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Environmental Site Assessments

Testing for Environmental Site Assessments

An environmental site assessment (ESA) is conducted to determine the environmental condition of a property and identify any potential contamination or environmental liabilities. These assessments are typically performed during real estate transactions, development planning, or regulatory compliance processes.

These are governed by multiple standards including ASTM 1527, CAN/CSA-Z768-01 and CAN/CSA-Z769-00. They are usually divided into three phases:

Phase I

This is a non-intrusive investigation that includes records review, interviews and more to identify recognized environmental conditions (RECs) that may indicate the presence of hazardous substances

Phase II

This phase involves sampling and laboratory analysis to confirm the presence of contaminants to confirm or rule out the presence of contamination identified in Phase I. Phase II scopes are site specific and SGS provides comprehensive testing to fulfil the requirements of your Phase II scope.

Phase III

If contamination is confirmed, Phase III involves

  • Defining the extent of contamination
  • Risk assessment
  • Remediation planning and cost estimation
  • Implementation of cleanup activities

Assessment Goals

The end goal is to mitigate environmental risks and bring the site into regulatory compliance. Whether it is a leaking underground storage tank, a site with past industrial use, drycleaning site, or one with PFAS concerns, testing is a key component of Phase II and Phase II ESA and is critical for successful brownfields development.

Contact SGS

Your ESA and Contaminated Land Testing Partner

Testing for site assessments is site-specific and requires your lab partner to:

  • Support a wide range of tests at the right reporting limits and with the right accreditations to provide data that can meet regulatory scrutiny. SGS offers full scopes of soil, water and air testing to handle routine Phase II and Phase III needs, and a highly skilled technical team to provide customizations and non-routine methods for unique projects. Our routine tests for ESAs include
    • Petroleum hydrocarbons with forensics testing capabilities, and routine soil vapor testing
    • Heavy metals
    • Large volatile and semivolatile (VOC and sVOC) testing scopes with support for vapor intrusion testing
    • Pesticides and herbicides
    • Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and dioxins
    • Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) with analytical support for source attribution and forensics
    • Asbestos and lead based paints
  • Provide data that can meet exacting due diligence standards and stand up to litigation. Our leading data portal Engage provides data when available in the lab, compares against regulation and provides graphs and tables. Our electronic chain of custody (eCOC)  helps with project planning and sampling, and minimizes error.
  • Have a national reach to provide comprehensive support regardless of location
  • Support you with sample pickup, supplies, rush services and more
  • Have the capacity to scale in Phase III when scopes can get larger without suffering any loss in quality

Why SGS for your Testing Needs?

  • Global Reach, Local Expertise: A worldwide laboratory network backed by local knowledge to meet your needs.
  • Regulatory Compliance: Expertise in regional and international guidelines, including EPA, CCME, and more.
  • Customized Analytical Plans: Tailored testing protocols to address unique project challenges.
  • Proven Track Record: Decades of experience delivering high-quality data to industries across North America.

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