regulatory negotiation and coordination
Contact NORCON Environmental
To schedule a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment or inquire about project pricing, call 201.230.8800 or submit a secure online inquiry today.
