ENVIRONMENTAL SITE ASSESSMENT - ESA (Assessment, Soil Test, Ground Water Test, Contamination Clean-Up)
Environmental Site Assessment Phase 1, 2 & 3 in Ontario including  City of Toronto, Durham Region, Halton Region, Peel Region and York Region (Ajax, Aurora, Bolton, Brampton, Burlington, Etobicoke, Maple, Markham, Milton, Mississauga, Newmarket, North York, Oakville, Oshawa, Pickering, Richmond Hill, Scarborough, Stouffville, Toronto, Vaughan, Uxbridge, Whitby and Woodbridge).
Accidental spills and careless waste disposal practices can result in soil and ground water contamination. Spills are common and can occur just about anywhere and anytime. About 10,000 spills are reported each year in Canada, amounting to thousands of tonnes of fuels and other chemicals. Officials estimate that the total number of unreported spills could be as high as 40,000. Fuel products comprise about two-thirds of the reported spills. Chemicals spilled many years ago can linger in the soil and still be a problem today. Site contamination is a complex problem that seldom goes away by itself and can persist for decades. The contamination may not be confined to the site itself, because contaminants often spread far beyond their original source. Toxic substances can seep through the soil to the groundwater, which then becomes unfit for drinking. Natural groundwater flow can spread the contaminants over a wide area. As a result, soil and ground water contaminations are often found in properties near past or present industrial sites, such as refineries, steel plants, mines, scrap yards and chemical plants. Chemical discharges can also be associated with smaller-scale operations such as dry cleaning outlets, electrical contractors, print shops, waste processors and industrial waste disposal sites.
Leakage of petroleum or other products from underground storage tanks is another common cause of soil and ground water contamination. Contaminated sites are very often found near operating gas stations, former gas stations and at other locations where fuels have been stored in underground storage tanks. From 7,500 to 20,000 underground storage tanks across Canada are thought to be leaking. As time passes, more of the older tanks will begin to leak due to problems such as corrosion. There are at least 10,000 landfill sites across Canada. Contaminants may be seeping out of many of these landfill sites.The health and safety of people who live or work at or very near a contaminated site are directly at risk. The local natural environment is also at risk.  The immediate concern is the potential cleanup cost. Individuals and corporations are, with increasing frequency, being charged and convicted of offences associated with contaminated sites, although they may not have been directly responsible for the contamination. Such court cases are very expensive.
The costs associated with contaminated property  can be significant, and may have to be borne entirely or in part by past or present property owners, investors, lenders or even commercial tenants. A lender should not acquire title to mortgaged property unless satisfied that there are no indications of contamination on the property. The lender should also ensure that any business conducted on the property does not carry with it an unmanaged risk of contamination.  A lending organization or individual who takes possession of a contaminated site, due to foreclosure of a mortgage or for any other reason may find that the property is worth very little. They may even find that the costs of a cleanup exceed the property’s value. A buyer who borrows money to purchase a property that turns out to be contaminated may subsequently be prosecuted for environmental offences and face fines and legal and cleanup costs. These expenses may reduce his or her ability to repay the loan. If lenders then have to take possession of the contaminated property, they may be prosecuted or become liable for the debtor’s environmental problems, including clean up costs. If contamination is found at a site, authorities could order anyone who has any control of the property or business to clean it up, whether or not they caused the contamination. Anyone who has ever owned or occupied that property may be ordered to participate in the cleanup. Creditors who were previously in possession of a contaminated property, for no matter how short a time, may also be required to cover some or all of the cleanup costs. Compliance with such orders can be extremely expensive. Property owners and occupants affected by nearby contaminated sites may sue those responsible, or sue current owners who may not even have caused the contamination.
There is currently no legal requirement in Ontario to conduct environmental site assessments. However, organizations and individuals who provide mortgages, guarantee mortgages or invest in real estate should note that there are very compelling reasons to insist on an Environmental Site Assessment before committing themselves to a transaction. Commercial lending institutions, and those who own, manage or invest in real estate know that it is essential to be concerned about the environmental status of properties with which they are associated. More and more organizations are requiring environmental site assessments as a condition for real estate transactions. The best time to determine if an environmental contamination is present, is before you buy. After you own the property it becomes your responsibility. Ultimately, Environmntal Site Assessments may become universally accepted as an essential component of responsible asset management.
Environmental Site Assessments are very valuable to identify potential environmental concerns at a property. These assessments, by their nature, are limited and it is crucial that all of the parties involved understand these limitations. An Environmental Site Assessment ESA by experienced environmental site assessor should reveal the potential for significant environmental issues at a site even if it is performed in a tight time frame. We use only senior qualified and experienced assessors to conduct the environmental site assessments. To ensure the important issues are not overlooked and that uncertainties associated with the assessment are reduced, Environmental Site Assessments are performed to the Ministry of Environment guidelines, by experienced environmental site assessors. Even the most thorough Environmental Site Assessments may not be able to confirm unequivocally that a site is not contaminated, or guarantee that a site will not become contaminated in the future. An Environmental Site Assessment can only determine that no indicators of contamination are found at the time of the investigation..
CLARIFYING CONTAMINATION - Phase 1 - Environmental Site Assessment - ESA
A thorough rigorous environmental analysis of the property and all surrounding uses or conditions, which may carry the risk of contamination or liability and issues arise from past use of chemical, oil tanks, asbestos and other hazards. Environmental site assessments ESA have been performed on a range of property types,  including gas stations, medium sized industrial operations and multi-tenant commercial plazas. We focus our phase one environmental site assessment  on the unique circumstances, conditions and risks inherent in each property type and develop an efficient strategy for acquiring specialized information unique to the property.
As described by the Canadian Standards Association (CSA), in Standard CAN/CSA-Z768-01, a phase 1 environmental site assessment (ESA) is a systematic process by which an assessor seeks to determine whether a particular property is subject to actual or potential contamination. The scope of the phase 1 environmental site assessment will consist of the following four principal components of the CSA Standard:
Search, review and analyze of historical property use
A very detailed and labor intensive search, review and analyze of historical property use, occupancy records and aerial photographs of the subject and adjacent properties. Geology, Hydrology, Topography are analyzed to determine type of the soil, depth of water table, direction and flow of ground water and other physical attributes to determine the potential of any environmental hazard migrating to or from the subject property.
Visual assessment of the site and surrounding properties
Visual assessment of the site and surrounding properties including Identification of any liquid or chemical storage, PCBs, ACM, Lead and other designated substances, spills or soil and building contamination and identification of surrounding land use in order to identify possible impacts to the subject site. Physical obstructions can have a large impact on the results of a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment, since no intrusive sampling is done during the assessment
Interview with persons having knowledge of past and present site activities.
Sometimes information provided by individuals about the previous usage of the site and/or adjacent sites may somewhat misleading and may lead to certain assumptions being made regarding the potential environmental risks associated with the property by the parties involved in the transaction. Informations from interviews of individuals must be corroborated whenever possible.
Evaluation of Information and Reporting

Phase 1 environmental site assessment ESA in Ontario including City of Toronto, Durham Region, Halton Region, Peel Region and York Region  (Ajax, Aurora, Bolton, Brampton, Burlington, Etobicoke, Maple, Markham, Milton, Mississauga, Newmarket, North York, Oakville, Oshawa, Pickering, Richmond Hill, Scarborough, Stouffville, Toronto, Vaughan, Uxbridge, Whitby and Woodbridge) can be arranged within six to eight business days.
Phase 1 environmental site assessment ESA reports are ready within 5 business days after completion of phase 1 environmental site assessment ESA. We specialize in locating and analyzing missing or previously undiscovered documentary evidence as well as our successful record of thorough assessment and reporting of the entire phase 1 environmental site assessment ESA process are what set us apart from other providers. The consequences of completing an inadequate Environmental Site Assessment can far outweigh the cost of a thorough Phase I Environmental Site Assessment.
Cost of Phase 1 Environmental Assessment is $1,990

SEEKING THE SOURCE - Phase 2 - Environmental Site Assessment - ESA
Generally, a phase 2 environmental site assessment is required by a lending institution (bank) when potential contamination has been identified on a high-risk property such as gas stations, dry cleaners etc, requiring financing.
The potential contamination is often identified through an initial phase 1 environmental site assessment.  As described by the Canadian Standards Association CSA Standard CAN/CSA-Z769-00 a phase 2 environmental site assessment ESA involves sampling and testing of materials considered by the outcome of a phase 1 environmental site assessment ESA or other investigation to be possible instances of environmental contamination. The cost, scope and duration of a phase 2 environmental site assessment ESA are dependent on many factors such as the size and location of the site, the number and type of suspected, contaminants, the type of material to be sampled such as soil, groundwater, etc., the methods used for sample collection and the time required to obtain laboratory results. The most frequent substances tested are Petroleum Hydrocarbons in four fractions F1-F4, heavy metals, Volatile Organic Compounds VOC, Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons - PAH, Polychlorinated Biphenyl’s PCBs pesticides and solvents. Representative soil & water samples are mostly obtained from boreholes and monitoring wells. The boreholes placements are selected by an initial rationale as being the most likely locations of contaminations.
Prior to any sub-surface investigation, the locations of underground utilities and services are investigated and confirmed to avoid potential disruption to the utilities during the sub-surface investigation. The locations for sub-surface investigation are selected by an initial rationale of being the most likely locations of contamination. Sub-surface soil and ground water sampling are completed in accordance with the requirements of phase 2 environmental site assessment ESA standard CAN/CSA-Z769-00. Proper chain of custody procedures are assured for the recovered soil and ground water samples.
Constituents of concern are identified, sampled, analyzed and the laboratory results are compared to the applicable Ontario Ministry of Environment Standards. If the phase two environmental site assessment identifies adverse environmental impact in excess of the applicable Ontario Ministry of Environment Guidelines, additional assessment and/or remedial work may be required. A phase 2 environmental site assessment ESA is an investigation to confirm the presence or absence of contamination on a property. If contamination is identified, the phase 2 environmental site assessment ESA findings are used to develop options for dealing with the contamination including removing the contamination, managing the contamination in-place and or monitoring soil and groundwater conditions to ensure the contamination doesn’t worsen. A phase 2 environmental site assessment costs more and the turnaround time is much longer than the phase 1 encvironmental site assessment.
The turnaround time for a typical phase two environmental site assessment ESA in Ontario including City of Toronto, Durham Region, Halton Region, Peel Region and York Region (Ajax, Aurora, Bolton, Brampton, Burlington, Etobicoke, Maple, Markham, Milton, Mississauga, Newmarket, North York, Oakville, Oshawa, Pickering, Richmond Hill, Scarborough, Stouffville, Toronto, Vaughan, Uxbridge, Whitby and Woodbridge) is about 2 - 4 weeks.
Cost of Combination of a Phase 1 & a Phase 2 Environmental Site Assessment is $7,940
REMEDIATION (CLEANUP) Phase 3 - Environmental Site Assessment - ESA
Fortunately, today's property owners have learned from yesterday's mistakes, and are eager to cleanup  contaminations confirmed in their properties. Phase 3 Environmental Site Assessment is an investigation involving remediation of a property. When a Phase 2 Environmental Site Assessment confirms an environmental contamination, a Phase 3 environmental site remediation may be initiated based on the type, degree, and extent of contamination and subsurface conditions at the site. Phase 3 environmental site investigations aim to delineate the physical extent of contamination based on recommendations made in Phase 2 environmental site Assessments. Phase 3 environmental site investigations may involve intensive testing, sampling, and monitoring, “fate and transport” studies and other modeling, and the design of feasibility studies for remediation and remedial plans. This study normally involves assessment of alternative cleanup methods, costs and logistics. Depending on the subsurface conditions, type of contaminant, and other variables, various methods such as excavate and haul of contaminated soil, pump and treatment of groundwater, bioremediation (supply oxygen and nutrients to a contaminated site so that naturally occurring bacteria that degrade hydrocarbons can flourish and breakdown the hydrocarbons), soil vapor extraction (force air through contaminated soil to drive contaminant particles into the air), neutralization in-place, may be used to remove or neutralize the contamination.
Since no two contaminated sites are alike, phase 3 environmental site remediations are customized for every site, and can vary in cost and length of remediation.The cost to of Phase 3 environmental site remediation is based on the location and size of the site; type, extent, and degree of contamination; depth to groundwater; subsurface conditions etc.
Expert building inspection and environmental site assessment provide the property owners ability to effectively manage buildings and protection from environmental liability.  We're an employee owned Canadian firm and take pride in our work.
BUILDING EXPERTS CANADA LTD
GTA Square 5215 FINCH AVENUE EAST TORONTO ONTARIO M1S 0C2
416 332 1743   service@buildingexperts.ca Fax 416 754 7032 Our Service Area includes Ajax, Aurora, Bolton, Brampton, Burlington, Etobicoke, Maple, Markham, Milton, Mississauga, Newmarket, North York, Oakville, Oshawa, Pickering, Richmond Hill, Scarborough, Stouffville, Toronto, Vaughan, Uxbridge, Whitby and Woodbridge
Other environmental site assessments firms serving Ontario including City of Toronto, Durham Region, Halton Region, Peel Region and York Region (Ajax, Aurora, Bolton, Brampton, Burlington, Etobicoke, Maple, Markham, Milton, Mississauga, Newmarket, North York, Oakville, Oshawa, Pickering, Richmond Hill, Scarborough, Stouffville, Toronto, Vaughan, Uxbridge, Whitby and Woodbridge):

CPG Franz Environmental 250 Shields Court Markham Ontario 905 470 6570
Church & Trought Inc 885 Donmills Road Toronto Ontario 416 391 2527
Pinchin Environmental 2470 Milltower Court Mississauga Ontario 905 363 0678

Gas Stations
The storage and the dispensing of petroleum products at gas stations pose a risk of subsurface soil and groundwater contamination. The contamination may not be confined to the site itself, because contaminants often spread far beyond their original source.Due to the increased focus on environmental issues and the related environmental laws focused around environmental liability issues, any financing request will require recently completed Phase I and Phase II environmental site assessments. If there is a material amount of contamination detected, further levels of testing may also be required as well as the completion of remediation work identified. Interested lenders will also require a commercial appraisal of the gas station  by an accredited commercial appraiser.

Dry Cleaning & Environment
There are an estimated 2,500 drycleaning facilities in Ontario. The most common form of dry cleaning uses a chemical called tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene or "PERC"). Ninety percent of the industry uses perc, and drycleaning accounts for between one-third and one-half of all the perc used in Canada. Perc has been designated under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act as a persistent, bio-accumulative chemical that is toxic to the environment.
Dry cleaning uses non-water-based solvents to remove soil and stains from clothes. Early dry cleaners used petroleum-based solvents such as gasoline and kerosene. After World War I, dry cleaners began using chlorinated solvents. These solvents were much less flammable than petroleum solvents and had improved cleaning power. By the mid-1930s, the dry cleaning industry had adopted tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene), colloquially called "PERC," as the ideal solvent. It has excellent cleaning power and is stable, nonflammable, and gentle to most garments. PERC was included in the list of 44 substances published as the first Priority Substances List in the Canada Gazette Part 1 on February 11, 1989.  These substances were given priority by Environment Canada and Health Canada for assessing whether they are “toxic or capable of becoming toxic” according to the definition specified in the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1988. On February 5, 1994, a synopsis of the results of the PERC assessment was published in the Canada Gazette, Part I. The assessment concluded that PERC occurs in the Canadian environment in quantities that may be harmful to the environment (notably terrestrial plants). Consequently, PERC was added to the CEPA 1999 list of toxic substances - see Canada Gazette, Part II, March 29, 2000.
Under the Federal government’s Toxic Substances Management Policy, PERC fits the management goal to minimize environmental and human health risks by reducing exposure to, and/or release throughout its life-cycle.  Following extensive consultation with producers, importers and users of PERC, other levels of governments and environmental groups, the proposed Regulations were published in Canada Gazette, Part I on August 18, 2001.  After further consultation, the final Regulations were passed into law on February 27, 2003 and then published in the Canada Gazette, Part II on March 12, 2003. The purpose of the Regulations is to reduce PERC releases to the environment from dry-cleaning facilities. These reductions will be attained by requiring newer, more efficient dry-cleaning machines, by minimizing spills of PERC and by managing the collection and disposal of residue and waste water.
Modern dry cleaning machines use a closed-loop system in which the chilled air is reheated and recirculated. This results in high solvent recovery rates and reduced air pollution. In the early days of dry cleaning, large amounts of perchlorethylene were vented to the atmosphere because it was regarded as cheap and believed to be harmless.
Working solvent from the washing chamber passes through several filtration steps before it is returned to the washing chamber. The first step is a button trap, which prevents small objects such as lint, fasteners, buttons, and coins from entering the solvent pump.
Over time, a thin layer of filter cake (called muck) accumulates on the lint filter. The muck is removed regularly (commonly once per day) and then processed to recover solvent trapped in the muck. Many machines use "spin disc filters," which remove the muck from the filter by centripetal force while it is back washed with solvent.
After the lint filter, the solvent passes through an absorptive cartridge filter. This filter is made from activated clays and charcoal and removes fine insoluble soil and non-volatile residues, along with dyes from the solvent. Finally, the solvent passes through a polishing filter, which removes any soil not previously removed. The clean solvent is then returned to the working solvent tank.
Cooked muck
Cooked Powder Residue — the waste material generated by cooking down or distilling muck. Cooked powder residue is a hazardous waste and will contain solvent, powdered filter material (diatomite), carbon, non-volatile residues, lint, dyes, grease, soils, and water. This material should then be disposed of in accordance with local law.
Sludge
The waste sludge or solid residue from the still contains solvent, water, soils, carbon, and other non-volatile residues. Still bottoms from chlorinated solvent dry cleaning operations are hazardous wastes.
Solvents used in Dry Cleaning:
   * Glycol ethers (dipropylene glycol tertiary-butyl ether) (Rynex)(Solvair) — In many cases more effective than perchloroethylene (perc) and in all cases more environmentally friendly. Dipropylene glycol tertiary butyl ether (DPTB) has a flashpoint far above current industry standards, yet at the same time possesses a degree of solvency for water-soluble stains that is at least equivalent to, and in most cases better than, perc and the other glycol ether dry cleaning solvents presently in commercial use. A particular advantage of the DPTB-water solutions of the Rynex product in dry cleaning is that they do not behave like a typical mixture, but, rather, the behavior is the same as a single substance. This permits a better-defined separation upon azeotropic distillation at a lower boiling point and also facilitates reclamation more effectively, at a level of 99% or greater, and also enhances purification using conventional distillation techniques.
   * Hydrocarbon — This is most like standard dry cleaning, but the processes use hydrocarbon solvents such as Exxon-Mobil’s DF-2000 or Chevron Phillips' EcoSolv. These petroleum-based solvents are less aggressive than perc and require a longer cleaning cycle. While flammable, these solvents do not present a high risk of fire or explosion when used properly. Hydrocarbon also contains volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that contribute to smog.
   * Liquid silicone (decamethylcyclopentasiloxane or D5) — gentler on garments than Perc and does not cause color loss. Requires a license be obtained to utilize the property of GreenEarth Cleaning. Though considerably more environmentally friendly, the price of it is more than double that of perc, and GreenEarth charges an annual affiliation fee. Degrades within days in the environment to silica and trace amounts of water and CO2. Produces nontoxic, nonhazardous waste. Toxicity tests by Dow Corning shows the solvent to increase the incidence of tumors in female rats (no effects were seen in male rats), but further research concluded that the effects observed in rats are not relevant to humans because the biological pathway that results in tumor formation is unique to rats.(170.6 °F/77 °C flash point).
   * Modified hydrocarbon blends (Pure Dry)
   * Perchloroethylene — In use since the 1940s, perc is the most common solvent, the "standard" for cleaning performance, and most aggressive cleaner. It can cause color bleeding/loss, especially at higher temperatures, and may destroy special trims, buttons, and beads on some garments. Better for oil-based stains (which account for about 10% of stains) than more common water-soluble stains (coffee, wine, blood, etc). Known for leaving a characteristic chemical smell on garments. Nonflammable.
   * Liquid CO2 — Consumer Reports rated this method superior to conventional methods, but the Drycleaning and Laundry Institute commented on its "fairly low cleaning ability" in a 2007 report. Another industry certification group, America's Best Cleaners, counts CO2 cleaners among its members. Machinery is expensive—up to $90,000 more than a perc machine, making affordability difficult for small businesses. Some cleaners with these machines keep traditional machines on-site for the heavier soiled textiles, but others find plant enzymes to be equally effective and more environmentally sustainable. CO2-cleaned clothing does not off-gas volatile compounds. CO2 cleaning is also used for fire- and water-damage restoration due to its effectiveness in removing toxic residues, soot and associated odors of fire.
Tetrachloroethylene (Use in Dry Cleaning and Reporting Requirements) Regulations (SOR/2003-79)
The purpose of the Tetrachloroethylene (Use in Dry Cleaning and Reporting Requirements) Regulations is to reduce releases of tetrachloroethylene to the environment from dry-cleaning facilities. These reductions will be attained by requiring newer, more efficient dry-cleaning machines, by minimizing spills of tetrachloroethylene, and by managing the collection and disposal of residues and waste water.
The reporting provisions in these Regulations apply to persons who import or recycle tetrachloroethylene for any use, to persons who sell tetrachloroethylene to dry cleaners, and to dry cleaners. The provisions are harmonized as much as possible with the Solvent Degreasing Regulations. Persons with a diverse commercial market will thereby avoid the inconvenience of reporting their tetrachloroethylene quantities separately, under two related federal regulations, to Environment Canada. The Tetrachloroethylene (Use in Dry Cleaning and Reporting Requirements) Regulations are put forth under the authority provided by subsection 93(1) of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA 1999).
Revised Soil, Ground Water And Sediment Standards
One of the most important elements of the new regulatory package is the revised set of Standards for Soil, Ground Water and Sediment. The new Standards (dated July 27, 2009 but released in the first week of January 2010) will not come into effect until July 1, 2011. They will replace the existing Soil, Ground Water and Sediment Standards dated March 9, 2004. Although the existing Standards will remain in effect for approximately 18 months, proponents of ongoing projects should pay close attention to the transitional provisions described in Section 6, below.
The new Standards effect changes in two principal ways: They implement 1) more rigorous standards and 2) new standards where none existed previously. Some highlights include the following:
Generally more stringent soil and groundwater criteria will take effect for chlorinated solvents; for example, the non-potable groundwater criterion for perchloroethylene will change from 50μg/L to 1.6μg/L, and the criterion for trichloroethylene will change from 50μg/L to 1.6μg/L;
The Standards for Soil, Groundwater and Sediment are often used in aid of interpreting legal reporting obligations, to assess impacts to property values, in negotiating real estate transactions, and in pleading civil claims. The creation of more stringent Standards in some instances may also have the practical effect of forcing some owners or proponents to move to a risk assessment approach because a generic clean up option is no longer considered feasible, either technically or financially.

Printing & Environment
Many solvents and inks used in the printing industry emit a volatile organic compound (VOC) as atmospheric vapour. Emissions can be direct through stacks and vents, or fugitive. VOCs are photo-reactive and when they combine with nitrous oxide emissions and particulate from cars, trucks and industry and are synthesized by ultra violet rays in sunlight, they produce low-level ozone. That is why “smog”, as a dirty yellow pollutant, is most noticeable in summer. It is a serious health concern.
Printing operations could pose some environmental concerns due to potential spills leaks or migration of chlorinated solvents through natural and/or preferential pathways. The stricter pollution regulations including requirements to comply with the P2 (Pollution Prevention) waste water bylaw in Toronto, avoidance, elimination, reduction and/or substitution of the use of chlorinated solvents, re-use and/or recycling of chlorinated solvents, proper waste, spill and contamination programs have reduced the potential spills leaks or migration of chlorinated solvents from printing industry in the last decade.

Environmental Protection Act
The purpose of the Environmental Protection Act "is to provide for the protection and conservation of the natural environment." To ensure this, the Minister of Environment and Energy is empowered to administer and enforce the province's environmental legislation. This can take the form of monitoring, recommending appropriate abatement action, or prosecuting polluters. Many times all three are undertaken in the ministry's efforts to get tough with polluters.

The Environmental Protection Act states that:
No person shall discharge into the natural environment any contaminant, and no person responsible for a source of contaminant shall permit the discharge into the natural environment of any contaminant from the source of contaminant, in an amount, concentration or level in excess of that prescribed by the regulations. R.S.O. 1990, c.E.19, s.6(l).