Environmental Consulting in Commercial Real Estate.
A Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) is a critical first step in commercial real estate transactions, property acquisitions, and land development. The primary purpose of a Phase I ESA is to investigate the current and historical uses of a property or multiple parcels to evaluate the risk of potential environmental liabilities or hazardous conditions.
At MEI, our assessments are meticulously conducted to satisfy the EPA's All Appropriate Inquiries (AAI) standard and the latest ASTM E1527-21 standard guidelines. Performing this due diligence protects buyers, lenders, and investors from costly cleanup liabilities by identifying Recognized Environmental Conditions (RECs) before a property transaction closes.
A key component of our environmental due diligence is exhaustive historical records research. We trace the history of your property back to its first developed use—dating back to at least 1940, and frequently as far back as the late 1800s.
MEI’s environmental professionals review a wide array of historical materials to uncover hidden environmental risks. We look for potential threats originating not just from the subject property itself, but also from adjoining properties and the surrounding area.
Our historical deep dive includes a rigorous review of:
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Historical Aerial Photography: Tracking land disruptions, structures, and usage changes over decades.
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Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps (FIM): Identifying historic industrial, commercial, and fuel storage operations.
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Historical City Directories: Uncovering past tenants, business names, and manufacturing activities.
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Historical Topographic Maps: Assessing changes to the physical landscape, grading, and potential fill areas.
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Regulatory Agency Database Records: Checking federal, state, tribal, and local environmental registries for spills, underground storage tanks (USTs), or hazardous waste sites.
Regulatory Records Review and Environmental Risk Assessment
The Phase I Environmental Site Assessment also includes Regulatory Records Review conducted by the EP. This portion of the assessment will identify regulatory information made available for the subject property, adjacent properties, and surrounding area. The EP will reviews the regulatory findings and assess if a potential environmental risk to the subject property exists.
The aerial photograph below shows a subject property and associated regulatory records available for the subject and adjacent properties and surrounding area. Examples of regulatory information the EP reviews includes hazardous waste and/or petroleum records, spill and cleanup files, leaking petroleum sites, and underground and/or above-ground tank records.
Comprehensive Regulatory Records Review
Identifying potential environmental risks through analysis of historical and current regulatory data for the subject property and its surroundings.
Regulatory Records Review
The Phase I Environmental Site Assessment also includes Regulatory Records Review conducted by the EP. This portion of the assessment will identify regulatory information made available for the subject property, adjacent properties, and surrounding area. The EP will reviews the regulatory findings and assess if a potential environmental risk to the subject property exists.
The aerial photograph below shows a subject property and associated regulatory records available for the subject and adjacent properties and surrounding area. Examples of regulatory information the EP reviews includes hazardous waste and/or petroleum records, spill and cleanup files, leaking petroleum sites, and underground and/or above-ground tank records.
Environmental Site Reconnaissance and Field Inspection
Environmental Consulting in Residential Real Estate and Private Home Owners.
Purchasing a New Home?
The Phase I Environmental Site Assessment also includes a site inspection (aka Site Reconnaissance) which is an on-site, non-intrusive inspection of the subject property. The purpose of the inspection is to identify any potential environmental risks or liabilities that may be observed on the subject property. Two examples could include evidence of underground tank(s) and petroleum and/or visual evidence of petroleum and/or hazardous chemical staining or mis-use.
From the roadway or property entrance, the EP will also observe the adjacent properties in order to identify any potential environmental risk or liabilities to the subject property. Various photographs collected for site reconnaissance's are shown below.
Various site reconnaissance photographs are presented below and not all of the photographs are considered and environmental risk.
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Nearly 20 years experience.
Name:
Tim Musson
Address:
3201 S St, Sacramento, CA 95816
Phone:
(916) 261-6301