Environmental Site Assessments (ESA) and Facility Audits for Compliance with the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)

The principals who started ENSAT were key players in the evolution of the environmental site assessment industry in the mid-atlantic market region in the 1980s, and, consequently, from the earliest days of the company, ENSAT has offered ESA services to our real estate clients. ENSAT remains a strong provider of ESA services nationwide. Our real estate clients have included lending institutions, property management firms, development companies, and others.

For a typical Phase I ESA, ENSAT personnel perform the following services:

  • Inspection of the property and surrounding areas to search for the presence of any evidence of potential toxic, hazardous, or petroleum-based substances.
  • Survey for:
    • Underground and aboveground storage tanks and piping,
    • asbestos,
    • soil discoloration,
    • waste burial or unusual areas of fill,
    • past or on-going dumping,
    • PCB transformers or capacitors,
    • materials management practices,
    • waste generation,
    • potentially contaminated adjacent properties.
  • Historical assessment of the subject site.
  • Review of deed records.
  • Analysis of historical aerial photographs and topographic maps.
  • Interviews with individuals familiar with the history of the subject site.
  • Assessment of the physical setting of the site including geology, soils, topography, and hydrology.
  • Analysis of current databases of federal and state environmental agencies to determine if the site or properties in the vicinity of the site are subject to any enforcement, monitoring, remediation, or other actions.
  • Analysis of spills or other incidents that might have environmental implications for the property.
  • Assessment for wetlands, radon contamination, and contamination due to lead-based or asbestos-containing building materials.
  • Environmental Impact Statement scoping, preparation, and review.
  • NEPA review

ENSAT Corporation utilizes experienced geologists, environmental scientists, and engineers to perform Phase II Environmental Site Assessments at sites where potential impairment has been identified during a Phase I ESA. Phase II assessments are focused on the specific, potential contaminants identified during the Phase I.

At the completion of each Phase I and II ESA, the client is provided with a confidential report of the findings of the assessment, including a comprehensive discussion of procedures and findings and recommendations for further assessment or clean-up.

ENSAT has performed hundreds of environmental site assessments over the course of its history for private clients including homeowners, small businesses, large corporations, and lending institutions. Our Phase I ESA projects have included extensive rural tracts, to operating commercial and industrial facilities, and from single-family residences and small businesses to previous Superfund sites.