Environmental Assessment of Real Estate

The University of Delaware performs environmental site assessments (ESAs) of all real estate that it acquires through purchase or from its fund-raising activities. ESAs are completed to determine the environmental condition of a property that the University may be interested in acquiring and to meet the due diligence requirements of the Innocent Landowner Defense under Superfund. For example, if the University acquired real estate where there was chemical contamination present and an ESA was not performed, the University would be liable for taking care of the contamination.

The typical scope of work completed for an ESA includes:

• Evaluating the historical use of the property;
• On-site visual survey of the entire property;
• Review of various environmental databases with respect to the property;
• Review of aerial photographs of the property for interpreting past activities in the site area;
• Contact with regulatory agencies to obtain any compliance activities that may have occurred on the property; and
• Review of the geology and hydrology of the property.

Types of common observations noted during an onsite property survey include but are not limited to:

• Presence of asbestos containing materials, if buildings or structures are located on the property;
• Location of any underground and/or aboveground storage tanks;
• Whether any PCB containing equipment exist on site;
• Any indications that chemicals are or may have been used or improperly disposed of at the property;
• Location of waste water and storm water discharge areas;
• Looking for stressed and dead vegetation;
• Looking at the surrounding properties and assessing whether their operation can negatively impact the property;
• Presence of lead-based paint, if buildings or structures are located on the property

Access the following web pages for more information on environmental site assessments:

• University of Delaware Policy and Procedure for Environmental Assessment of Real Estate
• Environmental Protection Agency's Superfund Web Page
• Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control's Superfund Web Page

For further information concerning environmental assessments, please contact David Levandoski at DaveLev@udel.edu or call 831-8274.