This project profile documents a Preliminary Environmental Site Assessment (PESA) A3 Environmental Consultants performed for a sewer improvement corridor in Maywood, Illinois. A PESA is the corridor-scale equivalent of a Phase 1 ESA — if you’re new to the process, start with what a Preliminary Environmental Site Assessment is and how it leads to a Preliminary Site Investigation (PSI) when concerns are found.
Hancock Engineering contacted A3 Environmental Consultants for four Preliminary Environmental Site Assessments supporting a sewer improvement project in the City of Maywood, Illinois. Maywood was preparing to begin sewer repair and replacement across several corridors of land, and needed the assessments both to protect worker health and safety and to support soil management planning as the city budgeted for soil hauling expenses.
Why a Corridor Project Needs a PESA
Similar to a Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment, a PESA is designed for a corridor of property instead of a single parcel, and is typically commissioned by governments that own rights-of-way. The goal is to find areas of concern that would necessitate a Preliminary Site Investigation (PSI) — the corridor equivalent of a Phase 2 ESA. Both services help keep workers and the general public safe from inhalation concerns tied to contaminated soil exposed during infrastructure construction and maintenance.
The Soil Management and Budget Angle
For a municipality like Maywood, the assessment is as much a budgeting tool as a safety tool. The information A3E gathers helps drive cost certainty by reducing the expense of removing “spoils” — the soil that is no longer needed on a job site. Contaminated soil is expensive to remove; uncontaminated soil is far less expensive. Knowing in advance which segments of a sewer corridor are clean and which are impacted lets the city haul appropriately, reuse clean material on-site where possible, and avoid the budget shocks that come from discovering contamination mid-construction. A3 Environmental Consultants manages that downstream process through its Soil Management Planning, Design and Oversight service.
What the Maywood Assessment Involved
Working under Hancock Engineering and coordinating with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD), A3E reviewed historical land use, regulatory records, and current site conditions along each sewer corridor segment. A site visit — required for a PESA just as it is for an ASTM Phase 1 ESA — confirmed conditions in the field. Concerns along a corridor are classified as No Concern, Low, Medium, or High Risk; High Risk findings are the trigger for follow-up subsurface sampling under a PSI before excavation begins.
Assets Not Liabilities
Client & Stakeholders:
Hancock Engineering
City of Maywood
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD)
Location:
Services:
Preliminary Environmental Site Assessment (PESA); Soil Management Planning, Design and Oversight
Key Staff:
Dave McCoy – Professional Geologist, Final Review
Evan Meinzer – Project Management
Duration:
2022
Value:
Estimated $8,800
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did the City of Maywood need a Preliminary Environmental Site Assessment?
Maywood was planning sewer repair and replacement across several corridors and needed the assessments to protect worker health and safety and to plan for soil management — specifically to budget for hauling and disposing of any contaminated soil (“spoils”) generated during construction.
What is the difference between a PESA and a PSI?
A PESA is the records-and-reconnaissance first step, like a Phase 1 ESA. A PSI is the subsurface sampling follow-up, like a Phase 2 ESA, performed only where the assessment flags a concern.
Does A3E handle soil management for corridor projects?
Yes. Beyond the assessment itself, A3E provides Soil Management Planning, Design and Oversight to control the cost of removing contaminated soil during infrastructure construction.
Need a PESA for Your Corridor Project?
A3 Environmental Consultants performs Preliminary Environmental Site Assessments for municipal and infrastructure corridor projects across the Midwest and nationwide. Learn more about our Preliminary Environmental Site Assessment services, or call (888) 405-1742.
We Fix Gnarly Environmental Problems
Reviewed by the A3 Environmental Consultants team, headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, under the supervision of a licensed Professional Geologist (P.G.).
