Tapping into over 20 years of environmental consulting experience, SiteQuest Services is proud to offer Phase I ESA due diligence projects to our clients. SiteQuest Services staff are OSHA 40-hour HAZWOPER trained and have completed hundreds of due diligence projects for a variety of clients in diverse industries across the United States.

The purpose of the Phase I ESA is to identify and assess, to the extent practicable, historical operations or visible indicators that are of environmental concern. Environmental concerns can lead to liability in the event of a property transfer, impact a property’s market value, and impact the present or future use of a site. A Phase I ESA typically includes:

  • Site Reconnaissance: The Site will be inspected for visible signs of potential environmental concerns.
  • Interviews: The current and former Site owners and/or operators will be interviewed, as available, to discuss conditions and uses of the property and to obtain specialized knowledge of the Site and adjacent parcels.
  • Historical Records Review: As available, we will obtain and inspect fire insurance maps, historical aerial photographs, city directories, and historical reports, deeds, liens, etc. to help evaluate former site uses and potential environmental concerns in connection with the Site.
  • Agency Records: As available, we will review local, state, and federal government agency records pertaining to environmental permits, spills, or other regulatory action in connection with the Site and adjacent properties.
  • Report: A comprehensive report documenting the acquired information, observations, sources, and conclusions based on the current ASTM 1527 standard will be provided.

Traditional site remediation consulting firms in the marketplace have large footprints and commensurate overhead expenses.  As a small company with limited overhead, we are able offer due diligence projects at a competitive price point. This pricing also allows us to partner with the traditional site remediation consulting firms. There are many advantages for this partnership.

  1. We have Experience. Frequently, at a traditional firm, due diligence projects are assigned to junior staff with 2 to 5 years of experience (often less) under the direction of the principal to save costs. Lack of experience for the site inspector often leads to either not understanding or misunderstanding what it is exactly they are inspecting, or missing critical observations, like the presence of vent pipes for underground storage tank systems. Additionally, the unseasoned junior staff are still developing professional report writing and organization skills, so managers often must spend a significant amount of time and therefore client dollars to revise reports.  Our staff have completed hundreds of complex site inspections and have experience in preparing thorough, accurate reports and related deliverables efficiently.
  2. We will not Compete. When it comes to due diligence projects, the vast majority of the sites requiring a Phase I ESA do not need further investigation. Typically, these are “one and done” projects. However, if the Phase I ESA identifies a recognized environment condition (REC) warranting additional investigation or remediation services, we will leave these types of projects to the environmental consultants who offer traditional site remediation consulting.
  3. We are not limited by Market Pressures. Many smaller or mid-sized environmental consulting firms operate under a “doer-seller” business model. For these firms, the Phase I ESA is often viewed as a “loss leader” project that leads to million-dollar, long-term remediation projects that are their primary revenue sources. As smaller firms merge with larger companies and consulting firms compete for business, senior executive management of the parent company tend to have an increased focus on avoiding revenue losses and seeking large portfolio-building projects. There is often increased pressure from executive management to cease “one and done” due diligence projects for small clients in favor of servicing and developing the accounts of the Fortune 500 mega-corporations who represent the top revenue streams for the larger consulting firms. We are not affected by these pressures so we can offer our full attention and professional services for due diligence projects for every client, regardless of the potential for future remediation.
  4. We can control Cost. Years of experience in site inspection and report preparation techniques have allowed SiteQuest Services to become extremely efficient in assembling the final ESA deliverable for the client, while meeting the current ASTM 1527 Phase I and industry standards. Limiting the amount of time necessary to complete the project, while still maximizing safety and professionalism, is reflected in the pricing.

Call us today at 908-458-6960!