A checklist of evolving environmental site assessments standards

Several federal environmental laws passed since 1980 have increased the liability of property owners for the cost of cleanup on their properties. Property owners have used environmental site assessments as a way of minimizing liability. However, until recently there were no standards to guide professionals in performing these assessments. Although several professional organizations have published standards and guidance for conducting environmental site assessments since 1992, there is still no consensus as to what constitutes an “appropriate level of inquiry”, “due diligence”, or “customary practice”. This article attempts to review and critique the major environmental site assessment standards and proposes actions necessary to truly standardize the process