Ontario Regulation 153/04 (Amended O. Reg. 269/11) is Ontario’s provincial standard for assessment and cleanup of environmentally impacted land. Under O. Reg. 153/04, land owners can mitigate risk through obtaining a Ministry of the Environment, Parks and Conservation (MECP) acknowledged Record of Site Condition (RSC). In short, following the process described in O. Reg. 153/04 will allow landowners to obtain an RSC, the most common standard of environmental due diligence in Ontario.

Phases of Environmental Investigation and Reporting outlined in O. Reg 153/04:

• Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment (ESA)
• Phase 2 Environmental Site Assessment (ESA)
• Phase 3 Environmental Site Assessment (ESA)
  also known as Remediation
• Record of Site Condition (RSC)
  

What is a Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment (ESA)? What is its role in your project (and budget)?

A Phase One Environmental Site Assessment (Phase I ESA) is an important first step in understanding the environmental legacy of a site. The Phase 1 ESA is a non-intrusive, historical investigation which sheds light on past activities on site and Areas of Potential Environmental Concern (APECs).

Site characterization, beginning with a Phase I ESA, may be necessary as a condition of property sale, to receive financing, change property use, or for many other reasons. Other property owners obtain Phase 1 ESAs in order to demonstrate commitment to reducing their environmental liability and increase confidence in the condition of their site or assessing its market value.

We’ve developed a tool to let you estimate your own Phase One ESA quickly and easily. Give it a try!

What is a Phase 2 Environmental Site Assessment (ESA)?

A Phase II Environmental Site Assessment is the next step in site characterization, where testing is completed to verify whether any impacts exist, or not.

In a Phase II ESA, an environmental consultant (or consulting team) visits the site to examine Areas of Potential Environmental Concern APECs) which were identified in the Phase I ESA. Generally, the Phase I ESA will identify all areas that require further investigation, and O. Reg. 153/04 outlines the requirements that all Phase II ESAs in Ontario must meet.

Through testing of surface and sub-surface soil, surface water, groundwater, and other materials on site as necessary, the current environmental condition of the site can be assessed and described. As each site has unique goals, APECs, layout and sub-surface conditions, the sampling program will be tailored to the site’s unique history. When completing a Phase II ESA, a sampling plan is established, generally requiring or or more members of the environmental consulting team to be present on the site for one or more days, and a drilling subcontractor may be required to reach sub-surface samples.

AEL’s team uses strict quality assurance and quality control procedures including the labelling of samples with unique barcode identification label, and cross-referencing sample descriptions on field borehole logs and in GIS software. These procedures eliminate out of sequence or erroneous logs which can significantly affect the cost of the Phase II and accurate site understanding. The use of barcodes to maintain chain of custody on samples is just one example of AEL’s industry-leading approach to Phase II ESAs.

What is a Phase 3 Environmental Site Assessment (ESA)?

Generally, a Phase III ESA is the term used to describe the remediation phase of an Environmental Site Assessment. This includes both the planning and the execution of a remediation of an impacted site.

Phase I and II ESAs lead the engineers or scientists investigating the site to understand the history and current condition of the property. Phase III begins with delineating and quantifying the impacts that must be remediated. Soil volumes are calculated, groundwater flow may be assessed and modelled, and other monitoring may occasionally be necessary over several seasons. AEL develops customized plans based the unique characteristics and impacts at a site. This generally includes one or several of the following approaches:

• Contaminated soil or water removal and disposal
• Biological, physical, or chemical treatment for on-site soil, water, or groundwater remediation and cleanup
• Development of site-specific environmental risk-based standards incorporating local site conditions and control measures when cleanup is not feasible

We welcome the opportunity to discuss your specific site needs, and we will help guide you through the process.

Every Property Has a History, We Can Help You Interpret the Past to Prepare for the Future

Property financing decisions and regulatory approvals often require an Environmental Site Assessment (ESA), and that process typically starts with a Phase One ESA. Use our online tool to understand the potential cost of a Phase One ESA on your site today.

Phase One ESA Quote Calculator