A site evaluation or assessment conducted for purposes of determining the extent, if any, of contamination on a property. An assessment can be informal or formal and can consist of several stages. For example, a Phase I ESA, or basic study of possible contamination at a site is limited to collecting information about past and current site use and observing current conditions. A Phase II ESA sometimes follows up on a Phase I ESA, with sampling and analysis of suspected contaminated areas of a site. A Phase I
Real property, either currently in use or vacant, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or perceived presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. Cleaning up and reinvesting in these properties protects the environment, reduces blight, and takes development pressures off greenspaces and working lands.
A federal statute that governs the investigation and cleanup of sites contaminated with hazardous substances. The law establishes a trust fund that can be used by the government to clean up sites on the National Priorities List.