When commercial property transactions involve historical industrial uses, environmental due diligence becomes more than a checkbox—it becomes risk management. A Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) is often the first step lenders and developers take to understand whether past operations may have left behind contamination that could affect financing, liability, or redevelopment potential. In April

Phase 1 Environmental Reports serve as pivotal documents in assessing environmental risks associated with a property. Central to their integrity is the assurance of confidentiality, a cornerstone of professional practice within the environmental consulting industry. Access to these reports is typically restricted to parties directly involved in the contractual agreement governing their production. Without such

For many people, purchasing a commercial property is a once-in-a-lifetime event. It’s not surprising that most don’t know the terminology. There’s no such thing as a “Level One Environmental”. It’s called a “Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment”.  This post is dedicated to all the ways people get their terminology understandably wrong. It makes it difficult

The ESA Questionnaire is an important part of an ASTM 1527-13 Phase 1 ESA. A3E wants to help Freelance Environmental Consultants to do more work, faster and ultimately get paid more. Why? Because we’ve been there, done that. Let’s work together!

Discovering a leaking underground storage tank (UST) on your property is like finding out your basement has a swimming pool you didn’t order—and it’s full of gasoline. Whether you’re preparing to buy, sell, or simply manage a site, a UST is rarely a welcome surprise. Regulators are strict, buyers get nervous, and cleanup costs can

Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment Checklist for Freelance Environmental Consultants. Download.

I thought this article about environmental cleanup liabilities was great information that most people in a property transaction never hear about. You can read the whole thing by clicking here.   Lenders, borrowers, purchasers, sellers, and even contractors sometimes get annoyed with environmental lawyers when we insist on reviewing Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA)

As an environmental consultant, we’re frequently asked for advice that veers out of our lane and into what environmental lawyers do best. While I’ve never met or talked to the environmental lawyers over at Spencer Fane, they seem to have some pretty good, concise, advice about environmental law. The following is gleaned from their website

You’re probably wondering how you’ve lived so long on this planet without ever knowing how Illinois landfill pricing works. Settle down nerd. I’m not going to answer every question you have, just give you a slightly better understanding. This article is designed for regular people, new environmental consultants and trucking companies that haul clean fill,

MAC stands for Maximum Allowable Concentration. It refers to the maximum allowable levels of contamination in clean fill (CCDD). CCDD stands for Clean Construction Demolition Debris and is a body of laws from the IEPA (Illinois EPA) that regulate clean fill operations in Illinois. Only the State of Illinois has CCDD regulations so if you’re

When transportation improvements move forward in Northern Illinois, environmental due diligence moves with them. In 2025, A3 Environmental supported four separate Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) Preliminary Site Investigation (PSI) assignments across the Greater Chicagoland area, serving as subconsultant to Arcadis. Each project required strict adherence to IDOT Bureau of Design and Environment procedures, disciplined

CCDD stands for Clean Construction Demolition Debris. Similarly, USF is an abbreviation for Uncontaminated Soil Fill. In Illinois both of these terms are used interchangeably as “Clean Fill”. Both of these terms refer to a body of laws unique to Illinois whereby clean materials can be put into old gravel, sand or limestone mines. These

When most people hear the phrase Environmental Remediation, they picture white-suited consultants scrubbing away spills with oversized toothbrushes or magically restoring soil overnight. The reality is far less cinematic and far more complex. Contamination doesn’t just disappear—it lingers, shifts, and reshapes the way we use land for decades, even centuries. At A3 Environmental Consultants, we

What is a brownfield? It’s not a fancy eco-buzzword—it’s an abandoned piece of real estate that once held a gas station, a factory, or even a strip mall. Instead of thriving, these properties sit empty for years, fenced off and avoided, because they’re weighed down by one ugly truth: real or suspected contamination. Brownfields are

When it comes to buying commercial real estate, the due diligence period is where optimism meets reality. Sellers love to highlight the shiny features of a property—fresh paint, prime location, a “can’t miss” investment—but it’s the buyer’s job to look for the warts hiding under the surface. That’s where environmental due diligence comes in. Just

As with all things, prices for a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment can vary based on a number of factors. At A3E, we take pride in providing clear, competitive pricing, but there’s a lot that goes into determining the true cost of a Phase I ESA. Understanding those factors can help you make a smarter

An ADA Transition Plan is one of the most important tools municipalities use to improve accessibility in public infrastructure. For cities and towns across the Greater Chicagoland Region, developing or updating an ADA Transition Plan requires more than good intentions—it requires reliable, defensible data about existing sidewalk and ramp conditions. In 2025, A3 Environmental (A3E)

A wetland mitigation bank is only as successful as its planning, performance standards, and long-term monitoring. For municipal and government stakeholders, the difference between a functional public asset and a regulatory headache often comes down to early technical decisions and sustained agency coordination. In Afton, Wisconsin, the Bass Creek Wetland Mitigation Bank demonstrates how a

When it comes to closing a deal, commercial lenders balance risk, cost, and speed. But there’s a blind spot: environmental reports. Too often, the drive to reduce borrower costs pushes lenders into a “low-bidder wins” model. At first glance, this looks efficient. In practice, it exposes lenders to unnecessary risk and borrowers to needless expense.

Whether purchasing a property for business operations or as an income-generating asset, commercial investors have a lot riding on the due diligence process. A key step in protecting your investment—and your liability—is ensuring your Environmental Report is handled correctly. If Your Name Isn’t on the Environmental Report, You’re Not Protected A Phase I Environmental Site

Commercial banks (and lenders) should know what we define makes an environmental report “bad,” let’s be clear: a “bad” report is not simply one in which a Recognized Environmental Condition (REC) is identified. An REC may create headaches for buyers, sellers, and lenders, but that’s not the bad we’re talking about here. The real concern

In commercial real estate, the clock doesn’t start ticking when the ink dries on the contract—it’s been ticking the whole time. The deal isn’t done until the money moves, and every commercial real estate professional knows there’s a minefield of due diligence steps that can stall, shrink, or sink a closing. One of the biggest

In commercial lending, time and risk tolerance are constantly at odds. Banks and financial institutions need accurate environmental risk insights quickly, without the cost and delay of a full Phase 1 ESA. Enter the Environmental Desktop Report (EDR)— a fast, affordable, ESRI-based screening tool that gives lenders a clear picture of potential environmental liabilities. Delivered

If you’re buying commercial real estate, you’re not just purchasing walls and dirt — you’re inheriting its history. That means if the previous owner had a love affair with toxic solvents in 1972, you might be picking up the tab for the cleanup in 2025. This is where Phase 1 ESA and Phase 2 ESA

When a bank considers financing a commercial property, speed and accuracy in risk assessment are key. Enter the Environmental Database Report—also known as an EDR, Environmental Screen (ES), Desktop Assessment, or Desktop Due Diligence. These streamlined tools deliver high-level environmental risk data without the on-site inspection required in a Phase I ESA. For lenders, that

The gold standard comes from the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). Think of it like GAAP for accounting or ISO for manufacturing—ASTM sets the playbook so every Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) is done the same way, every time. That means no surprises for you, and confidence for banks, investors, and anyone

In 2025, environmental inspections are more than just a box to check before closing a deal — they are your shield against future liabilities. For business owners nationwide, a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) is the gold standard in due diligence. Conducted by trained Environmental Professionals (EPs), these inspections uncover past, present, or potential

RSRA stands for Record Search with Risk Assessment, a streamlined, cost-effective alternative to a Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) originally developed by the Small Business Administration (SBA). Designed for SBA-backed commercial loans, an RSRA delivers essential environmental due diligence at less than half the cost of a Phase 1 ESA. This lower price point

When buying commercial real estate, everyone has heard of the Phase 1 Environmental Report. It’s the ASTM-backed, lender-approved gold standard for environmental due diligence. And while it’s thorough, it’s also costly and time-intensive. Most investors don’t realize there are other options — often less expensive and faster — that can still provide valuable insights into

In commercial real estate (CRE), due diligence is more than a checklist—it’s your financial seatbelt. At the center of it is the Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment (ESA), a tool designed to uncover potential environmental risks before you commit to a property. Skip it, and you might as well be signing a blank check to

In the world of commercial real estate (CRE) transactions, few phrases can stop a deal in its tracks like Recognized Environmental Condition — or REC. For banks and CRE buyers, understanding RECs and how to address them isn’t optional; it’s essential. At A3 Environmental Consultants, we help you navigate the  landscape, from identification to resolution,

When you hear “environmental inspection” in commercial real estate (CRE), think of it as the property’s medical check-up before you commit to buying it. In the context of a Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment (ESA), this inspection is a critical component — part detective work, part science, and entirely about protecting your investment. For CRE

If you’re a commercial real estate buyer in the Chicago Metropolitan Area searching for an environmental test, let’s start with some myth-busting: not all environmental assessments involve testing. In fact, most don’t. An Environmental Screen? Purely database work. A Record Search with Risk Assessment? More database work. Even a Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment (ESA)

If you’re a commercial real estate buyer, few phrases bring more anxiety than: “We need a copy of your Phase 1 Report.” Whether you’re refinancing, buying, or selling, this document is a gatekeeper to funding and compliance. But what if it’s missing? In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to track down a historic

If you’re buying vacant land for commercial real estate, you’re probably thinking about location, zoning, and price. But here’s the question that could save you hundreds of thousands of dollars: Do you need an environmental assessment? The answer is nuanced. A Phase 1 Environmental Assessment (ESA) isn’t always required, but some form of environmental due

If you’re buying commercial real estate, you may encounter an Environmental Questionnaire as part of the due diligence process. At A3 Environmental Consultants, we use an online questionnaire designed to satisfy ASTM’s All Appropriate Inquiries (AAI) standard. The twist? The answers depend on whether you’re responding as the “user” or the “property owner” — and

If you’re reading this, you’re likely knee-deep in a commercial property transaction and have just heard those dreaded words from your environmental consultant: Recognized Environmental Condition (REC). This means your Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) has flagged something suspicious, and a Phase 2 ESA is now on the table. So who pays for it?

If you’re buying or selling commercial property, sooner or later the question will come up: Who pays for the Phase 1 Environmental? For first-time buyers and sellers, the answer can seem murky. The short version? It’s a negotiation. The longer version — well, that’s where strategy, market conditions, and a little dry wit come in.

A Phase 1 ESA is the unsung hero of the commercial real estate world. It exists to prevent a buyer, seller, or lender from walking blindly into the purchase, sale, or financing of an environmentally compromised property. Without it, you could unknowingly buy a contaminated parcel at a price that ignores the environmental cleanup costs

Environmental contamination is among the worst risks for a business. It’s costly, unpredictable, and damaging in ways that extend far beyond the balance sheet. For buyers of commercial real estate, the threat of hidden environmental contamination can be a deal-breaker—and skipping environmental due diligence is like playing Russian roulette with your investment. This article explores

If you’re considering purchasing commercial property, you’ll likely encounter the term Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) early in the process. Often, this refers to the Phase I Environmental Site Assessment – the first and most common step in identifying potential environmental liabilities. While the term “ESA” can also include Phase II investigations or even just the

The term “Environmental REC” is shorthand for Recognized Environmental Condition. It’s a phrase that tends to perplex first-time commercial property buyers who hear it and imagine a scene from a disaster movie. Rest assured, it’s not shorthand for “environmental wreck,” though the implications can still be significant. An Environmental REC means that an environmental professional

Buying commercial real estate without a Phase 1 Environmental Report is like buying a used car without lifting the hood. Whether it’s a strip mall in Michigan or a logistics hub in Nevada, these reports are essential tools for assessing environmental risk —and they’re not always available for public consumption. In this post, we unpack

This story cannot be told without giving proper respect to what started me down this rabbit hole. Strong Towns is a book I just read, after watching their YouTube channel for about 18 months. To be fair, Not Just Bikes, City Nerd and City Beautiful had a big impact too. The premise of the book

Introduction Hello again to the elected officials of the City of Blue Island. You may remember me from my time at the podium of your December 17th 2024 board meeting. I’m Tim Allen, in Business Development for A3 Environmental Consultants, a woman owned environmental consultancy in Lisle, Illinois. We’ve been working in Chicagoland for 24