ESA case studies
ESA · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The ESA certification exam is a multiple-choice credential for professionals who conduct or review environmental site assessments, most often in commercial real estate due diligence. Candidates typically come from environmental consulting, lending, law, and property management backgrounds. The ESA case studies are 5 cases and about 2,254 words.
1The Dry Cleaner Next Door: Vapor Intrusion and the Phase I Conclusion
You are conducting a Phase I ESA on a 1970s strip mall for a lender. The subject property is a 4,000 sq ft retail unit.
521 words, about 3 min2The 1988 UST File: When an HREC Is Not Actually Closed
You are reviewing a Phase I for a 2-acre former gas station. The file contains a 1994 state letter stating that a 10,000-gallon gasoline UST was removed and 'no further action is required.' The letter references soil sampling only; groundwater was never sampled.
437 words, about 2 min3The Split Sample That Disagreed: Phase II Data Usability
A Phase II at a former industrial site collected soil from 12 borings. Laboratory A reported TCE at 0.9 mg/kg in one sample, below the state's residential screening level of 1.0 mg/kg.
407 words, about 2 min4The Off-Site Plume and the Innocent Purchaser Defense
A buyer is acquiring a 5-acre parcel adjacent to a former plating facility. A Phase I identifies the plating facility as a REC and recommends a Phase II.
461 words, about 2 min5The Consultant's Report: Scope, Limitations, and the User's Reliance
A Phase I report prepared for a buyer states in its limitations section that the consultant 'assumes no liability for conditions not discovered' and that the report is 'for the sole use of the client.' The report identifies a REC at an adjacent property but recommends no further action because 'the adjacent property is outside the scope of this assessment.' The buyer's lender, who is also relying on the report, is not named as a user. The buyer later discovers contamination migrating onto the property and sues the consultant.
428 words, about 2 min