Our Services

Environmental Site Assessments

An Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) is a voluntary survey typically requested by developers and plot owners to determine if there is a potential for contamination to be present on a site. This is also conducted at the request of third-party lenders prior to financing the development of a site or conducted for due diligence purposes in conjunction with real estate transactions.

A Phase I ESA typically involves three steps:

The review of available historical records for the site such as land use maps, municipal records and aerial photographs typically obtained from online databases, mapping systems, and municipal and provincial archives.
A Phase I ESA site visit to determine current site conditions and identify potential issues on site. This is a non-intrusive survey typically also involving interviews and a tour of the site to document and photograph site conditions.
Based on the findings, a Phase II ESA is either recommended or not for more intrusive testing and investigation. This typically includes limited surface and subsurface sampling and testing of soil and water.

Our team is well versed with conducting Environmental Site Assessments in the region, applying international standards and guidelines such as the ASTM E1527 and E1903.