Environmental Acronym of the Month
ASTM Standards
We talk a lot about ASTM standards in the environmental due diligence space, but what does that mean?
ASTM International, formerly the American Society for Testing and Materials, defines and sets the standards “used around the world to improve product quality, enhance health and safety, strengthen market access and trade, and build consumer confidence.” 1 ASTM standards are the primary industry framework used by environmental professionals to perform Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs) in a consistent, defensible, and legally recognized manner. They establish the minimum scope of work, investigation procedures, documentation requirements, and reporting standards that consultants follow. These standards lend consistency, quality, and credibility to testing and remediation, which helps potential buyers purchase with confidence.
Our Principal-in-Charge of our Pasadena office, Marty Kasman, is a member of ASTM and serves on the Committee E50 on Environmental Assessment, Risk Management and Corrective Action. Each main committee in ASTM International is composed of subcommittees that address specific segments within the general subject area covered by the technical committee. He serves on Subcommittee E50.02 on Real Estate Assessment and Management.
Current ASTM standards used commonly in the environmental due diligence field:
- ASTM E2018-34 – Standard Guide for Property Condition Assessments: Baseline Property Condition Assessment Process
- ASTM E1527-21 – Standard Practice for Environmental Site Assessments: Phase I Environmental Site Assessment Process
- ASTM E2247-23 – Standard Practice for Environmental Site Assessments: Phase I Environmental Site Assessment Process for Forestland or Rural Property
- ASTM E1903-19 – Standard Practice for Environmental Site Assessments: Phase II Environmental Site Assessment Process
- ASTM E1528-22 – Standard Practice for Limited Environmental Due Diligence: Transaction Screen Process
- ASTM E2557-24 – E2557-24 Standard Practice for Probable Maximum Loss (PML) Evaluations for Earthquake Due-Diligence Assessments
- ASTM E2356-26 – Standard Practice for Comprehensive Building Asbestos Surveys
- ASTME1645-25 – Standard Practice for Preparation of Dried Paint Samples by Hotplate or Microwave Digestion for Subsequent Lead Analysis
ASTM standards are not laws or regulations by themselves. Instead, the U.S. EPA has incorporated certain ASTM standards into its regulatory framework by recognizing them as compliant methods for meeting specific federal requirements. The most significant example is the relationship between the EPA’s All Appropriate Inquiries (AAI) Rule and the ASTM Phase I ESA standard. ASTM standards are industry-developed technical standards that have been recognized by the EPA as acceptable methods for meeting certain federal environmental due diligence requirements. By following these standards, environmental professionals can provide assessments that are consistent with EPA expectations and support federal liability protections under CERCLA.
A Phase I ESA needs to be compliant with the ASTM standard in order for the user to meet the AAI standard and qualify for the “innocent landowner defense.” All of our Phase I ESAs and Transaction Screen Assessment reports meet or exceed the ASTM standard.
These guidelines, and more, help our team to effectively navigate any due diligence needs on a case-by-case basis and to identify and mitigate potential risk for those looking to buy or sell properties.
If you’d like to know more about how we can help with your next deal, reach out to our team at McAlister GeoScience Inc. here.
References:
- https://www.astm.org/about/detailed-overview