Owning or managing property comes with environmental responsibilities. Buyers, sellers, lenders, brokers, agents, developers, appraisers, landlords, tenants, attorneys, and portfolio owners all need to understand the environmental condition of a property before completing a transaction. This process is called an Environmental Site Assessment (ESA), and it is critical for identifying and managing environmental liabilities.

The ESA process is typically divided into three phases, depending on the type and depth of assessment required:

• Phase I ESA – Identifies potential areas of environmental concern through a review of historical records, regulatory records and site reconnaissance. Following the protocols of the ASTM E 1527, QUEST personnel will develop a history of the site and past practices, conduct a site visit to determine if there is any visual evidence of contamination, interview regulatory agency representatives, and generate a report detailing potential areas of environmental concern.

• Phase II ESA – Confirms, quantifies, or nullifies the areas of concern identified in a Phase I. The focus of the Phase II is to obtain quantitative evidence of the presence of hazardous substances and determine precisely the scope of contamination. Remediation options are defined, and their costs can be delineated to assist the client in making future business and remediation decisions.

• Phase III ESA – Remediates any concerns confirmed and quantified in a Phase II. QUEST provides technically sound, efficient, and cost-effective approaches to property remediation. QUEST services include project design, pre-contract bidding, contractor screening, project oversight and monitoring, post-remediation assessments, and coordination with interested parties and regulators.

QUEST Environmental tests residues, soils, groundwater, and surface waters to identify contaminants and confirm compliance with state and federal regulations. Because we also manage environmental liabilities ourselves, we bring firsthand insight and deliver practical, cost-effective strategies that help clients move forward with confidence.

We work directly with agencies such as CDPHE, Colorado’s Voluntary Cleanup Program, the EPA, and local health departments. These relationships, combined with our technical expertise, allow us to provide clear guidance that meets regulatory requirements.

For private equity clients, QUEST conducts environmental risk assessments and manages Brownfield projects across the U.S., Canada, and Europe. We create financial models, develop operations programs, support acquisitions, and oversee projects from start to finish. Our recommendations have helped clients invest billions of dollars in corporate and land acquisitions with clarity and assurance.