Projects
Service: Phase I and II Environmental Site Assessment
Facility Type: Vacant Property
Description:
ACC conducted Phase I and II ESAs for a proposed real estate transaction. The client was interested in purchasing the vacant residential property and re-developing it into a parking lot. The Phase I ESA was conducted in accordance with the standards established under American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) Standard Practice E1527-05 - Standard Practice for Environmental Site Assessments. Based on the Phase I ESA standard, ACC identified one Recognized Environmental Condition (REC) at the site.
During reconstruction of an up-stream culvert associated with the adjacent creek, TPH as gasoline (TPH-g), TPH as diesel (TPH-d) and TPH as motor oil (TPH-mo) were detected in groundwater at respective concentrations of up to 1,400, 63,000, and 180,000 micrograms per liter. ACC reviewed all available documents and interviewed the site caseworker at the local County Environmental Health Services in an attempt to rule out the potential that groundwater at the Subject Property may have been impacted by the undocumented release. Unfortunately the potential could not be ruled out and was identified as an REC.
ACC subsequently performed a Phase II ESA in accordance with ASTM standard E1903-97 (reapproved 2002). The scope of work included three soil borings and the collection of groundwater samples from each. Based on available groundwater data provided by the Regional Water Quality Control Board and the local County Environmental Health Services, ACC determined that groundwater at the site was approximately 3-4 feet below ground surface. Although C57-licensed drillers are typically used for collecting groundwater samples, ACC was able to save the client money by hand auguring to five feet below ground surface, as permitted the local County Public Works Agency, and collect the samples. Hand auguring and environmental sampling were conducted by HAZWOPER-certified technicians (OSHA - 29 CFR 1910.120) and a California state-licensed Professional Geologist supervised the work.
Two groundwater samples were collected at the up-gradient portion of the property and one at the down-gradient portion of the property. Negligible concentrations of contaminants were detected in the samples indicating that the Subject Site was not impacted by the contaminants detected upstream. ACC spoke directly with the lender to answer questions related to the Phase I and II ESAs to assure that the client’s lender had a clear understanding of the subsurface conditions at the site. Based on the Phase II ESA report the Client successfully obtained funding for purchase of the subject Site.
