EPA Recognized Environmental Condition Assessment — Phase 1
An environmental site investigation, also known as an EPA, is an analytical report prepared for a commercial real estate holding which identifies existing or potential environmental pollution liabilities. The report addresses both the physical property and the underlying soil. If the area in question has pending litigation as it relates to the presence of pre-existing pollutants, then the report addresses this as well. In many instances these reports can be prepared and submitted to federal, state, or local agencies for the purpose of legally regulating commercial activity within the area. Such regulatory activity can relate to various types of pollution such as: chemical pollution, noise pollution, and air pollution. It can also regulate the quantities of such items in the surrounding area.
Site investigations are conducted primarily on behalf of the responsible federal agency, and sometimes on behalf of the responsible state or local agency. In many cases the primary role of the site investigator is to perform a biotech site survey within the defined scope of their licensing. In other cases however, the licensed investigator may be called upon to identify problems associated with the development. In addition to performing geotechnical surveys within the licensed field of work, these private investigators may also be called upon to perform environmental investigations. These investigations generally center on issues relating to the site’s compliance with applicable recognized environmental conditions. The EPA site investigation exam also involves determining if the proposed development will result in an undue concentration of pollutant emissions that would be considered harmful to the environment.
The EPA site examination process includes two steps. The first step is the process by which qualified staff from EPA perform the geotechnical and environmental site assessments. The second step is the remediation process. This is typically done through negotiations with affected parties and involves analyzing the results of the site investigations to identify areas of concern and working with them to develop solutions that will hopefully mitigate any harm that may be caused.
A major part of this remediation stage involves gathering and evaluating data related to all of the identified risks. This data is then passed on to the EPA administrator for analysis and finalization. An agency representative will oversee the submission of the report and act as the main liaison between the EPA administrator and all affected parties. The EPA administrator is responsible for determining the ultimate level of penalty for each site, as well as creating a schedule for submitting administrative penalties and compensations. These penalties and compensations are established by law and serve as the basis for the Agency’s financial recovery plan.
The next phase is to address the identified data gaps. Where necessary, EPA addresses these gaps by developing a schedule for correcting the identified problems. Some problems that present significant scientific, technical, or environmental merit can be corrected prior to the development of a regulated facility. Other problems, however, will need to be addressed before that time comes. It is important to remember that developing a regulated facility requires significant amounts of resources and funding. Any EPA administrative penalties or compensations that are assessed in the final analysis must be balanced by budget cuts to other programs and initiatives.
After the submission of the EPA Regulatory Impact Assessment for each identified contaminated site, the agency then begins the process of phase 1 environmental site assessment. This is where a top-quality, third-party laboratory provides an independent, third-party assessment. During the phase 1 period, the agency will monitor and analyze the data provided by the laboratory. Once all data gaps have been addressed, the agency must then determine whether the contaminant is of substantial concern or not. This next phase is known as the pre-filtration stage.
This stage involves a review of the on-site soil and groundwater samples collected during the site survey. Samples from the soil and groundwater samples will be analyzed for key contaminants. Based on the pre-filtration stage, EPA creates the final EIR or Environmental Impact Report. The EIR is typically sent to the EPA office for approval. The agency then completes the next phase of the regulation: the imposition of the ban on the four specific classifications of contaminants mentioned in the previous paragraph.
EPA’s primary objectives include; prevention of chronic adverse environmental conditions, controlling pollution, maintaining the quality of the air we breathe, controlling water quality, and more. Each of these objectives can be effectively achieved through the implementation of effective and efficient EIR and CEAs. EPA recognized environmental condition assessment plays an important role in fulfilling these primary objectives.
