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Have questions about an environmental issue? Please feel free to contact Ray about any question or concern you have on your property or a listing. Remember, I only do the Phase I ESA or Real Estate Transaction screens.
I do not do Phase II type testing or Phase III remediation action requirements, so I have nothing to gain to recommend testing or other costly cleanups that may actually be unnecessary. Give me a call so we can discuss potential savings.
Quiz
How long is it generally recognized that soil that has been previously used for cultivated crops be considered safe for public use such as homes, apartments etc? (Answer below)
The need for a Phase II ESA- ONLY when recommended by the Phase I ESA
A couple of times a year I get a call from a corporate entity whereby they desire a Phase I ESA investigation on a tract of land, usually a raw land tract, but they also demand a Phase II investigation. Since I do not professionally engage in the Phase II process, that is not the problem- the problem is that a Phase II investigation is only needed if the results of the Phase I calls for a specific environmental concern for additional testing or other possible cleanup. For example, say the buyer/client wants to test for radon on a raw land tract- one problem- the EPA does not recommend soil testing for radon on raw lands because radon gases have to “collect” or migrate into basements or other enclosed areas of building improvements for detection.
When taking soil samples to a laboratory for testing, you will be asked by the lab “what are we testing for”? Only if the site surface gives suspicion of significant spills by fuel use, or say underneath the area of 55 gallon drums storing waste oil or other chemicals, would you consider taking soil samples for testing. And even then, the EP should assess whether these spills (or a significant stain thereof) have leaked enough volume to warrant even being reported. For minor stains, usually just let the area bio-remediate in situ.
In sum, unless the Phase I ESA recommends that an area on the subject is suspicious of a spill or even an area of distressed or discoloration of vegetation, and you have some idea as to what may have cause such a concern, then soil testing may be warranted. Without suspicion as to some evidence due to a cause or use, Phase II ESA testing is really futile and an unnecessary expense.
Quiz Answer
10 years. Most regulated pesticides used for most farm crops have naturally broken down thru bio-remediation. However, if possible, always check with the last owner/operator of the farm operations about chemical usage. If chemicals have been used on the soil for less than 10 years, testing may be in order.
ESA Terms to Know:
MCLs
Maximum Contaminant Levels and
TPH
Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons, a term used to describe a large family of several hundred chemical compounds that originally come from crude oil. Because there are so many different chemicals in crude oil and other petroleum products, it is not practical to measure each one separately. A sampling for the TPH level is needed when we suspect an oil spill or soil contamination due to fuel leakage, such as a petroleum underground storage tank (PUST).