Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) and Subsurface Investigation
Whatcom Environmental conducted a Phase I ESA for an undeveloped property near the city of Ferndale. The property was being purchased for redevelopment into a light industrial facility.
Since recognized environmental conditions (RECs) were revealed during the ESA process, a subsurface investigation was conducted to determine areas that would be acceptable for purchase by our client.
Several RECs were discovered during the Phase I ESA. A portion of the subject property was used as a hazardous waste landfill in the late 1970’s and, as a result, was listed in the Washington State Confirmed and Suspected Contaminated Sites List (CSCSL) as having a high risk to human health and the environment. A solid waste landfill which was listed in the CSCSL was located on the adjacent property to the south. The adjacent property to the west was listed in the Washington State Leaking Underground Storage Tank (LUST) database. The former tanks were located near the western edge of the subject property.
A total of fourteen test pits were excavated to characterize subsurface conditions at the site. Nineteen soil samples were collected to evaluate soil conditions at the site. Seven water samples were collected from water infiltrating into selected test pits. (It should be noted that the water samples were not collected from properly constructed groundwater monitoring wells and were collected for informational purposes only, and not to characterize onsite groundwater quality.)
The field observations and soil and perched water analytical data results indicated that the explored portions of the subject property had not been adversely impacted by the hazardous waste landfill or by the historical uses of the adjacent properties.
Our client was able to purchase the majority of the property initially researched in the Phase 1 ESA while avoiding the portion discovered to have been a hazardous waste landfill.
Test pit excavation.