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You are here: Home » Resources » Articles » SBA Crash Course: The Environmental Questionnaire

August 15, 2012

SBA Crash Course: The Environmental Questionnaire

By Partner ESI

The SBA Uses an Environmental Questionnaire as the First Step in Screening for Environmental Risk, and Many Lenders Have Also Adopted this Approach

The SBA’s environmental policy, which has been adopted by many lenders as a sound risk management approach, allows smaller loans on less risky properties to get by without doing comprehensive environmental due diligence—at least at first.

If the loan amount is under $150,000 and the property type is not listed on SBA’s list of environmentally sensitive operations (such as industrial use, gas stations or auto shops), then the environmental due diligence can start with just an Environmental Questionnaire.

(Side Note: The SBA Environmental Questionnaire is also required for all loans on low risk properties, regardless of the loan amount, as the questionnaire will be included in the desktop environmental report required for this category—the Records Search with Risk Assessment or “RSRA.” Refer to my previous blog about what the RSRA includes, and click for a flowchart of the steps in SBA’s environmental policy.)

Continue reading the GlobeSt blog here.

About the Authors

Partner ESI

Partner ESI

Founded in 2007, Partner Engineering and Science Inc., is the leading provider of engineering, environmental, energy, and construction consulting for the commercial real estate (CRE) industry. Touching 1 in 5 CRE transactions in the U.S., Partner is widely recognized as the largest and best provider of third-party physical due diligence reports, including Phase I Environmental Site Assessments, Property Condition Assessments, Seismic Risk Assessments, Zoning Reports, ALTA Land Title Surveys, and Construction Risk Management. Partner’s connectedness to the CRE market gives it an unparalleled view into CRE trends and risk management insights. Partner also provides a full suite of consulting services to support the entire real estate lifecycle, including: Geotechnical Consulting; Building Systems Consulting; Capital Management and Project Implementation Support; Environmental Health & Safety Consulting; Energy, Sustainability & Resilience Consulting; and Site Civil Engineering. With a responsive approach scaled for speed and agility, Partner helps clients manage risk, make smart investments, optimize asset performance, and win at their real estate investment strategies. Based in Torrance, Calif., Partner has over 1,400 employees in 40 offices around the globe.

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