What is a Phase II environmental site assessment?
A Phase II environmental site assessment tests the conditions a Phase I flagged by sampling soil, groundwater or soil vapor and sending them to a lab.
In more detail
Phase I asks whether contamination is likely. Phase II checks whether it is there and how much. Most follow ASTM E1903, the standard for Phase II work.
Scope is set by the Phase I findings: borings around old tanks, samples near a former dry cleaner's machine, soil gas under a slab. Costs range widely, from several thousand dollars for a few borings to much more for groundwater wells across a large site.
What it means when you buy
A Phase II is the point where a deal is often repriced, restructured or dropped. Gas stations, dry cleaners and old industrial sites usually need one.
How the pre-screen handles it
The pre-screen is two steps before a Phase II. It points to the parts of a property's history most likely to lead there, so there are fewer surprises.
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.