environmental Strategist, between the lines: In March 2008 the ASTM E 2600-08 Vapor Intrusion was introduced. For property owners, lenders, tenants, realtors, contractors or any others that are involved in real property this is a critical area and vapor intrusion has emerged as a significant environmental issue. ASTM 2600 should now be considered part of proper environmental due diligence.
Vapor intrusion from contaminated soil and groundwater into structures can potentially create significant liability and have a material impact on property value. Because of this, accurately determining whether a property has vapor intrusion issues is a concern for property owners, prospective purchasers and environmental professionals conducting due diligence.
ASTM International Committee E50 on Environmental Assessment has now approved a new standard, E 2600, Practice for Assessment of Vapor Intrusion into Structures on Property Involved in Real Estate Transactions, which will provide guidance for vapor intrusion testing. The standard is under the jurisdiction of Subcommittee E50.02 on Real Estate Assessment and Management.
Anthony J. Buonicore, chair of ASTM Task Group E50.02.06 on Vapor Intrusion, says E 2600 defines good commercial and customary practice for conducting a vapor intrusion assessment on a property parcel involved in real estate transactions.
“The specific intent was to establish a methodology to determine whether or not there is a reasonable probability that vapor intrusion could present an environmental risk and liability,†says Buonicore. For commercial real estate transactions, Buonicore notes that the vapor intrusion investigation, as defined by E 2600, could be used independently of, or as a supplement to, E 1527, Practice for Environmental Site Assessments: Phase I Environmental Site Assessment Process.
The evaluation process, as described in E 2600, consists of four tiers. The first two screening tiers are used to assess the potential for a vapor intrusion issue to exist, so that properties with a low risk can be screened out quickly and inexpensively. The third tier provides for more site-specific and comprehensive investigations if the potential for vapor intrusion cannot reasonably be eliminated at the Tier 1/Tier 2 levels while Tier 4 addresses mitigation alternatives.
According to Buonicore, because timeliness may be more important than investigation or mitigation costs during real estate transactions, an E 2600 user does not need to proceed sequentially through the tiers in the standard.
“In most cases, however, it is expected that it would be more cost effective and sufficient time would be available in the real estate transaction to conduct at a minimum a Tier 1 screening evaluation and, if necessary, a Tier 2 screening evaluation before proceeding to a more costly and time-consuming Tier 3 investigation or to Tier 4 mitigation,†says Buonicore. He also notes that the process described in E 2600 is designed to complement existing federal and state vapor intrusion policies or guidance.
“ASTM was selected as the best venue to develop the standard because of ASTM’s internationally recognized consensus-based process that has been used so successfully over the years,†says Buonicore. “ASTM is able to bring together stakeholders representing all sides of an issue and work with them to achieve consensus.â€
Chris Bunbury, eS Phone: 231-256-2122 Fax: 231-256-2123 jcbunbury@aol.com www.estrategist.com www.environmentalriskmanagers.com