Humber/Ontario Real Estate Course 3 Exam Practice

Buyer Thomas submits an offer on a land parcel in Metroville contingent upon an acceptable environmental site assessment. Which is the correct statement regarding this condition?

1. The environmental site assessment encompasses four phases: visual analysis, sampling, documentation, and remediation.

2. The goal of Phase 1 is to ascertain if there is ample evidence indicating potential contamination of the land.

3. The first phase of an environmental evaluation includes various tests to gauge environmental issues on the property.

4. The fourth phase of the assessment handles corrective measures and associated costs identified in earlier stages.

The correct answer is: The goal of Phase 1 is to ascertain if there is ample evidence indicating potential contamination of the land.

The choice indicating that the goal of Phase 1 is to ascertain if there is ample evidence indicating potential contamination of the land accurately reflects the purpose of that phase in an environmental site assessment (ESA). Phase 1, often referred to as the Phase I Environmental Site Assessment, primarily involves researching the historical use of the property and conducting visual inspections to identify any potential environmental contamination risks. This includes investigating previous land uses, neighboring properties, and any relevant documentation such as historical maps and reports that may indicate possible hazardous materials or activities. This phase ultimately aims to create a foundational understanding of whether there is any evidence suggesting the property may be contaminated, which is a critical step before moving to more invasive testing in subsequent phases. Subsequent phases, namely Phase 2 and beyond, involve more detailed investigations and remediation efforts if contamination is found, but the primary goal of Phase 1 is strictly to identify potential risks based on existing evidence rather than conducting testing directly.