| In the movie Erin Brockovich, the character of | | | | have an acquisition or a management buy-out, |
| Julia Roberts was neck-deep in investigation about | | | | you need to abide first by the environmental due |
| the suspicious activities of Pacific Gas and Electric | | | | diligence-a kind of investigation which identifies |
| Company, which led to the eventual poisoning and | | | | environmental hazards. It will give you details on |
| death of the residents nearby the area. After | | | | how a former or a current operation poses a |
| going through a series of unproductive meetings | | | | potential risk for your employees and nearby |
| among lawyers, residents and owners the | | | | residents. |
| company was soon charged of buying a piece of | | | | The inspection will tell you in detail the history of |
| land that was already contaminated. So what | | | | the chosen property, how the former operations |
| does the movie have to do with you, you ask? It | | | | contributed to possible environmental hazards, and |
| tells you that you can avoid this situation by | | | | how you could verify legal compliance from |
| getting an Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) | | | | regulation authorities. |
| for your subject property. | | | | Tests are conducted by industrial hygiene |
| Of course, nobody wants his company to | | | | consultants. These professionals see to it that |
| undergo the same mishaps as seen in the movie. | | | | every nook and cranny of your would-be land |
| Court trials are time consuming and litigation | | | | acquisition is scrutinized, looking for loopholes such |
| lawyers charge too expensively that you just | | | | that lead to toxicological risks. A property |
| want to settle things under the table. Plus a | | | | condition assessment is done to check whether if |
| suspicious site would lessen its credibility and drive | | | | the health and safety requirements mandated by |
| people away from it. | | | | the State are met. Industrial hygiene consultants |
| Naturally, you would want to retain the value of | | | | perform samplings and assessments, all of which |
| your property and not get into any kind of legal | | | | are then turned over to an accredited laboratory |
| trouble of any sort. You can do this through | | | | for further evaluation. They also see to it that |
| Environmental Site Assessment. Some of you, like | | | | investigations, which include an expert witness |
| me, are probably still wondering what this | | | | testimony and an assessment of workers |
| program can do for your company. Through | | | | compensations claims, are done in a discreet and |
| Phase 1 ESA, you can rest assured that your | | | | professional manner. |
| property is free from potential environmental | | | | Aside from industrial hygiene consultants, you |
| liabilities like toxicity or contamination. Professional | | | | may also seek help from other companies on |
| consultants will determine whether the land you | | | | environmental engineering services. The services |
| own or are planning to buy is a potential | | | | included on this one are feasibility studies, |
| environmental threat because, or what are better | | | | construction oversight, waste management |
| known as "brownfield sites". | | | | consultation and other facility design services. You |
| In the 1970s, a similar study was done in the | | | | can address the underlying issues of pollution or |
| United States to inspect commercial properties | | | | contamination through environmental remediation. |
| and to test them whether they are potentially | | | | Avoid getting into grave legal issues on |
| hazardous to health. Now, the US has stricter | | | | environmental safety by having your company go |
| monitoring than ever when it comes to | | | | through Environmental Site Assessment. |
| environmental issues. Before you could actually | | | | |