Phase I Environmental Site Assessment

The purpose of a Phase I ESA is to identify, to the extent feasible, recognized environmental concerns in connection with the property. This assessment included a site reconnaissance as well as research and interviews with representatives of the public, property management, and regulatory agencies.

From Wikipedia:

A Phase I Environmental Site Assessment is a report prepared for a real estate holding which identifies potential or existing environmental contamination liabilities. The analysis, often called a Phase I ESA, typically addresses both the underlying land as well as physical improvements to the property; however, techniques applied in a Phase I ESA never include actual collection of physical samples or chemical analyses of any kind. Scrutiny of the land includes examination of potential soil contamination, groundwater quality, surface water quality and sometimes issues related to hazardous substance uptake by biota. The examination of a site may include: definition of any chemical residues within structures; identification of possible asbestos containing building materials; inventory of hazardous substances stored or used on site; assessment of mold and mildew; and evaluation of other indoor air quality parameters^[1].

Actual sampling of soil, air, groundwater and/or building materials is typically not conducted during a Phase I ESA. The Phase I ESA is generally considered the first step in the process of environmental Due Diligence.

written by admin \\ tags: asbestos, definition, Environmental Site Assessment, groundwater quality, hazardous, phase i, phase one, soil contamination

(Dallas, Texas - May 8, 2008) An Arkansas nanotechnology company has been awarded $224,997 from the Environmental Protection Agency and the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program to develop a green alternative to fluorescent lighting.

Nanomaterials and Nanofabrication Laboratories, LLC (NN-Labs) of Fayetteville is one of seven small businesses to receive a total of $1.6 million in funding to commercialize green technologies that promise to deliver BIG results.

“These companies are showing how innovative ideas can translate into both economic and environmental success,” said EPA Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene. “Together, EPA and small businesses are advancing research, creating jobs, and protecting the environment at the same time.”

NN-Labs was awarded a Phase II SBIR contract, which is given to small businesses that successfully complete Phase I contracts. The company received a Phase I award for $69,988 in 2007.
Approximately 25 million small businesses in the United States employ more than 50 percent of the American workforce and develop most of the country’s new technologies. SBIR was established to ensure that new technologies are developed to solve priority environmental problems, and is just one example of EPA’s commitment to achieving real world environmental results through the use of innovative technology.

Since its inception in 1982, EPA’s SBIR program has helped fund more than 600 small businesses through its two-phased approach. Phase I awards are used to investigate the scientific merit and technical feasibility of a proposed concept. If the results of this phase are successful, businesses can submit proposals for Phase II contracts, which can reach amounts up to $225,000.
EPA will be accepting submissions for the next year’s Phase I SBIR awards until May 21, 2008. To participate in SBIR, a small business must have fewer than 500 employees, and at least 51 percent of the business must be owned by U.S. citizens.

Additional information on the SBIR program is available at http://www.epa.gov/ncer/sbir.

More on the Phase II projects: http://es.epa.gov/ncer/sbir/08awards/index_state.html

About activities in EPA Region 6: http://www.epa.gov/region6.

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For more information, media may contact Dave Bary or Tressa Tillman at 214-665-2200 or r6press@epa.gov
Note: If a link above doesn’t work, please copy and paste the URL into a browser.

View all Region 6 News Releases

written by admin \\ tags: arkansas, dallas, environmental, environmental protection agency, EPA, green, green lighting, green technology, nanofabrication, nanomaterials, nanotechnology, phase i, sbir, small business, texas

*City of Rome to Receive EPA Funds for Community Revitalization*
Contact: Laura Niles, 404-562-8353, niles.laura@epa.gov

(Atlanta, Ga. -May 8, 2008) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will recognize the City of Rome on Monday, May 12, 2008 in Rome, Ga. as recipients of $400,000 in EPA brownfields grants to help revitalize former industrial and commercial sites, turning them from problem properties to productive community use. Additionally, EPA awarded five other communities in Georgia with $950,000 in brownfields grants. Those include Washington, Louisville, Hinesville, the Downtown Development Authority of Social Circle, and the Jefferson County Development Authority.

Who: EPA Region 4 Acting Deputy Regional Administrator Russell L. Wright, Jr.
Rome City Manager John Bennet

What: Award EPA Brownfields Grants to the City of Rome

When: Monday, May 12, 2008, 2:00 p.m.

Where: Rome City Hall
601 Broad St.
Rome, Ga. 30162-1433

Brownfields are sites where expansion, redevelopment, or reuse may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. The brownfields program encourages redevelopment of America’s estimated 450,000 abandoned and contaminated waste sites. Since the beginning of the program, EPA has awarded 1,255 assessment grants totaling more than $298 million, 230 revolving loan fund grants totaling about $217 million, and 426 cleanup grants totaling $78.7 million.

More information on the grant recipients: http://www.epa.gov/brownfields

Note: If a link above doesn’t work, please copy and paste the URL into a browser.

View all Region 4 News Releases [ http://www.epa.gov/region4/news/index.html ]

You can view or update your subscriptions or e-mail address at any time on your Subscriber Preferences Page [ https://service.govdelivery.com/service/user.html?code=USAEPA ]. All you will need is your e-mail address. If you have any questions or problems e-mail support@govdelivery.com for assistance.

This service is provided to you at no charge by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [ http://www.epa.gov/ ].

Sent by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency . 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW . Washington DC 20460 . 202-564-4355

written by admin \\ tags: brownfield, commercial sites, EPA, ga, gants, georgia, rome

ClimateChangePubMtgs050808.pdf
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 8, 2008 Contact: Robert McCann (517) 241-7397
DEQ Director to Participate in Public Meetings on Climate Change
Department of Environmental Quality Director Steven E. Chester will participate in legislative hearings being held in Ann Arbor and Southfield and host an additional public meeting in Grand Rapids to discuss Michigan’s role in addressing global climate change. The first hearing of the House Great Lakes and Environment Committee being hosted by State Representative Rebekah Warren will take place on Thursday, May 15, from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. at Concordia University’s Black Box Theater in Ann Arbor. The event is a formal hearing of the committee and will be free and open to the public.
“I look forward to taking part in these important discussions that will help guide Michigan’s policymakers in addressing the global problem of climate change,” said DEQ Director Chester. “Michigan is in a unique position to make the kinds of changes necessary to protect our environment while also fostering the growth of alternative energies that will grow our economy.”
Director Chester will host a public meeting on the issue on May 29, from 6:30 - 9:00 p.m. at the Loosemore Auditorium at Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids. An additional formal hearing of the House Great Lakes and Environment Committee will take place on June 10, from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. at the City of Southfield Public Library.
“It’s critical that Michigan begin a public dialog about Global Warming, its expected impacts on our state’s public health, environment, and economy, and the hard decisions we all must make to meet the challenges of a changing climate,” said Representative Warren.
Climate change experts will share their knowledge of the issue at the meetings and legislators and the public will be invited to ask questions following their presentations. These experts include Dr. Henry Pollack, Dr. Joyce Penner, and Dr. Barry Rabe, all from the University of Michigan, who will speak at the May 15 hearing. Dr. Knute Nadelhoffer from the University of Michigan, Dr. Karol Rogers from Grand Valley State, and David Ullrich from the Great Lakes Cities Initiative will speak at the May 29 meeting in Grand Rapids. Dr. David Skole and Dr. Jeff Andreson, both from Michigan State University, will speak on June 10 in Southfield.
##### “Protecting Michigan’s Environment, Ensuring Michigan’s Future”

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*Arkansas small business gets $224,000 from EPA to develop ‘green’ lighting*

(Dallas, Texas - May 8, 2008) An Arkansas nanotechnology company has been awarded $224,997 from the Environmental Protection Agency and the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program to develop a green alternative to fluorescent lighting.
Nanomaterials and Nanofabrication Laboratories, LLC (NN-Labs) of Fayetteville is one of seven small businesses to receive a total of $1.6 million in funding to commercialize green technologies that promise to deliver BIG results.
“These companies are showing how innovative ideas can translate into both economic and environmental success,” said EPA Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene. “Together, EPA and small businesses are advancing research, creating jobs, and protecting the environment at the same time.”
NN-Labs was awarded a Phase II SBIR contract, which is given to small businesses that successfully complete Phase I contracts. The company received a Phase I award for $69,988 in 2007.
Approximately 25 million small businesses in the United States employ more than 50 percent of the American workforce and develop most of the country’s new technologies. SBIR was established to ensure that new technologies are developed to solve priority environmental problems, and is just one example of EPA’s commitment to achieving real world environmental results through the use of innovative technology.
Since its inception in 1982, EPA’s SBIR program has helped fund more than 600 small businesses through its two-phased approach. Phase I awards are used to investigate the scientific merit and technical feasibility of a proposed concept. If the results of this phase are successful, businesses can submit proposals for Phase II contracts, which can reach amounts up to $225,000.
EPA will be accepting submissions for the next year’s Phase I SBIR awards until May 21, 2008. To participate in SBIR, a small business must have fewer than 500 employees, and at least 51 percent of the business must be owned by U.S. citizens.
Additional information on the SBIR program is available at http://www.epa.gov/ncer/sbir.
More on the Phase II projects: http://es.epa.gov/ncer/sbir/08awards/index_state.html
About activities in EPA Region 6: http://www.epa.gov/region6.
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For more information, media may contact Dave Bary or Tressa Tillman at 214-665-2200 or r6press@epa.gov
Note: If a link above doesn’t work, please copy and paste the URL into a browser.

View all Region 6 News Releases [ http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/Press%20Releases%20From%20Region%206!OpenView ]

You can view or update your subscriptions or e-mail address at any time on your Subscriber Preferences Page [ https://service.govdelivery.com/service/user.html?code=USAEPA ]. All you will need is your e-mail address. If you have any questions or problems e-mail support@govdelivery.com for assistance.

This service is provided to you at no charge by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [ http://www.epa.gov/ ].

Sent by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency . 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW . Washington DC 20460 . 202-564-4355

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*Cobb** County** is SunWise, Are You?*
* *
“County promotes sun safety and skin cancer prevention to become SunWise Community”
” ”
Contact Information: Dawn Harris-Young, (404) 562-8421, harris-young.dawn@epa.gov
” ”

(Atlanta, Ga. - May 7, 2008) - In an effort to encourage County residents to adopt sun-safe behaviors, Cobb County Board of Commissioners Chairman Sam Olens proclaimed today SunWise Day in Cobb County. This proclamation is part of Cobb County’s participation in SunWise Communities, a program developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that extends sun safety education through school- and community-based programs. The announcement also coincides with both National Melanoma/Skin Cancer Prevention Month in May and National Physical Education and Sport Week.
“With substantially more than one million new cases of skin cancer diagnosed annually, I hope more communities will follow Cobb County’s lead and become SunWise Communities,” said Jimmy Palmer, EPA Regional Administrator. “EPA is proud to partner with Cobb County and Wellstar Health System to educate adults and children alike about the dangers of UV rays and the benefits of sun-safe behavior. EPA’s SunWise Program will help Cobb County families live sun-safe, healthy lives.”
As part of Board of Commissioners Chairman Olen’s proclamation, Cobb County has distributed sun safety activity kits to schools so they can participate in SunWise Schools, a program designed to teach children about the dangers of overexposure to the sun and equip them with the skills to protect themselves. By using the program’s SunWise Tool Kit, students learn about sun-safe activities, such as wearing sunscreen, seeking shade during midday hours, wearing a hat and sunglasses, and other actions that can significantly reduce their lifetime risk of developing skin cancer. The county plans to promote sun safety throughout the summer and fall as well.
“Becoming a SunWise Community and fighting skin cancer fits perfectly into our commitment to promoting health and wellness in Cobb County,” said Olens. “Since melanoma rates in Cobb County are 50 percent above the national average, teaching our children to be sunwise is essential if we want to prevent unnecessary human suffering.”
Skin cancer is the most common of all cancers and will be diagnosed in substantially more than one million Americans in 2008 alone. There are more new cases of skin cancer each year than the number of breast, prostate, lung, and colon cancer cases combined. In 2008, the American Cancer Society estimates that 62,480 Americans will be diagnosed with melanoma, the most often lethal form of skin cancer, and more than 8,400 will die from the disease. That averages out to one American dying from melanoma every 62 minutes. The number one preventable risk factor for skin cancer is exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation.
Today, Cobb County Superintendent Fred Sanderson, representatives from EPA and Wellstar, and melanoma survivor Marilyn Fry will teach children in the third-grade class of Harmony Leland Elementary School in Mableton about the importance of sun protection. In addition, representatives from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the American Cancer Society (ACS), and Congressman David Scott’s office, were all invited to the event. These individuals will join together to encourage Cobb County residents to incorporate sun-safe behaviors into their daily activities.
*About SunWise* The SunWise Program is an environmental and health education program that aims to teach children and their families how to protect themselves from overexposure to the sun through the use of classroom-, school-, and community-based components. SunWise is the most widely used health education program in the U.S., with over 24,000 educators signed up to use the program.
For more information about SunWise, visit _www.epa.gov/sunwise_ or email _sunwise@epa.gov_.

Note: If a link above doesn’t work, please copy and paste the URL into a browser.

View all Region 4 Press Releases [ http://www.epa.gov/region4/news/index.html ]

You can view or update your subscriptions or e-mail address at any time on your Subscriber Preferences Page [ https://service.govdelivery.com/service/user.html?code=USAEPA ]. All you will need is your e-mail address. If you have any questions or problems e-mail support@govdelivery.com for assistance.

This service is provided to you at no charge by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [ http://www.epa.gov/ ].

Sent by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency . 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW . Washington DC 20460 . 202-564-4355

written by admin \\ tags: atlanta, cdc, cobb county, EPA, melanoma, skin cancer, sunwise, uv radiation, wellstart health system

VolRSCCPAwards050708.pdf FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 7, 2008
Contact: Robert McCann (517) 241-7397
Michigan Volunteer River, Stream, and Creek Cleanup Grant Awards Announced
The Department of Environmental Quality announced today that 14 organizations have been selected to receive 2008 Volunteer River, Stream, and Creek Cleanup grants totaling $27,014.
Michigan’s Volunteer River, Stream, and Creek Cleanup Program (VRSCCP), administered by the Great Lakes Commission under contract with the DEQ, provides small grants ranging from $500 to $5,000 to local units of government to help clean up and improve Michigan’s rivers, streams, and creeks. Local units of government often partner with nonprofit organizations or other volunteer groups to carry out the cleanups.
Volunteer stream cleanup activities include removal of trash and unnatural debris from water bodies and their banks, and minimal repositioning of natural woody material to allow stream passage while maintaining the cover necessary for fish and other aquatic organisms.
Groups selected to receive funding in 2008 are:
● Holton Township - Cedar Creek Cleanup Project, $1,250; ● City of Detroit General Services Department - 2008 Rouge Park River Cleanup, $2,385; ● Grand Traverse Conservation District - 4th Annual Boardman River Clean Sweep-2008, $1,005; ● Village of Dimondale - Mill Stream Cleanup, $1,415; ● Ingham Conservation District - Red Cedar Cleanup, $2,269; ● Dearborn Heights Watershed Stewards Commission - 2008 Rouge River Creek Clean-up, $2,585; ● Sweetwater Township - Pere Marquette River Clean-Up, $900; ● St. Joseph County Conservation District - River Country Stream Cleanup, $2,720; ● Barry Conservation District - 13th Thornapple River Clean-up, $2,625; ● Missaukee Conservation District - Missaukee/Muskegon River Cleanup, $1,110; ● City of Monroe Commission on the Environment - River Raisin Cleanup, $2,000; ● Northeast Michigan Council of Governments - 2008 Big Splash Clean Up, $1,000; ● Shiawassee County Health Department - 11th Annual Shiawassee River Cleanup, $2,140; ● Hamburg Township - 3rd Annual Hamburg Township Huron River Cleanup Day, $3,610.
Michigan’s VRSCCP began in 1998 and has been funded through various public acts.
Since 2001, funding for this program has originated from the sale of the state’s Water Quality Protection license plates.
Additional information on the VRSCCP is available on the Internet at http://www.glc.org/streamclean/ or by contacting John Hummer of the Great Lakes Commission at 734-971-9135 or by e-mail at jhummer@glc.org. Information is also available from the DEQ by contacting John Wuycheck at 517 335-4195 or by e-mail at WuycheckJ@michigan.gov.
#### “Protecting Michigan’s Environment, Ensuring Michigan’s Future”

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We have started a new page that will list definitions of environmental terms.  We will keep adding to it regularly so please keep check back.  Also, if you have any requests or have some more information you would like included, please contact me. 

The ‘Definitions Page’ is linked to from the upper right hand side bar or you can click here to access it.

The definitions page will contain or currently contains definitions related to all appropriate inquiry, astm 1527, brownsfield sites, due diligence, cercla, phase i, phase ii, phase ii, phase one, environmental site assessment, environmental remediation, epa standards, contamination, groundwater, UST, underground storage tanks, vapor, hydrocarbons, superfund, and more.

written by admin \\ tags: astm 1527, brownsfield sites, cercla, contamination, due diligence, Environmental Remediation, Environmental Site Assessment, epa standards, groundwater, hydrocarbons, phase i, phase ii, phase one, superfund sites, underground storage tanks, UST, vapor

I have published a new sitemap for our website. This should make it easier to get around and find relevant articles and pages. You can view the sitemap by clicking here or by clicking on the “Phase I ESA Sitemap” link in the right hand sidebar.

Our sitemap will show pages, articles, and news on various items relating to Phase I (one) Environmental Site Assessments (ESA’s), Brownsfield Sites, CERCLA Liability, All Appropriate Inquiry, AAI, Due Diligence, Environmental Remediation, DEQ News, EPA News, Commercial Real Estate Risk Assessment, ASTM 1527 Standards, and much more.

written by admin \\ tags: Brownsfield, cercla, commercial real estate, due diligence, Environmental Site Assessment, esa, phase i, remediation, sitemap

ASTM revised the standard to comply with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations.

When the U.S. Congress passed the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act in 2002, it cited ASTM E 1527 as the interim standard for conducting All Appropriate Inquiry (AAI).

The act also instructed EPA to develop standards for conducting AAI.

In the course of doing this, EPA found that ASTM E 1527 was appropriate and valid and could comply with EPA AAI regulation if certain issues were addressed. The newly-revised version of ASTM E 1527 reflects the resolution of these issues.

On Nov. 1, EPA issued its final rule on “Standards and Practices for Conducting All Appropriate Inquiries,” which references ASTM E 1527 as being “compliant with the statutory criteria for all appropriate inquiries.”

Click Here to See the New ASTM 1527 Standards

written by admin \\ tags: 1527, all appropriate inquiries, ASTM, cercla, phase i environmental site assessment, standard practices