A Phase I property assessment is a non-intrusive evaluation to identify actual and potential environmental liabilities associated with a property. Phase I assessments are often requested by owners, purchasers or financial institutions prior to a property transfer or as a preliminary step in facility decommissioning. The assessment includes a site inspection, interviews and an historical records search for the site and adjacent properties.
A Phase II site investigation may be required as a result of a Phase I property assessment. A Phase II provides an understanding of the environmental conditions at the site, including groundwater and subsurface soil conditions as well as any suspected environmental liabilities that may have been identified in the Phase I assessment.
A remediation plan is developed to address issues of contamination that have been identified at a site. The plan is designed according to the management objectives of the site, the nature and accessibility of the contaminants present and the intended use of the site. In Ontario, site management or cleanup objectives may be developed through generic guidelines or risk assessment. Depending upon the nature of environmental liabilities encountered, detailed engineering may be required to plan and implement the most cost effective remediation.
LEHDER conducts Phase I and Phase site assessments in general accordance with the CSA guidance documents Z768-01 and 769-00 respectively. |
