At the time of transfer of property ownership, financing, or major renovation involving below grade construction, the evaluation of possible contamination is of paramount importance.  The contaminants present in soils and ground water may impact the subject property, adjoining properties, or the health of construction workers and building occupants.

The legal disclosure requirements and costs associated with the remediation of contaminated sites make it an important due diligence requirement to conduct a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA).  Most financial institutions make a Phase I mandatory prior to any property financing agreement.  Phase I ESA’s help characterize the environmental condition of a site and include a search of former property usage and spills records.

Recommendations from the Phase I ESA report can lead to a Phase II ESA where samples of surface and sub-surface soil, surface water, groundwater, and other material on the site are collected and analyzed for contaminants related to current or past site activities. Results of the Phase II ESA sampling are evaluated and assessed for environmental legislation, regulations and guidelines to assess remediation options (often referred to as Phase III). Maple provides comprehensive ESA related services, which include:

• Phase I ESA
• Phase II ESA (Sample collection, testing and analysis of various contaminants)
• Phase III ESA (Project design and management for site remediation)