Phase I and Phase II Environmental Site Assessments
Phase I and II Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs) and environmental geologic mitigation are our focus. Typically banks required Phase I ESAs for property transactions. There is strict standard that these adhere to (ASTM E-1527). A Phase I ESA does not involve soil or groundwater sampling but instead focuses on determining the past history and use of the property in question.
Phase II ESAs typically involve soil and groundwater sampling to assess a site for the content and distribution of contaminants. Phase II ESAs may also include sampling of indoor air to evaluate potential health risks to the occupants of a building.
Mitigation projects are focused on either removing or mitigating the environmental problem so that development can proceed safely.
Geologic and Groundwater Assessments
Geologic hazards may include the risk of earthquake fault rupture, earthquake risks such as liquefaction and ground spreading, landslides, and deleterious soil conditions such as expansive or corrosive soils. An analysis of these hazards may include reconnaissance and aerial photograph or satellite studies of the site in question, geologic mapping, and soil sampling and analysis.
Groundwater assessments may also include reconnaissance and aerial photograph analyses, reviews of available groundwater data (the State of California maintains extensive databases of historical groundwater wells), and the installation and sampling of temporary or permanent groundwater wells.