Whether you manage a portfolio of properties, run a family-owned business, or are looking to develop that parcel of land you have your eye on, when it comes to Phase II ESAs, value for your money is everyone’s top priority.  So aside from the bottom line, how do you know if you are getting the best bang for your buck?

Over the next few weeks, we will provide you with the top ten things that, in our opinion, should be included in every Phase II ESA proposal.

1. Clear objectives

What is the objective of the work?

Is it to re-finance or underwrite insurance on the property or business?  Is a major renovation on the horizon?  Will there be a change in property use/ownership, or do you want to obtain a baseline on the environmental conditions prior to finalizing a new tenant lease?

It is vital that these objectives are clearly understood by the consultant, and also stated in the work plan.  Phase II ESAs can be completed in any province following the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) Standard Z769-00 (R2013).  However, unless your property is on federally managed or first nations land, provincial regulations and guidance documents must be referenced.

2. References Phase I ESA

There are some instances where it may be tempting to proceed with a Phase II ESA without first completing a Phase I ESA.  This is usually not advisable.  Perhaps the property is, or was previously, occupied by a gasoline service station, or dry-cleaning facility and the priority is to evaluate risks on Site.  A comprehensive Phase I ESA will determine potential release points (such as floor drains, historical tanks, etc.) on Site, and determine whether there are any historical off-site risks that should be assessed.  The Phase I ESA should drive the Phase II ESA scope of work, and without this report, important details can be missed, or boreholes may be placed in less than optimal locations.

3. Sampling and Analysis Plan

The proposal should identify where each borehole or monitoring well is intended to be placed, and the number of soil, groundwater or soil vapour samples to be collected.  When completing supplemental investigations in particular, each sampling point will have a specific data collection objective.  Often field conditions or field screening of samples will require that the sampling plan be adjusted slightly.  However, the sampling plan (and by extension, the budget) should account for sufficient sampling in order to assess each of the areas of concern identified in the Phase I ESA.

 

Stay tuned next week for the next 3!

Written by Kyla Hoyles

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