When it is not feasible to investigate every foot of a property, minimum coverage should include the following: Around the perimeter of the property All surface water routes, including d
Trang 1A site and area reconnaissance is performed to observe existing conditions
and activities These conditions and activities may or may not have been pre‑
viously identified through other means If they are not previously identified,
the investigator attempts to find potential sources of environmental contamina‑
tion not previously encountered and evaluate possible means by which the
soil and water may become contaminated Sometimes a site visit will confirm
suspicions At other times, it will open new avenues for further investigation
Although the process may appear to be quite straightforward, such an
attitude can result in oversights Some environmental professionals like to
use a checklist One must keep in mind, however, that checklists can be lim‑
iting, and they often require illogical observations (e.g., conditions of ponds
in a rural environment)
A site inspection requires common sense, an analytical mind, and persis‑
tence If something appears out of place, it probably is An old dirt road over‑
grown with vegetation has a reason for being, and it should be questioned
Although many of these issues are discussed within this chapter, the realm
of possibilities is limited only by one’s imagination Published recommenda‑
tions and mandates can be limited in scope, but the environmental profes‑
sional should not limit the scope
The ASTM Standard recommends a visual inspection of the subject prop‑
erty, with no specific requirement to inspect adjoining properties with the
exception of noting anything actually observed from the subject property
The Rule requires a visual inspection of the subject property and adjoining
properties If, however, for some reason a visual inspection cannot be per‑
formed, the environmental professional should perform one of, or a combi‑
nation of, the following:
Visually inspect the subject property via another method (e.g., obser‑
vations by air) or from an alternate vantage point (e.g., walk the prop‑
erty line)
Document efforts taken to gain access to the subject property
Document the use of other sources of information to determine the
existence of potential environmental contamination
•
•
•
Trang 2Express an opinion about the significance of the failure to conduct a site
inspection on the ability of the environmental professional to identify
conditions indicative of releases or threatened releases
The discussions within this chapter go beyond what is recommended by
ASTM or mandated by the All Appropriate Inquiries Rule It is up to the
environmental professional to limit or extend the search
Reconnaissance of the Property
A site reconnaissance is a thorough investigation of the grounds and all
ing buildings, which may be accomplished during the grounds inspection
All activities performed in and around the buildings have an impact on the
property, and the property may have had other uses than were derived from
Plan the visit The site investigator may require special equipment For
instance, an eight‑hour walk‑through of a densely vegetated, 200‑acre lot, on
a hot, humid day may require a machete, lightweight and heavy duty boots,
a long‑sleeved shirt, a water jug, a backpack, and some form of self‑defense
(e.g., mace) along with paper, writing implements, and a camera If planning
to collect samples, take the necessary equipment Think in terms of accessi‑
bility, consolidation of supplies, and reduced bodily discomforts
Area diagrams are a must They include a copy of the plat and area map
Plan on getting them dirty, marking them up extensively (e.g., locating
55‑gallon drums), and taking extensive notes (See Figure 7.1.)
Too many or a lack of proper supplies can result in extended reconnais‑
sance time Taking too much can cause a logistics juggling act Taking too
little may necessitate an additional trip to retrieve needed items and can be
time consuming
Always carry a clipboard and writing implements Notes will get wet
and dirty Use permanent markers or pencils that will not bleed, resulting in
unreadable information
Prior to departing for the site, review collected information Take notes
during the planning stages for the site reconnaissance and generate ques‑
tions The review should include, but not be limited to, the following:
Environmental setting
Historic usage of the property
Building records
Regulatory agency listings
The investigator should attempt a visual evaluation of every square foot of
the property, but it is not always feasible to walk an entire area To overstate
Trang 3Property and Area Reconnaissance 3
the obvious, a flat, barren 1‑acre plot of land is easier and less time consum‑
ing than a 1,000‑acre parcel of property with gullies and thick vegetation
When it is not feasible to investigate every foot of a property, minimum
coverage should include the following:
Around the perimeter of the property
All surface water routes, including dry creek beds
All roads, paved and unpaved
All areas that are reasonably accessible
•
•
•
•
Figure 7.1 Search of property Notes taken during site reconnaissance for signs of
environmental conditions that may have a negative impact on the property.
north
prevailing winds low tr affic
15 deg ree slo
pe of land cyclone fence @ per imeter
patch of dead veget ation
metal build
ing patche s in concrete
possib le evidence of under ground storag e
tain.) hard packed soi
l, weeds , native grasse s
nd
distre ssed veget ation
8’ out from build ing
Trang 4Some of the more common techniques used to ensure adequate coverage
of “accessible land” include the following:
Parallel coverage—Property can be walked in parallel patterns, with
5‑ to 20‑foot separations from the center The distance from each cen‑
terline should depend on the ground visibility
Expanding circles/squares—Property can be walked by starting at the
center and walking outward in a methodical fashion This may involve
a walk around a high point or an accessible portion Property with a
central focal point (e.g., a hill) with a shape conducive to this approach
is the most likely candidate for this technique
Last, prior to departure to the site, contact the people designated as the
contact for the property They will want to be kept informed if the investiga‑
tor is not to be escorted, and they will require notification if the investigator
needs an escort
Once on site, the investigator must be aware of all possibilities and then
some The succeeding items are those most frequently included on an item‑
ized checklist, along with a few other considerations generally overlooked
or ignored
Topographic Conditions
The topographic conditions of the site and surrounding areas should be
observed and compared with the topographic maps for the area These will
most likely be similar, but topographic maps are not updated frequently A
comparative analysis will disclose outdated maps
Dated information becomes highly important, especially where there
is the likelihood for migration of hazardous substances and/or petroleum
products through the soil or into surface water and groundwater In some
instances, the city may have recently contracted for planimetric ground con‑
touring of the area Planimetric maps are typically more detailed than topo‑
graphic maps and generally more dated
General Description of Structures, Roads, and Fences
All structures and other improvements or usage passageways should
be described and identified on a schematic of the property The size and
number of buildings should be estimated (and confirmed later) along with
approximate construction date, number of stories, and probable usage (See
Figure 7.2.)
Dirt roads, foot paths, streets, and parking facilities provide information
as to type, volume, and pathways of travel Fences and walls confine areas
that may have had a designed purpose and subsequent use Each item should
be identified on the schematic
•
•
Trang 5Property and Area Reconnaissance
Inside Structural Observations
Whether a building is complete or only partial, an effort should be made
to observe in‑structure impact components that may be indicators of envi‑
ronmental contamination This should include, but not be limited to, the
following:
Means of heating and cooling (e.g., gas, oil, or electric): If gas or oil were
used, you should locate the storage tank/container
Stains and corrosion: If stains and/or corrosion are observed, you
should question the source or cause
Drains and sumps: If there are floor drains and/or sumps (i.e., a pit
for draining, collecting, or storing liquids), you need to question their
intent and use
Although an industrial building generally poses a greater concern than a
residence, illegal dumping and illegal drug labs do occasionally occur in
residences Signs and symptoms of environmental contamination in any
structure should result in further investigation at a later date
Trang 6Especially in rural environments, waste is managed by some form of ground
waste management system, whether it is conventional leaching fields, leach‑
ing chambers, or aerobic systems Many of today’s waste disposal systems
are engineered, but the older systems may have been installed in ground
that allows the wastewater to percolate down to the subsurface water table
(e.g., aquifer) or run off into surface water (e.g., streams) Some structures,
past and present, are built on the cheap, with a big hole in the ground, not
unlike an outhouse without a collection system The environmental profes‑
sional should determine, by records or interviews, the age and type of sys‑
tem installed—if one was installed
Sanitary Sewers
The location of all sanitary sewers should be noted One should also iden‑
tify the drain locations, because sanitary sewer water typically does not get
treated while being emptied into a river, stream, or creek beds These are
paths whereby runoff of surface water containing hazardous substances and
petroleum products may depart the property
The river, stream, or creek bed into which the sanitary sewer water emp‑
ties may be on the property or on environmentally sensitive adjoining prop‑
erties For this reason, the destination of associated sewer water should also
be determined
Water Wells
Today, the installation of water wells is a controlled process Twenty years
ago, it was not Now, the well‑drilling operator is required by law to cement
the surface casing and/or cement intervals where inter‑aquifer transfer may
occur The intent is to prevent travel of soil contaminants from one segre‑
gated geologic layer to the next or to the groundwater In the past, the driller
was not required to comply with any of these procedures, thus older wells
pose a greater threat to the groundwater than those more recently installed
in accordance with acceptable practices For a rendering of a poorly installed
water well, see Figure 7.3
Abandoned wells may pose a problem as well Besides providing a hot spot
for someone to fall into, abandoned wells may serve as an easy means for ille‑
gal dumping of hazardous materials The well water may be associated with
an aquifer that is used by others who may unknowingly drink the contami‑
nated water A small community using well water may develop an increased
incidence of an exotic illness The occurrence of miscarriages and/or deformed
fetuses may increase A rare debilitating disease may affect large numbers of
a community A rare form of cancer may prevail Sometimes these latter sce‑
narios are the only reason for suspicion within a given population
Trang 7Property and Area Reconnaissance 3
There have been cases where abandoned wells doubled for a septic sys‑
tem Household waste has been innocently piped out to a big hole in the
ground Although human waste generally breaks down to a non‑hazardous
substance, there is a potential for conveyance of the parasites and bacteria in
feces Other wastes also may have been disposed of, such as household paint
products or motor oil
Some second‑world countries still have systems in which the water
wells are not encased and adequately separated from the community
septic system They have no more than a hole into which household and
septic waste is discharged Next to the waste hole is an unprotected water
rock formation
water formation
Rope and Bucket direct access to groundwater
Unprotected Surface Area
no concrete pad to protect from surface contaminants
Open Top
no protection from dumping and debris
surface soil
sand and gravel
Porous Curbing potential for subsurface contamination
Figure 7.3 Depiction of unprotected well (Source: Partial extraction from Texas
Department of Health: Individual Home Water Supplies Austin, Texas Stock No 2‑105,
Oct 1970, p 18.)
Trang 8well These countries have a lot of problems with diseases conveyed by
fecal matter
All water wells should be evaluated and the possibilities considered Fur‑
ther research may be indicated after the site visit
Drinking Water Sources and Quantity
The drinking water may come from personal water wells, cisterns, or city
supplies The city water source may be a lake, reservoir, river, or aquifer
Today, personal water wells are initially analyzed for quality, and unless
the owner is suspicious, the well may not get checked again Contamination
may occur subsequent to the initial check, but the owner or potential buyer
may not be aware of the contaminant If there is reason to be suspicious, the
investigator may collect a sample of the water and have it analyzed for the
suspect hazardous substance This may require collection of the water in a
sterile, quart‑sized, glass jar with inert sealing material Prior to collection,
information concerning the methodology for taking the sample and means
for shipping it should be confirmed with the analytical laboratory that will
perform the analysis
A cistern is a water retention device, built into the ground, for collection
and storage of bathing and/or drinking water It may be a rain collection
container at the base of a roof drain spout It may be a primitive hole in the
ground, or it may be an insulated, contained bladder built into the ground
An abandoned cistern may serve as a means for contaminant disposal, or
it may even be physically dangerous (e.g., a child could fall in) Some older
cisterns contained lead sealant, a source for lead contamination of the envi‑
ronment (See Figure 7.4.)
The city water may be on an old system, and lead solder may have been
used in some of the soldered joints where there are metal pipes, or lead pipe
may even be present The city can provide information concerning lead con‑
tent of the supply lines
The lines leading from the supply main may also have lead Lead content
in the water can be determined as per Chapter 9 If the results of a sample
from a home or other building exceed the acceptable limit of 15 ppb (parts
per billion), this should be compared with the supply line analysis performed
by the municipality
Debris
Many properties that have yet to be developed have become a convenient
dumping ground Dumping is generally in the form of household junk and
motor oil, but industrial dumping may occur as well
Domestic dumping may include old tires, auto parts or whole automobiles,
plastic jugs, paper, roofing material (possibly containing asbestos), cleaning
product containers, unused paint, and so on (See Figure 7.5.)
Trang 9Property and Area Reconnaissance
Figure 7.4 Old cistern found around an old, vacant cabin.
Figure 7.5 Domestic debris with asbestos‑containing roof shingles.
Trang 10Industrial dumping comes in all sizes, shapes, and forms Containers gen‑
erally are not labeled and certainly are not traceable A number of scenarios
are possible As the cost of industrial disposal increases, the temptation for
illegal dumping increases
Chemical Storage Containers/Drums
Today, all chemical storage containers that are shipped directly from a manufac‑
turer or distributor must be labeled with the trade name, manufacturer, and
specific hazards associated with the chemical Labels provide information as
to chemicals used on site in a manufacturing operation Take notes, even if
there appears to be no associated problem with the containers
Sometimes a container is not labeled Labels may get damaged in ship‑
ment, worn away by weather, torn off through rough handling, or eaten away
by chemicals (e.g., sulfuric acid dripping down the side of a glass bottle)
Some of the worst hazardous waste sites within the United States contain
hundreds of thousands of such drums Many leak, and the chemicals in two
adjacent containers may not be compatible In other words, they may leak
out, mix with one another, and result in a fire or explosion, or react with one
another to produce a toxic gas Some may have a residue in the lid, around the
opening, causing an explosion when the container is opened For example,
oxidized hydrogen peroxide crystals formed in the cap of a storage container
have been known to explode simply by the friction of turning the cap
Likewise, the drum may never have had a label A chemical may have been
transferred from a marked container to an unmarked container A drum may
contain only water or it may contain explosives Unmarked drums that no one
can identify should be handled with extreme caution, and unless properly
trained to manage unknowns, the environmental professional should seek
the aid of someone experienced in management of unknown containers
Sometimes the contents of drums are known, but their whereabouts are
unknown For instance, witnesses know that several mercury‑containing
drums were buried in a field, but they do not know their exact location Steel
drums have a “maximum life expectancy” of fifty years, and locating suspected
burial sites requires speculation and extensive soil sampling (i.e., a Phase II
assessment) Some may also be detected by the use of a magnetometer
Do not be surprised to find drums in the middle of undeveloped land
After three hours walking beautiful country property you may begin to
wonder why you are spending so much time with no findings Then you bust
out into an opening and find rusting drums oozing with black goop You just
never know (See Figure 7.6.)
Soil Mounds
Backfill is identified by obvious disturbances in the surface of the soil In
a field of vegetation and/or grass, newly placed backfill will have nothing
Trang 11growing on it Within weeks, however, grass will grow and the site may be
recognizable only by the presence of a mound (See Figure 7.7.)
Containerized and non‑containerized substances may have been dumped
into a hole and backfilled The method of hole preparation and soil coverage
may be that of a modern‑day landfill, with special liners and soil‑type precau‑
tions, or it may involve a blatant disregard for the environment A chemical may
be poured into a hole of highly porous soil with no attempt to contain its spread,
or drums with a limited life expectancy may be randomly placed into a hole
Look for mounds that seem out of place For example, a 10‑foot high, 20‑foot
wide mound in the center of a flat field with no explanation or rationale for its
presence would be suspicious A mound may be nothing more than the excess
from property leveling, or it may be a small landfill of drums containing haz‑
ardous wastes The owner may be able to explain its purpose; but if there is no
rationale for its presence, a mound will require further speculation
Ground Depressions
Concave surfaces may be found over an area where the contents of a drum
have seeped into the ground and all the containers have collapsed under the
pressure of the soil or where buried debris has degraded This area may be
Figure 7.6 Deteriorated drum found in a cattle grazing pasture.
Trang 12a small, 5‑foot‑diameter depression in the soil, or it could be a hundred feet
across In the latter, it is easier to observe a depression by looking at aerial
photos than by walking the area (See Figure 7.8.)
Where obsolete underground storage tanks may collapse, asphalt/con‑
crete surface covering will cave in also There may be other signs of the exis‑
tence of such a structure, or all other evidence may have been destroyed In
the latter situation, there may be no other clue as to the presence of such a
tank, without the observed ground depression
Distressed, Stained Soil
Mishandled chemicals may result in contaminated grounds This may
involve spills, container leaks, or intentional dumping In the soil, the
contaminant may migrate into the subsurface soils, surface water, and
groundwater Some of the signs of mishandling include extreme dryness,
cracking, discoloration, a distinct wet spot next to a chemical storage
container or where one used to be, noticeable sheen, or a residue ring
These items should be noted for possible investigation at a future date
(See Figure 7.9.)
Poor or No Growth of Vegetation
Lack of vegetation in an area that is typically vegetated may indicate poi‑
soning, either from an herbicide or from contamination by a hazardous
Figure 7.7 Depiction of a soil mound concealing deteriorated drums that poten‑
tially contain hazardous chemicals.
Trang 13substance or material that will not allow growth Further investigation is
indicated (See Figure 7.10.)
Dead Wildlife
Dead animals around a water source can certainly indicate contaminated,
poisoned waters However, do not assume the water is contaminated with
chemicals The deaths may be due to disease or some other factor that may
Figure 7.8 Depiction of a ground depression with hidden, collapsed containers that
potentially contain hazardous chemicals.
Figure 7.9 Stained soil, indicating potentially hazardous chemicals leaking into
the ground.
Trang 14not be readily apparent This definitely deserves investigation (i.e., a Phase
II site assessment)
Oftentimes, fish are used in laboratories for chemical toxicity testing
because of their extreme sensitivity to toxic substances Generally, the fish
in a stream of contaminated water will die before other wildlife is affected
Check surface waters that normally contain fish Note whether the fish are
flourishing or the water is lifeless For instance, along the Gulf of Mexico, a
manufacturer was dumping heavy metal contaminants into an estuary that
was spilling into gulf waters During this time, catfish were dying and wash‑
ing up on the beach, a fish being deposited every other foot all along the
shore Catfish are bottom feeders They were poisoned by the heavy metal
that had settled to the bottom of the gulf shoreline
Consider again dead animals around a source of water If mammals are
dead but the fish are thriving, look for other potential causes If both are
dead, it is probably the water Regardless, further research is indicated
Evidence of Surface Water Contamination
Surface waters include, but are not limited to, lakes, rivers, streams, springs,
and creeks Use your senses to evaluate these—look, touch, and smell
Observe the top of the surface waters Look for floating debris and surface
sheen or a layer of apparent differentiation (e.g., a thin red layer of an uniden‑
tified muck floating on the top of the water) (See Figure 7.11.)
Excessive soil runoff into the water supplies nutrients and mud to the
water You may not be able to see any fish in such waters, yet they would
thrive quite well The use of surface water as a viable fishing hole may
provide clues as to the existence of fish Surface algae would also indicate the
probability of high nutrient levels
Fecal material may enter the surface water by a makeshift human waste
discharge It may also occur from large numbers of cattle, horses, sheep, and/
or other farm animals This waste will elevate coliform bacterial growth,
Figure 7.10 Hardened, cracking wastewater sludge taken from landfill.
Trang 15Property and Area Reconnaissance
carry disease, and provide a breeding ground for undesirable bacteria The
odor may provide a clue
The edges of the surface water may show signs of contaminants If the
water level has recently dropped or if there is an area where the water has
been restricted from entry by a dike, the edges may be observed for deposits
An oil deposit will be black and slimy to the touch
During dry spells, creeks may not have any water Yet, in the rainy sea‑
son, the investigator should expect the creek beds to retain water, unless
there is a means for water seepage into rock formations Lack of water in a
creek during the rainy season could be significant if the water is, or becomes,
contaminated The surface water is going deeper, increasing the poten‑
tial for groundwater contamination where there is known surface water
contamination Even where the soil and rock provide a very poor means for
contaminants to travel to the groundwater and/or aquifers, fissures in the
creek bed may provide direct, easy access to a local private water well or
to a reservoir Material may also migrate by entering shallow, non‑potable
groundwater and be conveyed to other properties
Figure 7.11 Waste and debris floating in recreational surface water.