Phase I Environmental Site Assessment Checklist

PHASE I ENVIRONMENTAL SITE ASSESSMENT CHECKLIST

Table of Contents

1. Project Information
2. Environmental Professional Qualifications
3. Records Review
4. Site Reconnaissance
5. Interviews
6. Evaluation and Report
7. User Responsibilities
8. Signatures and Certifications

PART I: PROJECT INFORMATION

Property Name: [________________________________]

Property Address:
Street: [________________________________]
City: [________________________________]
State: [____] ZIP Code: [__________]
County: [________________________________]

Parcel Identification Number(s): [________________________________]

Total Acreage: [________________________________]

Current Use of Property: [________________________________]

Proposed Transaction Type:
☐ Purchase/Acquisition
☐ Refinancing
☐ Foreclosure/Bank-Owned
☐ Lease
☐ Development/Redevelopment
☐ Other: [________________________________]

Client/User Name: [________________________________]
Client Contact: [________________________________]
Phone: [________________________________]
Email: [________________________________]

Date Assessment Initiated: [__/__/____]

PART II: ENVIRONMENTAL PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

Environmental Professional (EP) Name: [________________________________]
Firm Name: [________________________________]
License/Certification No.: [________________________________]
State of Licensure: [____]

EP Qualifications (40 CFR § 312.10) — Verify at least one:
☐ Licensed or certified Professional Engineer (PE)
☐ Licensed or certified Professional Geologist (PG)
☐ Licensed or certified environmental professional under state program
☐ Baccalaureate degree or higher in engineering/science + 5 years relevant experience
☐ 10 years of relevant full-time experience

EP Declaration on File: ☐ Yes ☐ No

PART III: RECORDS REVIEW

A. Standard Environmental Record Sources (ASTM E1527-21 § 8.2)

Federal Database Records:
☐ NPL (National Priorities List) — 1.0 mile search radius
☐ Delisted NPL — 0.5 mile
☐ CERCLIS/SEMS — 0.5 mile
☐ CERCLIS NFRAP/Archived Sites — 0.5 mile
☐ RCRA CORRACTS — 1.0 mile
☐ RCRA TSD facilities — 0.5 mile
☐ RCRA Generators (LQG/SQG) — property and adjoining
☐ ERNS (Emergency Response Notification System) — property only
☐ Federal Institutional Controls/Engineering Controls — property only

State Database Records:
☐ State equivalent NPL/Superfund — 1.0 mile
☐ State equivalent CERCLIS — 0.5 mile
☐ SWF/Landfill sites — 0.5 mile
☐ LUST (Leaking Underground Storage Tanks) — 0.5 mile
☐ Registered UST sites — property and adjoining
☐ State institutional controls — property only
☐ State Voluntary Cleanup Program — 0.5 mile
☐ Brownfields sites — 0.5 mile

Tribal Database Records:
☐ Tribal environmental databases reviewed (if applicable)

Database Search Provider: [________________________________]
Date of Database Search: [__/__/____]

B. Historical Use Records (ASTM E1527-21 § 8.3)

☐ Aerial photographs reviewed — Years: [________________________________]
☐ Fire insurance maps (Sanborn maps) reviewed — Years: [________________________________]
☐ City directories reviewed — Years: [________________________________]
☐ Historical topographic maps reviewed — Years: [________________________________]
☐ Building department records reviewed
☐ Zoning/land use records reviewed
☐ Tax records reviewed
☐ Prior environmental reports reviewed (list): [________________________________]

Historical use information gap(s) identified: ☐ Yes ☐ No
If yes, describe: [________________________________]

PART IV: SITE RECONNAISSANCE

Date of Site Visit: [__/__/____]
EP Who Conducted Visit: [________________________________]
Weather Conditions: [________________________________]
Site Access Limitations: [________________________________]

A. Interior Observations

☐ Hazardous substances or petroleum products in use or storage
☐ Odors indicating presence of hazardous substances
☐ Stained or discolored surfaces (floors, walls, soil)
☐ Pools of liquid, sumps, or drains
☐ Drums, barrels, or containers (document type and number)
☐ PCB-containing equipment (transformers, capacitors)
☐ Asbestos-containing materials (if apparent)
☐ Lead-based paint (if apparent)
☐ Mold or water damage indicators
☐ Underground or above-ground storage tanks

B. Exterior Observations

☐ Above-ground storage tanks (ASTs)
☐ Vent pipes, fill ports, or access ways indicating USTs
☐ Stained soil or pavement
☐ Stressed vegetation
☐ Solid waste, debris, or dumping
☐ Wastewater discharge points
☐ Wells (monitoring, water supply, or injection)
☐ Septic systems or cesspools
☐ Pits, ponds, or lagoons
☐ Railroad spurs or sidings

C. Adjoining Properties Observations

☐ Adjoining property uses identified and documented
☐ Evidence of environmental concerns on adjoining properties

Findings Summary: [________________________________]

PART V: INTERVIEWS

A. Owner/Operator Interview

Person Interviewed: [________________________________]
Title/Relationship: [________________________________]
Date of Interview: [__/__/____]

☐ Knowledge of environmental liens or activity/use limitations
☐ Knowledge of hazardous substance use, storage, or disposal
☐ Knowledge of petroleum product use, storage, or disposal
☐ Knowledge of environmental cleanups or government notices
☐ Knowledge of USTs (current or former)
☐ Awareness of environmental conditions on adjoining properties

B. Key Site Manager Interview

Person Interviewed: [________________________________]
Date: [__/__/____]
☐ Interview completed ☐ Declined ☐ Not available

C. Local Government Official Interviews

☐ Fire department records checked
☐ Health department records checked
☐ Building/planning department records checked

PART VI: EVALUATION AND REPORT

A. Recognized Environmental Conditions (RECs)

B. Controlled RECs (CRECs)

C. Historical RECs (HRECs)

D. De Minimis Conditions

E. Data Gaps

PART VII: USER RESPONSIBILITIES (ASTM E1527-21 § 6)

☐ Environmental liens search conducted — Date: [__/__/____]
☐ Activity and use limitations search conducted — Date: [__/__/____]
☐ Specialized knowledge or experience of the user considered
☐ Commonly known or reasonably ascertainable information reviewed
☐ Purchase price relationship to fair market value considered
☐ Continuing obligations awareness acknowledged (42 U.S.C. § 9607(b))

PART VIII: SIGNATURES AND CERTIFICATIONS

Environmental Professional Certification

I declare that, to the best of my professional knowledge and belief, I meet the definition of Environmental Professional as defined in 40 CFR § 312.10. I have the specific qualifications based on education, training, and experience to assess a property of the nature, history, and setting of the subject property. I have developed and performed this Phase I Environmental Site Assessment in conformance with the standards and practices set forth in ASTM E1527-21.

Environmental Professional Signature: [________________________________]
Printed Name: [________________________________]
Date: [__/__/____]

Client/User Acknowledgment

I acknowledge receipt of this Phase I ESA and understand that ongoing CERCLA liability protections require compliance with continuing obligations, including appropriate care regarding hazardous substances, cooperation with authorized response actions, and compliance with institutional controls.

Client/User Signature: [________________________________]
Printed Name: [________________________________]
Title: [________________________________]
Date: [__/__/____]

SOURCES AND REFERENCES

• ASTM E1527-21, Standard Practice for Environmental Site Assessments: Phase I Environmental Site Assessment Process (2021)
• 40 CFR Part 312, Standards and Practices for All Appropriate Inquiries (as amended 2023)
• 42 U.S.C. § 9601 et seq. (CERCLA/Superfund)
• EPA, Brownfields All Appropriate Inquiries, https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/brownfields-all-appropriate-inquiries
• Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act, Pub. L. 107-118 (2002)