July 7, 2016/in Environmental Services /by jeng

When it comes to construction and development, it’s important to ensure your project is done in a safe and responsible way, which includes the effects your project might have on the environment. It’s the reason an Environmental Assessment Report is legally required before your project begins, and why conducting these reports is one of Applied Resource Management’s specialties.

An Environmental Assessment Report is an integral part of any proposed development project, as it investigates and outlines the likely effects a project will have on the environment. If those effects are deemed harmful, unacceptable, or illegal, then the project will have to be altered or adapted in order to lessen these effects.

There are many situations in which an Environmental Assessment Report may be required. These can include the purchase of a new-to-you property, the ability to get a loan on a piece of real estate, changing how the land is zoned, or if toxic conditions are suspected. In these cases, an Environmental Assessment Report will most likely be required and should be undertaken immediately in order to keep your project on schedule.

Environmental Assessment Reports are completed in one or two phases, depending on your results.

Phase I Site Assessments

The first phase of a site assessment is an economical study. This incorporates a professional property inspection with interviews, a regulatory list review, record searches, and historical aerial photograph research. During this phase, environmental professionals will be on the lookout for concerns such as asbestos, contaminant source areas, lead-based paint, mold, wetlands, threats to endangered species, and earthquake hazards, among other things. At this point, no sampling of soil, air, groundwater, or building materials is required. This phase is simply the first step and is considered part of your environmental due diligence. That said, Phase I Site Assessments are held to standards established by the EPA, which Applied Resource Management carefully follows.

Phase II Site Assessments

If potential contaminant impacts on the subject property are found during the Phase I Site Assessment, you’ll need to conduct a Phase II Site Assessment. In this stage, ARM will prepare a work plan to remediate the areas of concern found on the subject site. Depending on the situation and what was revealed during Phase I, this may include soil and groundwater testing, UST removal, AST removal and/or soil removal. Phase II is considered an “intrusive” investigation to determine the level of risk and what must be done to ameliorate it.

Once an Environmental Site Assessment is complete, a work plan has been created, and any and all issues have been remediated, development can finally begin. All these steps may seem like a lot, but when you have the help of experienced environmental professionals such as Applied Resource Management on your side, the process becomes a lot simpler. If you’re about to start development on a project, contact ARM today and we’ll ensure the number one thing you find during the process is peace of mind.