Environmental Site Assessments

Argus Environmental follows the American Society of Testing and Measuring (ASTM) Standard E1527-05 in the conduct of our assessments.  Our work profile typically involves 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, our assessment is intended to permit a client to satisfy one of the requirements to qualify for the innocent landowner, contiguous property owner, or bona fide prospective purchaser based upon the limitations of CERCLA liability or landowner liability protections.  Our scope of work constitutes "all appropriate inquiry into the previous ownership and uses of the property consistent with good commercial or customary practice" as defined at 42 U.S.C. 9601(35) (B).
The ASTM standard defines good commercial and customary practice for conducting an environmental site assessment of a parcel of property and the goal of the standardized site assessment is to identify the presence of recognized environmental conditions. Recognized environmental conditions refer to the presence or likely presence of any hazardous substances or petroleum products on a property under conditions that indicate an existing release, a past release, or a material threat of a release of any hazardous substances or petroleum products into structures on the property or into the ground, ground water, or surface water of the property.
Argus Environmental will provide sufficient documentation of all sources, records, and resources utilized in conducting the inquiry required by the ASTM guideline in the form of a written report which includes historical data base searches, aerial photographs, and topographical maps.