Services / Environmental Due Diligence
Phase I & Phase II Environmental Site Assessments
ASTM E1527-21 Property Assessments for Commercial & Industrial Transactions
Environmental liability can follow a property through multiple transactions and decades of ownership changes. Buyers, sellers, lenders, and investors rely on thorough environmental due diligence to understand what they are acquiring — and what obligations may come with it.
Our environmental due diligence practice delivers strategic real estate risk-management assessments evaluating the historical and physical environmental condition of commercial, industrial, and agricultural properties throughout California. Our Phase I ESAs follow the current ASTM E1527-21 standard, which was updated in 2021 to incorporate more rigorous regulatory review, vapor intrusion pathway evaluation, and enhanced historical records research compared to the previous E1527-13 standard.
We work directly with buyers, real estate attorneys, lenders requiring All Appropriate Inquiries (AAI) compliance, and commercial brokers who need reliable, timeline-sensitive assessments that support transaction closings without introducing unnecessary delays.
Core Technical Services
Phase I Environmental Site Assessments (ESA)
A Phase I ESA conducted in strict accordance with ASTM Standard E1527-21 — the current industry standard updated in 2021 — provides a non-intrusive evaluation of a property's historical and current environmental conditions. Our assessments include a thorough regulatory database search, historical aerial photograph and Sanborn map review, government records review, site reconnaissance, and interviews with knowledgeable parties. The deliverable is a professional report identifying Recognized Environmental Conditions (RECs), Controlled RECs (CRECs), and Historical RECs (HRECs) that inform transaction risk decisions.
Phase II Environmental Site Assessments (ESA)
When a Phase I identifies potential contamination that requires physical investigation, a Phase II ESA provides the scientific data needed to characterize subsurface conditions. We coordinate soil boring programs, soil vapor sampling, and groundwater monitoring well installation and sampling, working with accredited analytical laboratories to quantify the presence, type, and extent of contamination. Phase II results inform cleanup cost estimates and support regulatory disclosure obligations.
Property Environmental Reviews & Transaction Screening
For transactions where a full Phase I is not warranted, we provide targeted high-level screening services. These include historical dry cleaner and gas station database searches, database-only regulatory reviews, and transactional environmental risk evaluations that give buyers, lenders, and developers the essential information they need to make informed decisions on a compressed timeline.
Service Highlights
- Phase I ESAs per ASTM E1527-21
- Phase II ESAs — Soil, Vapor & Groundwater
- Recognized Environmental Condition (REC) Analysis
- Historical Records & Aerial Photo Review
- Regulatory Database Searches
- Transaction Screening & Risk Evaluations
- Lender-Compliant Report Formats
- Contamination Characterization Support
Property transaction coming up?
Contact Us TodayStandards & Programs
ASTM E1527-21 · CERCLA All Appropriate Inquiries · DTSC EnviroStor · EPA ACRES · Cal-GeoTracker
Buying, selling, or financing commercial property?
Our ASTM-compliant Phase I and Phase II ESAs protect your investment and satisfy lender requirements.
Schedule a Free ConsultationPlanning your environmental due diligence review
A Phase I environmental site assessment evaluates property history and environmental conditions without intrusive sampling. Further investigation may be recommended based on findings; a transaction assessment is distinct from CEQA review for a proposed development.
What to prepare for a consultation
Share the property address and boundaries, transaction deadline, lender requirements, available prior reports and information on current and historical uses.
Regulatory reference: U.S. EPA: All Appropriate Inquiries. Requirements vary by site and jurisdiction.
Discuss your facility or project with ECARelated compliance services
Your facility may have obligations across more than one program. Explore related requirements before planning your next step.