text: Scrutiny of the land includes examination of potential soil contamination, groundwater quality, surface water quality, vapor intrusion, and sometimes issues related to hazardous substance uptake by biota.  The examination of a site may include: definition of any chemical residues within structures; identification of possible asbestos containing building materials; inventory of hazardous substances stored or used on site; assessment of mold and mildew; and evaluation of other indoor air quality parameters.
  Depending upon precise protocols utilized, there are a number of variations in the scope of a Phase I study.  The tasks listed here are common to almost all Phase I ESAs:
  * Performance of an on-site visit to view present conditions (chemical spill residue, die-back of vegetation, etc.); hazardous substances or petroleum products usage (presence of above ground or underground storage tanks, storage of acids, etc.);  and evaluate any likely environmentally hazardous site history.
  *Evaluation of risks of neighboring properties upon the subject property
  *Review of Federal, State, Local and Tribal Records out to distances specified by the ASTM 1528 and AAI Standards (ranging from 1/8 to 1 mile depending on the database)
  * Interview of persons knowledgeable regarding the property history (past owners, present owner, key site manager, present tenants, neighbors).
  *Examine municipal or county planning files to check prior land usage and permits granted.
  *Conduct file searches with public agencies (State water board, fire department, county health department, etc.) having oversight relative to water quality and soil contamination issues.
  *Examine historical aerial photography of the vicinity.
  *Examine current USGS maps to scrutinize drainage patterns and topography.
  *Examine chain-of-title for Environmental Liens and/or Activity and Land Use Limitations (AULs).
  In most cases, the public file searches, historical research and chain-of-title examinations are outsourced to information services that specialize in such activities. Non-Scope Items in a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment can include visual inspections or records review searches for:
  *Asbestos Containing Building Materials (ACBM)
  *Lead-Based Paint
  *Lead in Drinking Water
  *Mold
  *Radon
  *Wetlands
  *Threatened and Endangered Species
  *Mercury poisoning
  *Debris flow
  *Earthquake Hazard
  *Vapor intrusion
  *Emerging contaminants
  Observations of Non-scope Items can be reported as "findings" if requested by the report user, however, these items do not constitute recognized environmental conditions.