Phase II Environmental Site Assessment

1.1 Purpose

This Standard establishes the principles and practices that are applicable to a Phase II ESA. It is intended to provide a consistent framework and minimum requirements for conducting Phase II ESAs that can accommodate broader regulatory and liability requirements, as well as address pertinent site-specific requirements. This framework involves developing a sampling plan, preparing for and undertaking an investigation for sampling and measuring, and interpreting and reporting on the information gathered. This Standard is intended as a follow-up to CSA Standard Z768.

1.2 Limitations

This Standard does not provide detailed, prescriptive methodologies for conducting Phase II ESAs under specific conditions (eg, sampling protocols).

This Standard addresses neither the methodology for Phase I ESAs nor the selection or implementation of any remediation activities, as both of these activities are beyond the scope of a Phase II ESA. Brief discussions of Phase I ESAs and the activities that can follow a Phase II ESA are presented in Appendix A.

This Standard does not attempt to provide direction for the decision-making process that follows a Phase II ESA. These business decisions are based on case-specific details that cannot be generalized for the purposes of this Standard. Decisions of this nature are best addressed on a case-by-case basis, in consultation with the appropriate environmental, legal, and business counsel.