Business Environmental Risk is defined by ASTM as “a risk that can have a material environmental or environmentally-driven impact on the business associated with the current or planned use of commercial real estate, not necessarily related to those environmental issues required to be investigated in this practice. Consideration of business environmental risk issues may involve addressing one or more non-scope considerations.”
The common non-scope environmental business risk items referred to include:
- Asbestos-containing building materials unrelated to releases into the environment
- Biological Agents
- Cultural and Historical Resources
- Ecological Resources
- Endangered Species
- Health and Safety
- Indoor Air Quality unrelated to releases of hazardous substances or petroleum products into the environment
- Industrial Hygiene
- Lead-Based Paint unrelated to releases into the environment
- Lead in Drinking Water
- Mold or microbial growth conditions
- PCB-containing building materials (ex: interior fluorescent light ballasts, paint, and caulk)
- Naturally-occurring Radon
- Regulatory Compliance
- Substances not defined as hazardous substances (ex: those referred to as emerging contaminants) unless or until such substances are classified as a CERCLA hazardous substance)
- Wetlands
Business Environmental Risk is by definition, very broad and can encompass many types of risk, not limited to the above list.
