ASTM E1527-13 pdf free.Standard Practice for Environmental Site Assessments: Phase I Environmental Site Assessment Process.
Purpose—The purpose of this practice is to define good commercial and customary practice in the United States of America for conducting an environmental site assessment2 of a parcel of commercial real estate with respect to the range of contaminants within the scope of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) (42 U.S.C. §9601) and petroleum products. As such, this practice is intended to permit a user to satisfy one of the requirements to qualify for the innocent landowner, contiguous property owner, or bona fide prospective purchaser limitations on CERCLA liability (hereinafter, the “landowner liability protections,” or “LLPs”): that is, the practice that constitutes all appropriate inquiries into the previous ownership and uses of the property consistent with good commercial and customary practice as defined at 42 U.S.C. §9601(35)(B). (See Appendix X1 for an outline of CERCLA’s liability and defense provisions.) Controlled substances are not included within the scope of this standard. Persons conducting an environmental site assessment as part of an EPA Brownfields Assessment and Characterization Grant awarded under CERCLA 42 U.S.C. §9604(k)(2)(B) must include controlled substances as defined in the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. §802) within the scope of the assessment investigations to the extent directed in the terms and conditions of the specific grant or cooperative agreement. Additionally, an evaluation of business environmental risk associated with a parcel of commercial real estate may necessitate investigation beyond that identified in this practice (see Sections 1.3 and 13).
5. Significance of Activity and Use Limitations
5.1 Activity and Use Limitations (AULs) – AULs are one indication of a past or present release of a hazardous substance or petroleum products. AULs are an explicit recognition by a federal, tribal, state, or local regulatory agency that residual levels of hazardous substances or petroleum products may be resent on a property, and that unrestricted use of the property may not be acceptable AULs are important to both the user and the environmental professional. Specifically, the environ mental professional can review agency records and 1C/EC registries for the presence of AULs on the property to determine if a recognized environmental condition is present on the subject property (see Section 8.2.1, 8.2.3, and 11.5. 1.4) The user must comply with AULS to maintain the LLP (see Appendix XI).
9. Site Reconnaissance
9. 1 Ohjecrive—The objective of the site reconnaisswue IS to obtain information indicating the likelihood of identifying recognized en vironinen tal conditions in connection with the pivperiv.
9.2 Observation—On a visit to the property (the site visit), the property shall be visually and/or physically observed and any structure(s) located on the property to the extent not obstructed by bodies of’ water, adjacent buildings. or other obstacles shall be observed.
9.2.1 Exterior—The periphery of the property shall be visually and/or physically observed, as well as the periphery of all structures on the property, and the property shall be viewed from all adjacent public thoroughfares. If roads or paths with no apparent outlet are observed on the property, the use of the road or path shall be identified to determine whether it was likely to have been used as an avenue for disposal of hazardous substances or petroleum products.