When dealing with contaminated properties in residential andcommercial settings, many developers are leveraging the cleanupprocess not just to achieve site closure, but also to improve theproperty value. The trend in property remediation has gone from simply covering upthe problem or blocking it off to a more organic and visuallyappealing way of dealing with contamination. From an environmentalperspective, the main concern is to perform all of the actionsrequired in the Remedial Action Plan. For owners and lenders, thereis more of a long term benefit in improving the final appearance ofthe property and its perception within the community.

When performing a Property Condition Assessment or Phase IEnvironmental Site Assessment, there is always the possibility ofuncovering adverse findings for the property owner. One of thesecommon issues is contaminated soils that pose a potential threat tohuman health, resulting in the inability to develop residential orcommercial properties on the site. Environmental engineers areoften up against stringent regulations when performing theremediation of potential contaminants found during theenvironmental site assessment. (My colleague Ken Sisk will speakabout some of the opportunities and risks associated with theredevelopment of contaminated land at the upcoming RTM conference:more about that here)

Innovative Approaches Pay Off