Course: BLD 163 Basic Site Assessment

Assignment

(2/2)

While following ASTM/AAI standards for conducting Phase I ESA is a requirement if an entity wants to achieve liability protection under CERCLA and the standards are very prescriptive, adhering to ASTM standard E1903-11 when performing a Phase II ESA is voluntary. The Phase II standard “specifies procedures based on the scientific method to characterize property conditions in an objective, representative, reproducible, and defensible manner” (ASTM E1903-11).

Go to http://www.astm.org/Standards/E1903.htm(go to weblinks section in this course to view link) scroll down the page and review the section entitled “Significance and Use”.

Based on what you read, describe in your own words in 3-5 sentences the purpose and limitations of a Phase II ESA. Submit to your instructor’s dropbox.

In addition: what are - in your opinion - the 5 most important points associated with a Phase II ESA based on this text? Submit your 5 points and the reason why you picked them to your instructor’s dropbox.

Consider the following scenario: Mr. X contracted with company Y to perform a Phase I ESA on the property Mr. X wants to buy. Results show that a service station was located from 1910 to 1940 and from 1950 to 1963 the property was used as by storage facility. Currently, the property is vacant and has been so for the past 50 years. Note: Use the ATSDR TOXFAQs to check out the characteristics of potential contaminants associated with service stations (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene, lead).

1. What would you recommend to Mr. X about how to proceed after receiving the results from the Phase I ESA ? Does he have sufficient information from the Phase I ESA to make a determination about purchasing the property? Should he investigate further and spend the money on a Phase II ESA? Provide your answer with the reasons you reached these conclusions in 5-7 sentences and post to the discussion board.

2. Respond to the discussion board assignments of at least three of your classmates. If each of these classmates were your business partner, how would you correct and/or strengthen their answers to Mr. X?

3. In response to the feedback from at least two of your classmates, either justify your original response to Mr. X or change your original response to Mr. X. In either case, use sound principles of site assessment to justify your answers. You may agree with parts and disagree with other parts of your classmate’s advice.

Go to http://www.epa.gov/reg3hwmd/npl/PASFN0305521/fs/NEHC_Exposure-Pathways.pdf (go to weblinks section in this course to view link) and read through the presented information. Every one of us has been at the end of a complete exposure pathway.  Provide 2 examples of a complete exposure pathway you have been subjected to and list the associated 5 elements of the exposure pathway. Submit to your instructor’s dropbox.