New York Phase I ESA Providers

Best Phase I ESA Providers in New York Is the bank requiring you to complete a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) before they will give you a loan for a commercial property? Do you need a Phase I ESA ensure your property meets appropriate due diligence requirements set forth by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC)—so as to avoid becoming liable for a previous owner’s negligence? If so, you are going to research different environmental consulting firms to find one that best fits your company’s unique and important needs. While our services help clients with all types of environmental issues—including Phase I ESAs—we understand you may still want to consider other options before selecting an environmental consultant. It is common for customers to as us “If we do not use Ambipar Response EMS, what other companies would you recommend?” For your convenience, we have compiled a list of the seven best Phase I ESA providers in New York.

Employing the help of environmental professionals who possess the knowledge and expertise of ever-changing environmental regulations is imperative to the completion process. Searching for a Phase I ESA provider to effectively and efficiently perform the ESA on your property may seem tedious, but it is also an important step to ensure you and your property are protected in the event of pre-existing environmental contamination. We understand that there are many other environmental consultants in your area, and some may be more suitable for your situation than others.

In this article we will briefly discuss the purpose of a Phase I ESA, the qualifications that an environmental professional should possess, and a list of the best Phase I ESA providers in New York.

What is a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment?

Phase I ESAs are used to determine if there are any situations on the site that meet the definition of a Recognized Environmental Condition (REC). A REC is defined as the presence or likely presence of any hazardous substances or petroleum products in, on, or at a property. The bank may still approve a loan even if a REC is found, but they may request further investigation of the REC to determine if there has been any environmental impact.

Environmental contamination—and its associated liability—may have significant adverse effects on the value of real estate and may, in certain circumstances, cause a lender to be held directly liable for the environmental cleanup of the property. The cost of such a cleanup may exceed, by many times, both the amount of the loan granted to the borrower, as well as the value of the property.

What Qualifications Should a Phase I ESA Provider Possess?

We field many questions regarding Phase I ESAs, but the two most common questions we answer are, “Does the individual need to be licensed?” “Does an Environmental Professional have to do it?”

To put it simply, if you want a high-quality Phase I ESA correctly completed on your property, the answer to both questions is YES! Based upon the importance of strictly complying with the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA or Superfund), the All Appropriate Inquiry (AAI) rule, and also upon the importance of providing appropriate due diligence for prospective buyers and their lenders, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency set strict minimum standards for environmental professionals looking to perform Phase I ESAs:

An Environmental Professional is a person who possesses sufficient specific education, training, and experience necessary to exercise professional judgment to develop opinions and conclusions regarding the presence of releases or threatened releases to the surface or subsurface of a property. The definition includes persons who:

hold a Professional Engineer’s or Professional Geologist’s license or registration and have three years of full-time relevant experience.
are licensed or certified by a state, tribe, or the Federal government to perform All Appropriate Inquiries and have three years of full-time relevant experience.
have a Baccalaureate degree or higher from an accredited institution of higher education in a relevant discipline of engineering, environmental science, or earth science and five years of full-time relevant experience.
have 10 or more years of full-time relevant experience.

EMS recommends these additional qualifications for Environmental Professionals:

Experience with the current American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) standard
Experience with similar properties
Remediation experience
Professional Liability Insurance
Responsiveness

Best Phase I ESA Providers in New York

While EMS is willing and able to address your Phase I ESA needs, we understand that you probably want to research other environmental consultants in your area that may be more appropriate for your situation and budget. There are hundreds of viable options for you to explore, but to make it easier for you we have compiled a list of the best Phase I ESA providers in New York. We believe these companies possess all of the aforementioned qualities and will provide a high-caliber Phase I Environmental Site Assessment on your property.

Arcadis

Founded: 1888

NY locations: Buffalo, Bronx, Clifton Park, Fairport, Long Island City, Melville, New York City, Rochester, Syracuse, White Plains

Arcadis helps their clients understand the risk of environmental liabilities on their property, and provides technical guidance when environmental impacts are discovered during Phase I ESAs.

ATC Group Services

Founded: 1982

NY locations: Albany, New York City

ATC has a multidisciplinary team that assists its clients with regulatory compliance requirements in a responsive, cost-effective manner during the Phase I ESA process.

Barton & Loguidice, D. P.C.

Founded: 1961

NY locations: Albany, Buffalo, Ellenville, Newburgh, New Paltz, Rochester, Syracuse, Watertown

B&L works to maintain relationships with local, county, and state regulatory staffs to ensure permits are quickly obtained prior to beginning the Phase I ESA.

C&S Companies

Founded: 1968

NY locations: Albany, Binghamton, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse

C&S conducts Phase I ESAs associated with the discovery of a spill or subsurface contamination, real-estate, transactions, and brownfield redevelopments.

EA Engineering, Science, and Technology, Inc.

Founded: 1973

NY locations: Newburgh, Oswego, Syracuse

As a science-based company, EA EST performs site characterizations under fixed-price contracts to weigh their clients’ environmental risk and identify site-specific environmental conditions.

EnviroTrac Ltd.

Founded: 1993

NY locations: New York City, Yaphank

EnviroTrac specializes in Phase I ESAs at industrial, commercial, and retail sites to achieve regulatory compliance for their clients.

Matrix Environmental Technologies

Founded: 1991

NY locations: Ithaca, Orchard Park, Queensbury

Matrix offer innovative Phase I ESAs paired with their knowledge of environmental regulations in order to meet the standards of their local, state, and Federal governments.

Use the basic knowledge provided in this article to consider the services your business requires so that you can better fit your needs to the perfect provider.

Remember to consider these factors when doing so:

Choosing your Phase I ESA provider is an integral part of the due diligence process when purchasing commercial property. Apurchaser or lessee of contaminated property can be liable for environmental cleanup costs even if the leak, spill or release happened decades earlier, without regard to fault or negligence.
Prospective purchasers should also evaluate whether their environmental professional should investigate risks outside of the scope of the AAI rule. Selection of an appropriate Phase I ESA provider is essential to a successful transaction and limiting exposure to potential liability associated with property purchases.

Feel free to contact us if you have any questions about how EMS can help you, or even if you have any questions about these environmental consultants.