A Phase One Environmental Site Assessment is a paper and walk-through exercise. It reviews the history of a property, past uses, aerial photographs, and site records, and it identifies areas of potential environmental concern. What it cannot do is tell you what is actually in the ground.
That is the job of the Phase Two ESA, and it is where drilling starts.
If you are a property owner, developer, or engineering firm approaching this stage for the first time, the process can feel opaque. Below is what a Phase Two drilling program looks like from the contractor’s side of the fence.
