What is All Appropriate Inquiries (AAI)?
All Appropriate Inquiries (AAI) is EPA's rule (40 CFR Part 312) for the environmental due diligence a buyer must do before buying a property to qualify for liability protections under federal cleanup law.
In more detail
Federal Superfund law can make a current owner pay to clean up contamination they didn't cause. Buyers who do All Appropriate Inquiries before closing, and meet ongoing obligations after, can qualify as a bona fide prospective purchaser, contiguous property owner or innocent landowner.
A Phase I done under ASTM E1527-21 meets the AAI rule. AAI also asks the buyer to search for environmental liens and to consider what they know, including whether the price is low because of contamination.
What it means when you buy
If you might ever need the federal defenses, do a full Phase I before closing. A desk review or pre-screen does not satisfy AAI.
How the pre-screen handles it
The pre-screen is not AAI and says so on every report. Use it to decide which deals warrant the full Phase I.
Pre-screen a property before you spend on a Phase I
A desk review of one address: past uses from historical photos and maps, federal and state environmental records, and flood risk, ready usually within the hour. $100 for one report, or $100/month for 3.