ASTM Standards
Use of ASTM Standards with Phase 1 Assessments
ASTM standards are a set of standard practices that are recommended but not required to be used with Phase 1 Assessments but NAVE strictly follows the Standards with each Phase 1 Assessment. The purpose of the standards are to define good commercial and customary practice in the United States of America for conducting an environmental site assessment of a parcel of commercial real estate with respect to the range of contaminants within the scope of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) (42 U.S.C. §9601) and petroleum products. As such, this practice is intended to permit a user to satisfy one of the requirements to qualify for the innocent landowner, contiguous property owner, or bona fide prospective purchaser limitations on CERCLA liability (hereinafter, the “landowner liability protections,” or “LLPs”): that is, the practice that constitutes all appropriate inquiries into the previous ownership and uses of the property consistent with good commercial and customary practice as defined at 42 U.S.C. §9601(35)(B). (See Appendix X1 for an outline of CERCLA’s liability and defense provisions.) Controlled substances are not included within the scope of these standards.
To see the standards used for Phase 1 Environmental Assessments, just click on the link below
Use of ASTM Standards with Property Condition Assessments
The purpose of these standrads are to define good commercial practice in the United States of America for conducting a baseline property condition assessment (PCA) of the improvements located on a parcel of commercial real estate by performing a walk-through survey and conducting research as outlined within this guide.
While the standards are intended for use on a voluntary basis by parties who desire to obtain a baseline PCA of commercial real estate, we believe that the use of the standards provide a more comprehensive assessment and we use them with all PCA’s. The standards recognize that there are varying levels of property condition assessment and due diligence that can be exercised that are both more and less comprehensive than the guidance provided by the standards, and that may be appropriate to meet the objectives of the specific assessment. In using the standards, we consider their requirements, the purpose that the PCA is to serve, and our Client’s risk tolerance level before selecting the level of due diligence to be exercised with each assessment. We also review the standards and we identify any deviations or exceptions to the standards in our final report. When certain standards are not used for a specific assessment, it is not our intent for this to decrease the thoroughness with which we have conducted the property condition assessment or to provide anything less than a comprehensive and commercially acceptable assessment. In most cases we exceed all ASTM standards.
To see the standards used for Property Condition Assessments, just click on the link below.