A Phase I assessment was conducted for a proposed residential development. The relevant concern at the site was determined to be wetlands. A preliminary wetlands study was conducted as part of the Phase I that outlined wetland areas. The result was a preliminary development plan that helped establish the economic value of the 22.9-acre tract.

A Phase I assessment was conducted of a 300-acre tract in the Pocono’s that addressed issues involving an illegal dump, water quality of the anchor lake, adequacy of the groundwater supply, site suitability for on-lot septic, and depth to bedrock as development cost considerations.

A Phase I assessment was conducted of an 80-acre former orchard proposed for residential development. The orchard had been abandoned over twenty years ago, and remnants of the former infrastructure were barely discernable; investigation of topography located the old dump, while historical aerial photographs helped identify the location of the former processing and maintenance shops. Because of the association of lead-arsenate and other pesticides with orchards, AA&E recommended a soil sampling program as part of the Phase I assessment. The preliminary soil samples detected elevated levels of arsenic at the site and led to a Phase II assessment.

A Phase I assessment was conducted of an 80-year old, 30-acre industrial facility. The assessment included the review of historical fire insurance maps, old facility drawings, prior environmental projects conducted at the facility, and most importantly, detailed interviews with former employees. Often the best information is not found in records, but by talking with people familiar with a property that have no vested interest in the transaction. The Phase I identified several environmental conditions, and a strategy for utilizing prior investigations as a shield from future environmental liability.

A Phase I assessment was conducted of a shopping center that included a mini-market/gas station as a tenant. The gasoline station had new tanks installed in 1992 that were further upgraded in 1999. Because the USTs were removed and replaced after enactment of the Storage Tank and Spill Prevention Act, a closure report was available that evidenced the integrity of the soil and groundwater at the property in 1992. Subsequently a leak was detected and a hydrogeologic investigation was ongoing at the property. The hydrogeology reports for the release were reviewed, and a fate and transport analysis constructed for the contaminant plume. Financing was approved based on AA&E’s evaluation of the fate and transport model, which included a cost estimate of probable future impact/remedial activities anticipated for the site.

A Phase I assessment would not address the obvious issues associated with this property. Therefore a combined Phase I/II assessment was conducted utilizing test borings, soil sampling, and groundwater sampling to identify liabilities associated with underground storage tanks, stockpiled waste material, and the disposal of solvents and paint related waste on the property. The investigation resulted in a detailed remediation cost estimate and schedule that allowed sale of the property.