August Mack was retained by a Michigan-based short line railroad company to perform Phase I Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs) for five different railyards within the state. The purpose of this effort was to review each site’s history and evaluate the current conditions of each property in order to determine if any Recognized Environmental Conditions (RECs) were present pending the client’s acquisition of the sites.

Each of the railyard properties were given thorough on-site inspections by August Mack personnel. The locations were examined for evidence of chemical spillage, the presence or storage of hazardous materials, and any other current or potential environmental risk factors.

Additionally, due to the nature of the sites and their longtime use as railyards, August Mack took particular care when looking into their history. August Mack performed a series of interviews with property owners (or their designated representatives) and other knowledgeable employees. Prior available environmental records for each railyard and adjacent areas were accessed through state and federal regulatory agencies. Historical documents including aerial photography, Sanborn maps, and construction/development timelines for each railyard were also consulted. For some of the railyards, local historical societies were contacted to provide supplementary information in order to ensure August Mack had a thorough understanding of each site’s current and past operations.

Using the results of the physical inspection and the record evaluation, August Mack was able to identify all present RECs at each of the five locations and provide guidance on what actions might need to be taken, allowing the client to then discern how to address each REC appropriately.

The portfolio was finished efficiently and within the client’s requested deadline. All research and Phase Is were completed within a 21-day period and the findings promptly communicated to the client in a comprehensive report for each site. Using the information August Mack provided, the client was able to move forward appropriately with their acquisition of the sites.