This project profile documents an ongoing Airport Preliminary Environmental Site Assessment program A3 Environmental Consultants performs for a major international airline. A PESA is the corridor- and facility-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.
The largest airline in the world — over 100,000 employees and the leading U.S. carrier for flights across both the Atlantic and Pacific, with direct service to international destinations — continually contracts A3 Environmental Consultants to perform preliminary environmental site assessments at major airports nationwide, including but not limited to Chicago O’Hare (ORD), San Francisco (SFO), Newark Liberty (EWR), and Houston Intercontinental (IAH). Our airline client maintains a strong environmental and remediation program spanning hub advancements, soil and groundwater testing, sustainable aviation fuel, and greenhouse gas emissions.
The Airport Preliminary Environmental Site Assessment Scope
These Environmental Site Assessment projects consist of detailed reviews and analysis of regulatory databases, historical records (aerial photographs, city directories, topographic maps, and fire insurance maps), client-provided documentation, and records obtained from local and state environmental agencies. Where necessary, file reviews summarize the environmental assessment, compliance, investigation, and remediation activities that have been completed. The goal is to identify potential environmental concerns and liabilities associated with each airport property and help our airline client determine its risk — and whether a given airport project is worth pursuing further.
Aviation facilities carry environmental considerations that most commercial properties don’t: legacy fuel storage and hydrant systems, deicing fluid handling, decades of maintenance operations, and large impervious footprints. A facility-scale PESA gives the airline a defensible read on those conditions before capital is committed.
Client:
International Airline Client
Location:
Various major domestic airports (ORD, SFO, EWR, IAH, and others)
Services:
Preliminary Environmental Site Assessment (PESA)
Key Staff:
Brian Englert
Sarah Clark
Alisa Allen, P.G.
Tom Bouleanu
Duration:
2023 – Present
Value:
Ongoing
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an airport Preliminary Environmental Site Assessment?
It is a facility-scale version of a Preliminary Environmental Site Assessment tailored to aviation properties — reviewing regulatory databases, historical records, and agency files to identify environmental concerns and liabilities before an airport project moves forward.
Why do airlines order a PESA instead of a Phase 1 ESA?
Airports are large, multi-parcel facilities crossed by rights-of-way, fuel systems, and decades of operations — closer in character to a corridor than a single commercial parcel. A PESA approach fits that scale better than a single-property Phase 1 ESA.
What happens if the assessment finds a concern?
A concern is the trigger for a follow-up Preliminary Site Investigation (PSI) — subsurface sampling, equivalent to a Phase 2 ESA — to confirm and delineate it.
Need a PESA for an Aviation or Large-Facility Project?
A3 Environmental Consultants performs Preliminary Environmental Site Assessments for aviation, municipal, and infrastructure clients 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.).
