- Environmental Scientists & Geologists
Credentialed. Independent. Inspection & Testing Only.
Email Us
enviroscientist1@gmail.com
Call us
(509) 202-6919
enviroscientist1@gmail.com
(509) 202-6919
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.
Six reasons environmental inspection and testing work lands with Enviro Consulting Services across the Inland Northwest.
To the current All Appropriate Inquiry standard.
Subsurface investigation methodology.
Paul VanMiddlesworth, M.S. Aqueous Geochemistry.
For soil and groundwater analysis.
From cleanup contractors. CERCLA-defensible work.
Reports ready for the audience that reads them.
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.
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.
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, and designed for people trying to make a decision with real money on the line.
We talk through your situation, the property, and the timeline. Flat quote and realistic schedule before anything is booked.
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.
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.
Environmental consulting in Spokane, WA and the broader Inland Northwest is shaped by a stack of federal, Washington state, and local requirements. Federal rules governed by the EPA cover things like asbestos (AHERA, NESHAP), lead-based paint (RRP), and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) due diligence framework that underpins Phase One Environmental Site Assessments. Washington state adds its own layer through the Department of Ecology, the Department of Labor and Industries, and the Department of Health, each with jurisdiction over different environmental scopes.
Common triggers include a commercial property transaction that requires CERCLA All Appropriate Inquiry due diligence, a renovation or demolition project at a pre-1980 structure that requires an asbestos survey under Washington State Department of Labor and Industries rules, a development site that requires soil and groundwater characterization before permits will issue, a residential transaction where the buyer wants independent second-opinion inspection on an older home, and a concern at a property (musty odor, visible suspect material, water quality complaint) that warrants targeted testing.
Scope is built from the trigger, not from a menu. We start with a conversation about what the property is, what you are trying to do with it, and what other parties (lenders, regulators, buyers, contractors) are going to read the report. From there, we build a scope that addresses the actual question without padding it with unnecessary work.
Reports are written documents, not slide decks. For a Phase One ESA, the report follows ASTM E1527-21 format. For an asbestos inspection, the report identifies suspect materials, sample locations, lab results, and management recommendations. For a mold inspection, the report documents moisture readings, suspect areas, and recommended next steps including whether additional lab testing is appropriate. Every report is designed to be handed to a contractor, a lender, or a regulator without translation.
"The Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer is a federally designated Sole Source Aquifer. Subsurface scrutiny is higher here than in most markets."
Plain-language answers to what property owners, buyers, and stakeholders ask most often before scheduling a phase i & ii esa.
Call a credentialed scientist directly. No call center, no sales pressure.
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.
For most residential scopes, within one week. For transaction-sensitive commercial scopes (a Phase One ESA with a closing date), we prioritize the schedule to match the transaction. Rush availability is scope-dependent; the first call is the right place to talk through the timeline.
Our work spans residential, commercial, and development projects. Each audience has a different reason for calling, and each gets the same credentialed inspection and the same clear written report.
