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You are here: Home » Resources » Articles » The New Phase I ESA Standard is Here – ASTM E1527-21

November 17, 2021

The New Phase I ESA Standard is Here – ASTM E1527-21

By Nicole TK Moore, REPA

HERE’S WHAT CRE TRANSACTION PARTIES NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE PHASE I ESA STANDARD CHANGES.

If a change affects around 250,000 commercial real estate (CRE) transactions a year, you’d think that people would have heard about it. But given how phenomenally busy the CRE investment and finance space has been this year, many are not aware that there’s a big change coming – there is a new standard for Phase I environmental reports.

Most CRE transactions require a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA), which is a report that identifies existing and potential environmental contamination liabilities at a property. Every 8 years, the standard for these assessments (ASTM E1527) is required to be renewed, with revisions that are intended to clarify language, improve consistency in the report deliverables, and ensure that it reflects current “good commercial and customary practice.”

The widely used Phase I ESA standard is ASTM E1527-13 and the new standard is now ASTM E1527-21. The 2021 ESA standard is much the same as the 2013 one, but with some important changes that may affect you. So, what has changed since 2013? I’ve outlined the changes in this Globe St. article.

About the Authors

Nicole TK Moore, REPA

Nicole TK Moore, REPA

National Technical Director of Environmental Site Assessments
A founding member, shareholder and executive member of Partner Engineering and Science, Inc., Nicole TK Moore serves as the National Technical Director for the Environmental Consulting Practice where her expertise has been instrumental in propelling the firm to the top of the industry. By creating and implementing a detailed and invaluable training program and by providing on-going guidance for existing and new Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) professionals across the company, Ms. Moore continually advances Partner’s technical excellence in the field. Ms. Moore plays a critical role in recruitment, on-boarding and training of staff and Project Managers in the environmental group. Under her directorship, Partner’s Environmental Practice has grown fifty-fold. Ms. Moore not only pushes her staff to be the best in the industry, she also has played a key role during her 20+ years in the ESA industry in progressing the industry itself. By being a member of ASTM International (ASTM) and the Environmental Bankers Association (EBA), she has influenced significant changes to ASTM, Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae and other ESA scopes.

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