The purpose of a Phase I ESA is to evaluate actual or potential areas of environmental concern on a property. Contamination can be found within buildings, on ground surfaces, and/or below the ground surface of a property.
Phase I ESAs generally involve a walkthrough of the Site to observe current conditions, accompanied by a review of historical land uses, to determine any potential issues at the site.
The current and historical findings are summarized in a report which is prepared in accordance with Canadian Standards Association (CSA) Standard Z768-01 and the general requirements of the BC Contaminated Sites Regulation (“CSR”).
Phase I ESAs are typically conducted at the request of lenders prior to financing a site, or they are conducted for due diligence purposes in conjunction with real estate transactions, redeveloping or rezoning a property, or as part of a lease agreement.
