In today's risky legal environment, many developers or facility managers involved in acquisitions, divestitures, new developments and/or leases are looking to qualified environmental engineers to help them with risk management activities. These can include various assessments and permits as summarized below.

Phase I assessments can help a property purchaser qualify for the Superfund "innocent purchaser" defense. At a minimum, ZimTech uses the procedures in the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) Standard Practices E 1527 and E 1528 as a guide for "all appropriate inquiry." Following these standards provides greater assurance that the assessment will survive challenges by private attorneys or regulatory agencies.

If the Phase I ESA indicates a potential for "recognized environmental conditions," ZimTech can collect samples for laboratory analyses in a Phase II assessment. If contamination is verified, further sample collection and/or use of various survey techniques can be used in a Phase III assessment to define the limits and severity of the impairment. Results may help to define the economic tradeoffs involved in facility transfers or operations management.