Charlottesville Phase One Environmental Assessment

At the request of a capital funding company, Virginia Environmental Professionals, LLC (VEP) completed a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) of the property located  in Charlottesville, VA. The Phase I ESA was completed in accordance with the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) Standard Practice E1527-21. 

This Phase I ESA was completed as part of the due diligence process in connection with a corporate transaction.

The subject property consists a parcel totaling approximately 1.89 acres. The building was constructed in 1954 and is used for light industrial engineering, laboratory, and offices. The subject property is located in a commercial, industrial, and residential area of Charlottesville, Virginia.

Limitations and data failures were encountered and included historical sources not available at five-year intervals dating back to 1940, and lack of response from several local agency record requests. The presence of these items did not affect VEP’s ability to identify conditions indicative of a release or threatened release of hazardous substances to the subject property and does not have a material impact on the conclusions of this report.

Site reconnaissance revealed the use and storage of hazardous material and petroleum products at the facility. These products are used for laboratory testing and cleaning, are stored in small containers and pails, and are used indoors on a linoleum tiled floor which is in good condition. The hazardous substances, petroleum products, and waste generated is properly stored and managed, and disposed of off-site by a contracted waste management company.  Other than minor drips to the linoleum floor, no stains or other evidence of release were noted in connection with the use and storage of these substances.  Accordingly, site reconnaissance did not identify environmental concerns for the subject property related to current operations.

According to historical information, prior to the construction of the current buildings on the property in 1954, the property was vacant land, then contained a residence and stable in the 1920s, and then a pajama factory. The current buildings on the property have historically been used for light industrial, manufacturing, engineering and testing, and office space uses. Historical information for the subject property did not identify uses that would be of environmental concern.

Historical information indicates that a dry-cleaning operation was located on the upgradient adjoining property to the southwest from before 1950 until after 1988.   Although releases from the historic dry-cleaning operations cannot be ruled out, no records or other evidence of releases from that operation have been identified, and no records or evidence that contamination has migrated to the subject property have been identified.

Historical petroleum filling stations were also identified within 500 feet upgradient of the subject property. Local agency records were obtained and reviewed for four (4) adjoining and vicinity petroleum releases. Based on the information obtained, these releases do not appear to be an environmental concern for the subject property. 

Results of regulatory database reviews revealed that the current building located on the subject property was identified in databases for the storage and use of regulated hazardous substances. Based on the databases listed above being typically administrative in nature, the lack of violations, and the materials being stored and used indoors in a laboratory setting, the facilities included in these databases are generally not a concern to a property.  Three (3) adjoining and 123 vicinity properties were listed in the regulatory databases. Based on VEP’s review of available information, none of the property listings were considered to be of environmental concern due to the regulatory status and our experience with similar facilities.

Interviews with the facility manager indicated the use and storage of hazardous substances on the property. The hazardous substances are used indoors, in a laboratory and engineering setting, and waste materials are disposed of by a contract disposal company. The manager stated that he was unaware of any spill, leaks, or releases of hazardous substances at the subject property. Results of interviews did not reveal any environmental concerns for the property.

Even though findings indicate the possibility that contamination may have migrated in groundwater and/or vapor from off-site properties to the subject property, this finding is not an environmental concern for the User because: 1) there has been no documented release from the off-site properties; 2) original (pre-development) topography at the property appears to have an easterly component that would cause groundwater flow to curve towards the east (i.e., away from the subject property), thus reducing the potential for and magnitude of any contamination that may have migrated on to the subject property from upgradient sources; and 3) the depth to groundwater at the subject property is estimated to be greater than 30 feet below ground surface, thus reducing the potential for vapor phase impacts to buildings on the subject property. In addition, this transaction did not include land as the building space is leased from an unrelated property owner, and thus any potential off-site contamination is not likely to present a regulatory concern to the User of this report, who is neither the owner nor the operator of the subject property.

Based upon our observations and information gathered during the Phase I ESA, VEP did not identified the presence of recognized environmental conditions (RECs), controlled RECs (CRECs), historical RECs (HRECs), or de minimis conditions as defined by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) Standard Practice E1527-21.