Environmental Due Diligence

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

Commercial lenders who rely on Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs) will inevitably face the challenge of determining whether they can trust the work presented by an environmental consultant. Trust in these reports is critical, as the findings directly impact the lender’s risk assessment and decision-making process. There are several reasons why a lender might

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), or as we call them, drones, are finding their way into engineering applications. The price to fly (use)  these machines is coming down and ideas about how they can be incorporated into the work we do is rising. At A3 Environmental Consultants, we find ourselves in the curious position of both

The latest technology which is seeking applications in every industry is that of what is commonly known as “drones“. We call them “Unmanned Aerial Vehicles” or UAV’s for short. A3 Environmental Consultants recognizes the need to keep up with what our engineering and government agency clients are looking for. To that end, we have partnered

In May of 2024, Taylor Closen, a project manager at A3 Environmental Consultants, managed and oversaw the removal of the fuel tanks and the contaminated soil from the site over the course of seven days. This project was not just a routine removal but involved meticulous planning and execution to ensure safety and compliance with

You are here because you are annoyed that the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency doesn’t have a spreadsheet version of the Tiered Approach to Corrective Action Objectives (TACO) on their website. Well, I do and I’d like to share it with you. Tiered Approach to Correction Action Objectives (TACO) (Illinois) Download XLS Here There are some

You’re looking for the Maximum Allowable Concentration (MAC) Table to download as a spreadsheet (xlsx) because you want to do something fancy with a database. I wanted that too and was frustrated to find that Illinois doesn’t have an official download. I had to make my own. Let’s get you taken care of. Maximum Allowable

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

Commercial Real Estate Professionals can benefit from building a warm relationship with A3 Environmental Consultants. A good environmental consultant can help a CRE professional close deals that would otherwise have blown up at the first sign of a bad environmental report. Let’s discuss…   Sell-Side CRE Professionals: Sell-Side CRE Pros often don’t believe there’s anything

After the promulgation of the Clean Construction or Demolition Debris (CCDD) rulemaking on August 24, 2006 (modified on August 27, 2012) by the Illinois Pollution Control Board, CCDD facilities began operations all across the state.  However, to date, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA), has yet to establish a good database of these facilities. The

If you’d like a wetland delineation cost and you’re not interested in reading a bunch of information about how we price a project, the best thing to do is call us at (888) 216-3201. For the rest of you that are interested in the components of a wetland and how they come together to create

If you have a vacant property which you’d like to purchase and you need to make absolutely certain your project won’t be blocked because of a wetland, you will need to submit a jurisdictional determination request. Essentially this is a letter you will receive back from the US Army Corp of Engineers and / or

In the universe of services termed “environmental due diligence” one of these services is determining if a property has a wetland. There are different levels of due diligence needed to answer important questions before the sale of a commercial property. Wetland due diligence is no different. We created four different levels with four different price

A wetland delineation report is the “deliverable”, the thing you receive, when you purchase a wetland delineation. This work is performed during the due diligence process which happens in advance of purchasing a commercial property. Not every project is the same. Not every client needs the same level of inspection done on their property. Because of

A full wetland delineation is a known quantity. It’s an established report whose contents and format are done the same way by everyone who perform wetland delineations professionally. There are drawbacks to a full wetland delineation. They take time to schedule and complete. They are the most involved and therefore the most expensive option available.

A full wetland delineation is a known quantity. It’s an established report whose contents and format are done the same way by everyone who perform wetland delineations professionally. There are drawbacks to a full wetland delineation. They take time to schedule and complete. They are the most involved and therefore the most expensive option available.

A full wetland delineation is a known quantity. It’s an established report whose contents and format are done the same way by everyone who perform wetland delineations professionally. There are drawbacks to a full wetland delineation. They take time to schedule and complete. They are the most involved and therefore the most expensive option available.

A full wetland delineation is a known quantity. It’s an established report whose contents and format are done the same way by everyone who perform wetland delineations professionally. There are drawbacks to a full wetland delineation. They take time to schedule and complete. They are the most involved and therefore the most expensive option available.

A full wetland delineation is a known quantity. It’s an established report whose contents and format are done the same way by everyone who perform wetland delineations professionally. There are drawbacks to a full wetland delineation. They take time to schedule and complete. They are the most involved and therefore the most expensive option available.

Wetland Project Background In April 2023,  A3 Environmental Consultant’s joint venture with Olson Ecological Solutions (A3E+OES) conducted a wetland project for an approximately 1.2-acre parcel planned for minor development by the landowner in Section 1, Township 40 North, Range 10 East, located in Medinah, Illinois in DuPage County. The purpose of the wetland delineation was

Jurisdictional vs Non-Jurisdictional Wetlands Wetlands can be considered jurisdictional if they meet certain criteria established by the government agency that has jurisdiction over them. In the United States, the primary agency responsible for wetland regulation is the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), which administers the Clean Water Act. It’s important to note, the USACE

In January 2023, A3 Environmental Consultants (A3E) was commissioned to perform an asbestos containing materials (ACM) survey on a residential property slated for demolition in Aurora Illinois. The survey was critical to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations pertaining to asbestos abatement and to protect public health and safety during the demolition process.

Part of the services we provide at A3 Environmental Consultants is Environmental Screening for Wellhead Protection Areas (WPA) for Point Source Pollution. The logical first question everyone asks is “What does a Environmental Screen for a Wellhead Protection Area look like?” Well, click through this link and download a sample. A3E provides these services for

A Wellhead Protection Area (WPA) is a type of designation made by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to safeguard underground sources of drinking water, such as aquifers, from potential contamination. The purpose of designating a WPA is to prevent or limit the migration of pollutants from the surface into the aquifers which supply

In the State of Michigan, any property which is known to contain contamination at concentrations which exceed the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) Part 201 Residential Cleanup Criteria (RCC) is defined as a “facility.” Michigan’s Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act (NREPA) of 1994 contains two sections (Part 201 and Part 213) which allow

An environmental site assessment (ESA) is a critical step in the process of buying a commercial property. It involves identifying, reviewing, and analyzing any potential environmental concerns or risks associated with the property. By conducting an ESA, you can make informed decisions about whether to purchase the property and, if so, what actions may be

An environmental lien is a legal claim against a property for damages or other environmental harm caused by the owner or previous owner of the property. Environmental liens can be placed on a property by a government agency, such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), or by a private party who has suffered damages as

From the first time we held a ball we knew. The Crayons, Speak & Spell, the Slinky are all toys that could be played with in solitude. …But the ball. The ball is no fun alone. You throw the ball, you need someone to catch the ball. That someone needs to throw it back. And

In the State of Michigan, the state legislature created a process to accommodate the continued use of contaminated property called the Baseline Environmental Assessment (BEA).  Table Of Contents What Problem was Michigan Trying to Solve with the BEA? How Does a Baseline Environmental Assessment Work? Phase I Environmental Site Assessment Phase II Environmental Site Assessment