WISenvironmental conduct Phase I environmental site assessments prior to the purchase or sale of a property or parcel of land. A Phase I ESA is recognised as the first step in the process of environmental due diligence. The goal of a Phase I ESA is to identify potential or existing environmental contamination liabilities including the presence or release of any hazardous substance or petroleum products and to evaluate the capital and operating expenditure requirements to ensure future legislative compliance.

The benefits of using WISenvironmental
A WISenvironmental registered environmental auditor will carry out an on-site visit to the target property to view present conditions, evaluate the potential risks of neighbouring properties and evaluate any likely environmentally hazardous site history. In cases where the property is occupied, relevant documentation is examined and key personnel interviewed. Relevant information from local authorities and environmental regulators is gathered and where appropriate standard Envirocheck reports are commissioned.

WISenvironmental has the experience to conduct a Phase II ESA involving chemical analysis for hazardous substances and/or petroleum hydrocarbons if the Phase I ESA indicates that the site may be contaminated.

CASE HISTORIES/EXPERIENCE

• Prepared and delivered three capacity building workshops in Amman, Jordan and Geneva for UNEP to introduce the theory and practice of Environmental Site Assessment to Iraqi environmental professionals delegated by the Iraqi Ministry of Environment Workshop 1 included a one-day 'hands-on' initial environmental assessment of a quarry and cement manufacturing plant near Amman. Workshop 2 included training in the use of field monitoring and testing equipment for use by the delegates at 5 selected pilot conflict-damaged contaminated sites in Iraq. Sampling and analysis plans for the pilot sites were jointly prepared early in 2005. Two batches of soils, chemicals and waters samples from the field were analysed at the contracted international laboratory in spring-summer 2005. Risk assessments were included in the final workshop in August 2005. Clean-up of two of the five sites took place during 2006.
  
  
• Plan, implement and report on a Phase I pre-acquisition Environmental Site Assessment and HSE regulatory compliance review with limited soil and shallow groundwater sampling using drive-in piezometers at a manufacturing facility near Utrecht, The Netherlands. Select, instruct and liaise with the analytical laboratory. Interpret the results, conduct a Tier 1 risk assessment and provide recommendations for further actions.  The facility manufactures industrial process equipment to remove odour from food processing plant air emissions.
  
  
• Phase I pre-acquisition audit of a leased property in Aberdeen to be developed for the bulk storage of drilling muds and brines. Carried out the site management and reporting of the follow-up Phase II site investigation of this property and a second property planned for a similar development elsewhere in the Aberdeen harbour area on behalf of a major US multinational oil & gas sector company.
  
  
• Phase I pre-acquisition audit of a large electromagnet manufacturer based in Oxfordshire, England. The audit involved the assessment of an off-site sub-let warehouse and an off-site short-lease storage facility.
  
  
• Environmental expert in an M&A due diligence in Northern Ireland for a multinational organisation.