A commercial transaction, a land development project, a lender requirement, a CERCLA landowner liability question. Each of these brings buyers, sellers, and counsel to the phone for Phase One or Phase Two Environmental Site Assessment work. Enviro Consulting Services provides Phase One ESAs to ASTM E1527-21 All Appropriate Inquiry (AAI) standard and Phase Two subsurface investigations to ASTM E1903, led by a Geologist and Aqueous Geochemist with 30+ years of field and laboratory experience.
Assessment and reporting only. If Phase Two identifies contamination requiring cleanup, that scope goes to a separately retained environmental contractor. Keeping assessment independent from cleanup is what makes the data defensible in regulated and transactional scenarios.
A Phase One Environmental Site Assessment documents the environmental history and current conditions of a property to identify Recognized Environmental Conditions (RECs) under CERCLA. It is the standard due diligence scope for commercial real estate transactions and lender requirements.
Review of federal, state, tribal, and local regulatory databases for the subject property and adjoining properties. Historical sources including aerial photographs, fire insurance maps (Sanborn), city directories, topographic maps, and historical ownership records. The records review documents the property's environmental history and identifies off-site sources of potential concern.
On-site visual inspection of the property and observation of adjoining properties. The Environmental Professional documents current site conditions, evidence of prior uses, storage of chemicals or fuels, stained soils or pavement, and other observable indicators of environmental concern.
Interviews with current and past property owners, operators, and occupants where reasonably ascertainable, plus interviews with the current owner or their representative. Interviews develop information not available in records.
A written Phase One ESA report to the ASTM E1527-21 format, including findings, opinions, conclusions, limitations, and the Environmental Professional's statement regarding Recognized Environmental Conditions. The report supports CERCLA innocent landowner defense and AAI compliance.
Based on the Recognized Environmental Conditions identified in Phase One (or on specific concerns), a geologist-designed sampling program targets the media (soil, groundwater, soil vapor) and contaminants of concern. Sample locations and depths are driven by site geology, conceptual site model, and regulatory standards.
Soil sampling via direct-push (Geoprobe) or hollow-stem auger drilling. Groundwater sampling via temporary or permanent monitoring wells. Soil vapor sampling where volatile organic compounds are a concern. Methods are selected based on site conditions and data quality objectives.
Samples are analyzed by an accredited laboratory for the contaminants of concern: petroleum hydrocarbons, volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds, heavy metals, PCBs, pesticides, and emerging contaminants like PFAS where applicable.
A Phase Two ESA report documenting sampling program rationale, field procedures, laboratory results, site conceptual model, and conclusions regarding presence or absence of contamination above regulatory screening levels. Formatted for lenders, buyers, and regulators.
Phase One Triggers: Commercial real estate transactions with lender involvement, industrial or formerly-industrial property transactions, CERCLA innocent landowner or bona fide prospective purchaser defense preservation, properties with known or suspected environmental history, refinancing or new financing on commercial property, and some development projects requiring environmental due diligence.
Phase Two Triggers: Phase One identifies one or more Recognized Environmental Conditions that the buyer, seller, lender, or counsel wants to characterize. Known prior uses (auto service, dry cleaning, manufacturing, fuel storage) that suggest likely subsurface impacts. Regulatory or voluntary cleanup programs requiring site characterization. Lender conditions requiring Phase Two before closing.
Phase One ESAs are performed under the oversight of an Environmental Professional meeting ASTM E1527-21 qualifications. Our Environmental Scientist and Geologist both meet the EP standard. The EP's professional opinion on Recognized Environmental Conditions is the core deliverable of a Phase One, and the qualifications behind that opinion determine whether the report holds up.
Paul VanMiddlesworth holds a B.S. in Geology and an M.S. in Aqueous Geochemistry with 30+ years of field and laboratory experience. Subsurface investigation is a geologist's discipline; the conceptual site model, sampling program design, and data interpretation are the difference between a defensible Phase Two and a Phase Two that a regulator or opposing expert can dismiss.
Both Farren and Paul are EPA AHERA Certified for asbestos inspection and Lead Paint RRP certified. When a Phase One or Phase Two is paired with an asbestos or lead survey on the same building, the same team performs both scopes under one coordinated engagement.
Predictable. Transparent. Designed for people making decisions with real money on the line.
We talk through the property, the transaction, the lender or regulatory framework driving the scope, and the timeline. You receive a flat quote and a realistic schedule.
For Phase One, we pull the regulatory databases, historical aerials, Sanborn maps, directories, and ownership records that inform the assessment.
An on-site visit to observe current conditions, evidence of prior uses, and adjoining properties, plus interviews with owners, operators, and occupants where reasonably ascertainable.
Sampling program designed and implemented under geologist oversight. Soil, groundwater, and/or soil vapor samples collected and shipped to an accredited lab.
Phase One reports typically delivered in 15-25 business days from kickoff; Phase Two reports delivered in 20-45 business days depending on scope and lab turnaround. Transaction-driven schedules are accommodated where feasible.
If a lender, regulator, attorney, or environmental contractor has questions about the report, we respond. For Phase Two projects with identified contamination, we can scope follow-on characterization or point you toward a licensed environmental contractor for cleanup.
Phase One and Phase Two Environmental Site Assessments in Spokane, WA and the broader Inland Northwest have some region-specific considerations. The Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer is a Sole Source Aquifer under federal designation, which means subsurface investigations, underground storage tanks, and certain types of releases have elevated scrutiny. Former industrial sites in Hillyard, along the Spokane River corridor, and in the Valley have environmental histories that routinely surface in Phase One reviews.
The Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer provides drinking water for most of Spokane and Kootenai counties. Its Sole Source designation means state and federal regulators apply heightened scrutiny to subsurface activities in the aquifer recharge zone. Phase Two investigations in the aquifer area require careful sampling design, awareness of regulatory programs (Washington Department of Ecology cleanup programs, the Model Toxics Control Act), and coordination with ongoing regional groundwater monitoring where applicable.
A Phase One ESA preserves CERCLA innocent landowner and bona fide prospective purchaser defenses when performed to ASTM E1527-21 standard within applicable timing requirements. It identifies Recognized Environmental Conditions based on available records, reconnaissance, and interviews; it does not guarantee the absence of contamination. Only subsurface investigation (Phase Two) characterizes whether contamination is present.
Commercial due diligence often stacks multiple scopes: Phase One ESA plus asbestos survey plus mold assessment plus a property condition assessment for the building itself. Our team performs all of these, which reduces the number of vendors a buyer or lender has to manage and compresses the overall timeline. One scoping call, one coordinated schedule, aligned reports.
Phase One is a records-and-reconnaissance assessment performed to ASTM E1527-21. It identifies Recognized Environmental Conditions based on history, site visit, and interviews. It does not include sampling. Phase Two is a subsurface investigation (performed to ASTM E1903) that characterizes one or more RECs through soil, groundwater, or soil vapor sampling and laboratory analysis. Phase One answers 'what is the environmental history of this property?' Phase Two answers 'what contaminants, if any, are present in the subsurface?'
No. Phase One ESAs are typically required on commercial real estate transactions with institutional lender involvement, industrial or formerly-industrial property transactions, and situations where CERCLA landowner defenses are a consideration. Smaller residential transactions, raw undeveloped land with no history of industrial use, and some owner-financed deals may not require a Phase One. Lender and counsel drive the scope determination.
A typical Phase One ESA runs 15-25 business days from authorization to report delivery. Transaction-driven rush scopes can be accommodated within 7-15 business days when the timeline is tight. Rush scopes carry a rush fee.
A typical Phase Two runs 20-45 business days from authorization to report delivery, depending on sampling scope, site access, and lab turnaround. Drilling schedules and lab turnaround are often the critical-path items. For transaction-driven projects, we work the timeline backward from the closing date.
No. Enviro Consulting Services performs assessment, sampling, testing, and written reporting only. Cleanup work is handled by a separately retained, licensed environmental contractor. Keeping assessment independent from cleanup is what makes our Phase Two data defensible in regulatory and transactional settings.
Yes. We regularly pair Phase One ESAs with asbestos surveys, mold assessments, lead paint surveys, and commercial property condition assessments on the same transaction. One scoping call, one site visit plan where feasible, coordinated reporting. This compresses the overall due diligence timeline and reduces vendor management overhead for the buyer, seller, or lender.
Call (509) 202-6919 to schedule a scoping conversation. We will ask about the property, the transaction, the lender or regulatory framework, and the timeline, and we will quote a scope that fits.