Think of a Phase II (or Phase 2) Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) as due diligence a client must complete before restoring a contaminated site. In Canada, this remediation challenge (or step) is mandated by the Project Lead (or client) and typically completed by consulting firms. A Phase II ESA is the only sure way of knowing if your site is polluted is to test the samples of soil and water for contamination (at the surface, and at depth).
Once collected, soil and groundwater samples are typically sent to a third-party analytical laboratory for analysis. This traditional method can be cross-referenced with other innovative investigation techniques such as high resolution site characterization (HRSC) and cone penetration testing (CPT).
These cost-effective techniques help rapidly define contaminant distributions with minimal disruptions to the site. Find more information on our sister company’s website (www.conetec.com).
The objective of a Phase II ESA is to define/delineate the location of contaminants in the Project Area, and to assess if contaminant concentration meets applicable guidelines. The resulting report should include remediation options that can be used to restore the land.