At Fehr Graham, our Iowa Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) experts know the industry standards, helping corporations and developers with their brownfield redevelopment projects for years. Conducting a Phase I ESA for your Iowa redevelopment project is essential to improve the quality of life in the communities where our clients live and work and helps protect the environment from contamination. ESAs give you data to make informed decisions on your redevelopment projects or land transactions in Iowa.
What are emerging contaminants of concern?
When purchasing or redeveloping land for your Iowa brownfield redevelopment projects, a thorough and comprehensive Phase I ESA is required to assess any site contamination to ensure environmental and public safety. Our site assessments identify emerging contaminants of concern that have the potential to cause harmful effects on human health and the environment.
One example would be Per- and Polyfluorinated Substances (PFAS), a long-lasting chemical that slowly degrades with time and is persistent in the environment. It can often be found in water, air, and soil. The Environmental Protection Agency implemented the ASTME E-1527-21 standard to help prevent public and environmental exposure to harmful chemicals.
Key steps during an Iowa Phase I Environmental Site Assessment
ESAs follow key steps to reveal essential information that can affect the site’s redevelopment like:
- Researching historical and environmental records review.
- Conducting site inspections.
- Reviewing reports of potential contamination in surrounding source locations.
- Interviewing former landowners and people with site knowledge.