Environmental Services

Environmental Site Assessment

We work directly with Environmental Site Assessment Experts as part of our full service Project Consulting. Environmental Site Assessment will be required by lenders to assess environmental liability associated with a Commercial or Industrial property. Even for your own peace of mind regardless, you would likely want to have one done on land that you are interested in developing to prevent future issues with your investment.

Site assessments are to be conducted in accordance with Ontario Regulation 153/04 of the Environmental Protection Act.

Phase I Assessment

The Phase I ESA, as per the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) and the Canadian Standards Association (CSA), is required by financial institutions and the courts for facility owners, operators and purchasers, to demonstrate “due diligence” in order to absolve themselves from the liability associated with impacted properties.

This phase involves research to determine if there are any reasons to suspect that hazardous materials could be present based on historical site records, government and agency databases, review of site plans, photographs, and other documents indicating past uses of the property and site reconnaissance. Typically, Phase I ESAs examine building department records going back 50 years. Insurance and fire department maps can also be used to identify issues like abandoned storage tanks, a history of leaks or other uses of the property.

A Phase II assessment is required if current or past use of contaminants of potential concern are discovered, or if the property has ever contained a gas station, dry cleaners or hazardous chemical storage tanks.

Phase II Assessment

The Phase II assessment is conducted in response to issues identified in the Phase I report. It includes limited surface and subsurface sampling of soil and water. Soil samples are pulled from various depths and analyzed for hazardous material contamination. If contamination is found in soil at a depth of 30 feet for example, the investigation may continue to deeper levels.

The Phase II may also include groundwater sampling and laboratory analysis to test for solvents, metals and other chemicals. If any of these substances are found, regulatory authorities must be notified to help oversee via a Phase III cleanup and mitigation of identified contaminants.

Phase III Assessment

Phase III assessments include additional intrusive testing and a plan to mitigate environmental issues based on the results of the previous assessments. During this phase, the size and source of the contamination will be characterized through methods such as installation of ground water monitoring wells. In addition, soil vapor probes may be used to determine if vapor intrusion is occurring within buildings onsite and indoor air quality testing may also be necessary.

This phase includes the implementation of a mitigation plan that can include an array of remediation methods. Contaminated soil may be treated on site or hauled off for disposal and replaced with clean soil. Groundwater may be remediated and monitored, and soil vapor may be extracted to eliminate hazardous chemicals.  Remediation is conducted until concentrations of contaminants meet acceptable regulatory guidelines at a minimum.