All Appropriate Inquiry And ASTM E1527-13

All Appropriate Inquiry (AAI) is the process of evaluating the previous uses and ownership of a property in order to identify potential environmental impact and assess potential liability for any contamination present at the property. The EPA established the AAI Rule to define the scope of the inquiry required to enable certain landowners avoid liability for clean-up under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA).

EPA states that “…every Phase I assessment conducted with EPA Brownfields Assessment Grant funds must be conducted in compliance with the All Appropriate Inquiries Final Rule at 40 CFR Part 312.  The All Appropriate Inquiries Final Rule provides that the ASTM E1527-05 and E1527-13 standards are consistent with the requirements of the final rule and may be used to comply with the provisions of the rule.”