Phase I and II Environmental Site Assessments | Site Characterization Reports
Corrective Action Plans | Asbestos Inspections | Expert Witness Testimony
| PHASE I AND II ENVIRONMENTAL SITE ASSESSEMENTS |
The purpose of a Phase I ESA is to permit the user to qualify for the “landowner liability protections” with respect to the range of the contaminants within the scope of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) and petroleum products: that is, the practice that constitutes “all appropriate inquiry” into the previous ownership and uses of the property.
Bay Environmental prepares its Phase I ESAs in accordance with ASTM standards. The following information generally describes the tasks undertaken for each site assessment:
Phase I ESA:
- A site inspection.
- Federal, State, and local regulatory database review.
- A vehicular reconnaissance of areas around the property.
- A review of historical information.
- Interviews with selected individuals.
- Preparation of a formal report for the subject site.
When a Phase I ESA reveals something that may have impacted the soil or groundwater a Phase II ESA is conducted.
Phase II ESA:
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| Bay Environmental typically provides Phase I and II ESA reports to state agencies, local municipalities, and private industrial and commercial clients. We have conducted Phase I and II ESA reports ranging from small, undeveloped single parcel properties to complex multi-parcel commercial and industrial properties. | ||
A SCR is conducted when DEQ requests further information about on-site contamination.
| SITE CHARACTERIZATION REPORTS | [back to top] |
Site characterization consists of activities performed to assess site and contamination conditions, risks posed by the release, and remedial options for cleaning up the release. The objective of site characterization is to obtain all information that is needed to make an appropriate and informed decision regarding the actions necessary to protect human health and the environment from the released materials.
A Site Characterization Report (SCR) consists of three main components: a Site Assessment, a Risk Assessment, and a Remediation Assessment. Each of these components is needed in order to determine the future course of action at a site.
Site Assessment
The Site Assessment portion of the SCR deals with evaluating site and contamination conditions. Major components of the Site Assessment include evaluating the nature, extent and quantity of the release, characterizing the geologic and hydrologic conditions at the site, and determining current and future land and water uses at and near the site. Data collection is a critical part of Site Assessment. The data derived are subsequently used to support Risk and Remediation Assessments.
Risk Assessment
The Risk Assessment section of the SCR deals with evaluating risks posed by the release to human and environmental receptors. In the Risk Assessment, potential and impacted receptors (including sensitive receptors) must be identified, migration rates for the contaminant(s) must be estimated, and risks to individual receptors must be determined. All potential pathways of exposure including ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact must be evaluated in the Risk Assessment. The Risk Assessment must also contain proposed remediation endpoints based upon site-specific risks. The overall goal of risk assessment is to determine risks to receptors so that endpoints for corrective action may be defined on a scientific and defensible basis.
Remediation Assessment
The final section of the SCR is the Remediation Assessment. The primary purpose of the Remediation Assessment is to evaluate the potential for remediation at the site and the applicability of potentially appropriate remedial technologies. Along with considering the merits and feasibility of active remedial technologies, the owner or operator is also expected to evaluate the potential for natural attenuation at the site to achieve case closure with no further action.
A description of and conceptual design for each potential remedial alternative should be included in the Remediation Assessment along with an estimated time frame for implementation and duration of the remedial alternative to achieve the risk based endpoints. The report must provide an estimate of the relative costs for the applicable technologies. Finally, the Remediation Assessment must contain a recommended course of action based upon all information generated during the site characterization process.
| CORRECTIVE ACTION PLANS | [back to top] |
Corrective actions typically need some time to complete, and require input from regulatory agencies by review of a Corrective Action Plan (CAP). A CAP utilizes information derived during Site Characterization and proposes corrective measures that should be used to reduce risks posed by a release to acceptable levels. CAPs may include a detailed description of the corrective actions proposed, projected endpoints, a schedule of implementation, and operational and post operational monitoring schedules.
| ASBESTOS INSPECTIONS | [back to top] |
Bay Environmental completes asbestos inspections to determine the quantity and location of asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) within facilities prior renovation and/or demolition activities, and to determine if special handling and disposal requirements are necessary for the debris during their removal.
All asbestos inspections are completed by licensed asbestos inspectors.
| EXPERT WITNESS TESTIMONY | [back to top] |
Occasionally, environmental issues are raised in civil and criminal cases. Bay Environmental can provide consultation regarding technical environmental issues related to natural resources, contamination or potential for contamination, stormwater management, and regulatory compliance. The owners of Bay Environmental have been involved in property transaction disputes and condemnation cases and have provided consultation, deposition, and expert witness testimony.
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