Waste Site Cleanup & Reuse in New England
2. Site Assessment
> Bringing a Brownfields Property Back to Reuse
Assessment of a brownfields site takes place in two phases. A Phase I Assessment is done to determine the historical use of the property, or how it has been used in the past. Information from a Phase I Assessment is then used to formulate a Phase II Assessment, which includes testing the property's soil, water, and/or air. This information is then used to determine cleanup options.
Most environmental site assessments are conducted according to
the standards set by the American
Society For Testing and Materials (ASTM) 
.
ASTM provides a summary of these guidelines on its Web site, including:
- Standard
Practice for Environmental Site Assessments: Phase I Environmental
Site Assessment Process ;
- Standard
Guide for Environmental Site Assessments: Phase II Environmental
Site Assessment Process ;
and
- Standard
Practice for Conducting Environmental Baseline Surveys .
A brownfields site may receive federal assistance for the assessment process itself through one of two means: as a participant in the Targeted Brownfields Assessment Program, or by recieving a Brownfields Assessment Grant. States may also conduct Targeted Brownfields Assessments.