ASSESSMENTS AND OIL & GAS DUE DILIGENCE

Assessments and Oil & Gas Due Diligence

Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs)
for Odessa, Abilene, Lubbock, Dallas, TX & the Surrounding Areas

eTECH offers a unique approach by combining our client’s knowledge of their property, with our industry and regulatory background to determine project specific impacts and concerns. Site history, geology, and hydrogeology, as well as economic and environmental goals, are just a few of the areas addressed when compiling a plan of action. The complexity of the project will determine the different levels and types of environmental site assessments that are needed, including lead, asbestos, and mold assessments. eTECH’s staff provides years of experience through project-driven expertise from initial assessment to site closure. In addition to our specialized assessment and consulting solutions, we also perform thorough soil, groundwater, and NORM remediation services to ensure your property is protected and compliant.


Contact eTECH today with your questions and let us help you determine what inspections, permits, or other services you require before your renovation, demolition, pre-sale, or property purchase.

Examples of regulatory guidelines:

  • Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
  • Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA)
  • Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)
  • Clean Water Act (CWA)
  • Clean Air Act (CAA)
  • Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA)
  • Underground Injection Control (UIC) Programs
  • Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasures (SPCC)

Why You Need an Environmental Site Assessment

Environmental liability can completely derail property development projects and real estate transactions; as a potential buyer, it's vital for you to do your due diligence before purchasing. Property owners can be held liable for toxic hazards, even if they did not cause or know about them at the time of purchase. Including an environmental site assessment helps you understand the potential for pollutants, toxins, and other problems. An environmental site assessment can help detect the following issues:


  • Undocumented landfilling
  • Buried or leaking underground storage tanks
  • Improperly managed industrial waste and other heavy metal impacts
  • Soil and groundwater contamination
  • Asbestos and/or mold
  • Harmful solvents
  • And More


During an ESA, we will collect information about your property and its history. We collect information through a number of different avenues to get as clear a picture as possible. After obtaining and summarizing the data, we will identify any possible environmental risks to the site based on the given information. Undergoing an environmental site assessment can save you time, money, and stress if your purchase is found to contain hazards.

Phase I ESAs

Phase I ESAs are the first step in the site assessment process. Phase I ESAs are performed for buyers, sellers, brokers, and lenders involved in the sale, purchase, or lease of industrial, commercial, and agricultural properties. Phase I ESAs are typically required by lenders in order to assure that properties do not possess environmental conditions that could diminish the value of the property, the ability of the borrower to repay, and/or to establish baselines to allocate responsibility for clean-up costs. It satisfies the requirements of the Innocent Landowner Defense liability imposed by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA). If deemed applicable, initiating a Phase II ESA and a Phase III ESA can occur.


eTECH’s Phase I ESAs are performed in accordance with the American Standard Test Method (ASTM) E 1527-13, (the “ASTM Standards”) and AAI, which have been deemed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to completely satisfy the requirements of CERCLA.


The scope of the Phase I ESA consists of interviews with past and present owners, operators, occupants, reviews of historical documents and records, including but not limited to:

 

  • Aerial photographs, fire insurance maps, building department records, chain of title documents, and land use records
  • Reviews of federal, tribal, state, and local government records
  • A thorough visual on-site inspection
  • Documentation of the presence or probable presence of contamination at the property

 

The purpose of the Phase I Environmental Site Assessment is to identify, to the extent feasible, Recognized Environmental Conditions (RECs) at the subject property. As defined in the ASTM Standards, RECs are “the presence or likely presence of any hazardous substances or petroleum products on a property under conditions that indicate an existing release, a past release, or a material threat of a release of any hazardous substances or petroleum products into structures on the property or into the ground, groundwater, or surface water of the property.”


This data is utilized as a means for companies and property owners to assign monetary values in order to remediate any problem that is identified by the REC data. The data collected must be thorough and detailed to provide a clear picture of existing conditions in the field. eTECH has designed and implemented its own proprietary database system which streamlines this process, allowing the entire assessment process to be more efficient and cost effective.


Transaction Screening Questionnaire (TSQ)

In addition to the routine Phase I approach, eTECH offers modified assessments through the Transaction Screening Questionnaire (TSQ) protocols. A TSQ is an abbreviated screening method approved by the American Society of Testing & Materials (ASTM) that can be implemented on a site. Relevant conclusions can be reached by performing this type of assessment on sites where no further investigation or assessment is needed. These TSQs are often accepted in property transactions and are considerably less expensive than a standard ESA.

Phase II: Delineation

Phase II is conducted when a Phase I ESA indicates a high probability that contamination exceeding regulatory action levels are present at a site. The Phase II ESA may require comprehensive drilling, sampling, and analytical testing to provide a more precise determination of the type and extent of contamination present. Data derived from a Phase II ESA allows for the development of the most effective remedial actions.

Phase III: Remediation

Phase III is site remediation. eTECH initiates the steps to restore the site to achieve regulatory compliance. eTECH determines the most effective type of remediation needed for a particular site. Effective cleanup includes pre-planning, remedial activities, post-remediation, closure, and safety reporting. Please contact us to learn more about our various remediation techniques and to learn more about what best suits your needs.

Due Diligence Services

Property transactions bring with them a diverse list of liabilities that have a direct impact on capital outlay, management time, and professional reputation. They must be considered and factored into an organization’s acquisition, ownership, and exit strategies. eTECH provides a clear understanding of these liabilities with total predicted costs and annual spending projections. Our tailored advice is commercially focused, clearly communicated, delivered on time, and  backed with appropriate levels of professional indemnity coverage.


Each due diligence is completed based on our client’s needs and can include any of the following procedures including Phase I ESA and TSQs.

Field Inspection

eTECH’s professional team will inspect the entire environmental site and every piece of equipment that is part of the acquisition. This includes active producing wells and tank batteries, temporarily abandoned well sites, plugged and abandoned well and tank battery sites, potential disposal sites, and more. All equipment is inspected, photographed, and documented regarding general condition, size, type, safety compliance, regulatory compliance, secondary containment, and chemical and physical hazards.

Each environmental site is inspected for potential Recognized Environmental Conditions (RECs) such as:


  • Hydrocarbon & Produced Water Impacts
  • Chemical Spills
  • Wastes
  • Friable Materials
  • Open Impoundments
  • Compressor Leaks
  • Air Emission Sources & Controls
  • NORM
Chemical Spills
Permitting & Regulatory Compliance Inspection

There are many federal, state, and local regulatory requirements governing businesses. Research is conducted on the existing operator for compliance with applicable regulations through reasonably ascertainable records. This includes permits (air, NPDES, impoundments, etc.), mechanical integrity testing, SPCC plans, Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP), and more. Interviews are conducted with the members of applicable regulatory agencies to obtain an overall picture of the operators’ record of compliance and determine if there are any outstanding violations or larger historical issues that may have occurred.

Rapid Assessment Techniques

eTECH has developed and implemented the use of its own proprietary database to assist in the collection of information from our field inspections. This database provides a means for our inspection teams to gather data and enter it directly into a format that can be shared with our clients in real time. Turnaround time for lists of RECs and costs of remediation and equipment replacement can be as little as seven days from the start of a project.

Report Generation

Upon completion of the inspections, eTECH utilizes its proprietary database to compile data and create a detailed report for the client. The report includes applicable federal and local regulations with any regulatory non-compliance issues identified. Due diligence reports typically focus on discovered issues and associated costs, the overall cost summary or cost limit value for the entire property, and the specific assets identified.

Contact Our Environmental Site Assessment Specialists to Schedule Assistance

If you're interested in scheduling a comprehensive assessment, be sure to contact one of the certified representatives at eTech Environmental & Safety Solutions, Inc. No matter the nature of your upcoming application, you can rely on our certified team members to provide innovative assistance. In fact, our staff members will account for site history, geology, and hydrogeology before providing you with an all-encompassing snapshot of your surroundings.


Once you're ready to learn more about our assessment and diligence capabilities, reach out to our qualified team. For years, eTech Environmental & Safety Solutions, Inc. has continued to assist professional clients throughout Odessa, Midland, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Lubbock, Abilene, San Angelo, TX; Denver, CO; Oklahoma City, Tulsa, OK; and the surrounding areas. It's truly never been easier to access the latest in environmental site assessment services.

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