How fast can you turn a Phase I ESA for a loan closing?

Standard delivery is 10-15 business days. For deals already on a closing calendar we run an expedited track at 5-7 business days, and a Transaction Screen or RSRA on lower-risk collateral can be back in 3-5 business days. We confirm the delivery date in writing before we mobilize, so your closing schedule is never guessing.

Do your reports meet SBA SOP 50 10 requirements for 7(a) and 504 loans?

Yes. We scope to the SBA environmental decision tree before mobilizing, document why the selected investigation level applies based on property type and NAICS-listed uses, and issue reports with SBA-conforming reliance language extended to the lender, SBA, and the CDC.

Will the report be issued with reliance to our institution?

Every report includes written reliance to the named lender and its successors and assigns, with the environmental professional's qualifications documented per ASTM E1527-21. We can add participants, servicers, or a secondary-market purchaser to the reliance letter on request.

What happens if a REC is identified during due diligence?

We characterize the REC, put a defensible cost range and schedule on the likely Phase II or remediation path, and tell you whether the exposure is a repricing item, an escrow item, or a deal killer. Most flagged files still close, with the environmental risk quantified rather than left open.

Can you screen an entire loan portfolio rather than one property?

Yes. Portfolio and loan book reviews run bulk database screening with normalized collateral risk scoring, so you get a ranked list of which assets need a full Phase I, which can clear on a screen, and which carry active regulatory cases. That output is what examiners want to see behind a written environmental risk policy.

How do we protect the secured creditor exemption before foreclosure?

The CERCLA secured creditor exemption survives foreclosure only if you avoid participating in management and handle the post-takeback period correctly. We quantify the liability pre-foreclosure, document site condition at the time of possession, and set a disposition path that keeps the exemption intact.

Does NJDEP ISRA apply to our collateral in New Jersey?

ISRA can be triggered by a transfer of ownership or operations at an industrial establishment with a covered SIC/NAICS code, and it requires LSRP oversight. We check applicability during diligence, because an unflagged ISRA trigger is one of the most common causes of a New Jersey closing being pulled at the last minute.

Financial Institutions & Lenders

Environmental Risk Intelligence for Lending Decisions

Protect your portfolio with lender-compliant environmental assessments. We deliver Phase I ESAs that meet SBA, FDIC, and institutional requirements, on your timeline.

Our Approach

Lender-Focused Environmental Services

We understand lender requirements and deliver clear, defensible environmental assessments that support sound lending decisions — scoped to the report level your credit policy and loan program actually require.

SBA Environmental Due Diligence

SOP 50 10 decision-tree scoping for 7(a) and 504 loans, with reliance extended to the lender, SBA, and CDC

Explore this service

Transaction Screen & RSRA Screening

ASTM E1528 Transaction Screens and Records Search with Risk Assessment for collateral below your Phase I threshold, in 3-5 business days

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Phase I ESA Reviews

ASTM E1527-21 compliant assessments with clear risk characterization and recommendations

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Phase II Investigations

Subsurface sampling and analysis when RECs require further evaluation

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Portfolio & Loan Book Review

Bulk Phase I programs with normalized collateral risk scoring for acquisition portfolios and existing loan book sweeps

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Workout, REO & Foreclosure Risk

Pre-foreclosure liability evaluation, secured creditor exemption analysis, and REO disposition strategy for distressed collateral

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Industry Challenges

We Understand Your Challenges

Common environmental and engineering obstacles facing financial institutions & lenders.

Loan Closing Delays

Environmental assessments that don't meet lender requirements or lack clear recommendations delay closings and frustrate borrowers.

Portfolio Environmental Risk

Commercial real estate portfolios may contain properties with unknown environmental liabilities that impact collateral value.

Regulatory Compliance Burden

SBA, FDIC, and internal policies require specific environmental due diligence standards that vary by loan type and property use.

Specialized Services You May Need

Credit Policy & Compliance

The Standards Your Credit File Has to Satisfy

Every report we issue is scoped to the standard your loan program, examiner, or investor will test it against — so environmental review never becomes the reason a closing slips.

ASTM International · EPA All Appropriate Inquiries

ASTM E1527-21 Phase I ESA

Phase I ESAs must follow ASTM E1527-21 to satisfy EPA's All Appropriate Inquiries rule and preserve CERCLA landowner liability defenses. Reports go stale after 180 days, with certain components valid only 180 days from the acquisition date.

Every Phase I is issued under E1527-21 with explicit REC, CREC, and HREC characterization, a stated shelf-life date, and reliance extended in writing to the lender and its assigns.

Phase I & Phase II ESA EPA All Appropriate Inquiries

U.S. Small Business Administration

SBA SOP 50 10 Environmental Policy

7(a) and 504 loans follow SBA's environmental decision tree: the required investigation level depends on property type, NAICS-listed environmentally sensitive uses, and loan amount, and reliance must run to the lender, SBA, and the CDC.

We scope to the decision tree before mobilizing, document why each level was selected, and issue reports with SBA-conforming reliance language and the required environmental professional qualifications.

SBA Environmental Due Diligence SBA SOP 50 10

ASTM International

ASTM E1528 Transaction Screen / RSRA

Lower-risk collateral below your Phase I threshold can be cleared with a Transaction Screen or a Records Search with Risk Assessment, provided the scope and its limitations are documented in the credit file.

We turn screens in 3–5 business days with a written recommendation on whether the file can close as-is or needs escalation to a Phase I.

Transaction Screen & RSRA ASTM E1528

CERCLA §101(20)(E)-(G) · Asset Conservation Act

Secured Creditor Exemption

A lender holding indicia of ownership primarily to protect a security interest can stay outside CERCLA owner/operator liability — but participation in management, or the wrong post-foreclosure conduct, can forfeit the exemption.

Before foreclosure or REO takeback we quantify the liability, document the condition at the time of possession, and lay out a disposition path that keeps the exemption intact.

Workout, REO & Foreclosure Risk EPA lender liability guidance

FDIC · OCC · Federal Reserve examiner guidance

Interagency Environmental Risk Program

Examiners expect a written environmental risk policy: defined due-diligence triggers by loan type and size, consistent documentation, qualified environmental professionals, and periodic review of collateral risk.

We deliver assessments in a consistent, examiner-legible format and can sweep an existing loan book with normalized collateral risk scoring so the policy is demonstrably applied.

Portfolio & Loan Book Review FDIC RMS Manual, Section 3.4

NJDEP ISRA / SRRA · NYSDEC BCP

State Transfer & Cleanup Programs

In New Jersey, ISRA can be triggered by a transfer or change of ownership at an industrial establishment and requires LSRP involvement. New York's Brownfield Cleanup Program governs cleanup and tax-credit eligibility on remediated collateral.

We flag ISRA applicability during diligence, coordinate LSRP oversight, and map the remaining cleanup path and cost range before your credit committee votes.

Remediation & Brownfield NJDEP ISRA

Lenders & transaction teams

Closing a deal that needs Lender Environmental Due Diligence?

Tell us where you sit in the transaction and when it closes. We route your request straight to the team that handles Lender Environmental Due Diligence and come back with a fixed-fee scope and a schedule built around your closing date.

Lender-ready, ASTM-conformant deliverables
Scope and fee back within one business day
Rush scheduling for closings inside two weeks

Prefer to talk it through? (917) 764-2171

Choose the Right Scope

Which Lender Service Does This File Need?

Four scopes cover almost every environmental question a credit file raises. Pick the situation you're in and the table highlights the right one — or compare all four side by side.

What's the situation?

Which Lender Service Does This File Need?
Compare	SBA Environmental Due Diligence SOP 50 10 decision-tree scoping for 7(a) and 504 loans	Transaction Screen & RSRA The fast, lower-cost tier for collateral below your Phase I threshold	Portfolio & Loan Book Review Bulk screening with normalized collateral risk scoring	Workout, REO & Foreclosure Risk Liability evaluation before you take title on distressed collateral
Fit
Best for	7(a) and 504 loans where the SBA decision tree, not your internal policy, sets the report level	Lower-risk collateral on a tight closing calendar where a full Phase I isn't warranted	Acquisition portfolios and existing loan book sweeps where you need ranking, not one report	Defaulted loans, pre-foreclosure decisions, and REO assets headed for disposition
Typical trigger	SBA-guaranteed loan secured by commercial real estate	Small-balance loan, non-sensitive property use, or a refinance on a known asset	Loan portfolio purchase, examiner request, or annual collateral risk review	Borrower default, planned foreclosure, deed in lieu, or an REO sale
Scope
Standard / basis	SBA SOP 50 10 decision tree, layered on ASTM E1527-21 / E1528	ASTM E1528 Transaction Screen; RSRA for records-only review	Bulk regulatory database screening with a normalized internal scoring model	CERCLA secured creditor exemption analysis with ASTM-conformant investigation as needed
Site visit & fieldwork	Scaled to the decision tree — records-only, screen, or full site reconnaissance	Transaction Screen includes a site visit and questionnaire; RSRA is records-only	Desktop by default; site visits triggered only on flagged assets	Site visit and condition documentation at the time of possession; sampling where warranted
Deliverable	RSRA, Transaction Screen or Phase I ESA plus an EP qualifications statement	Screen or RSRA report with a clear close / escalate recommendation	Ranked risk register plus per-asset summaries and a recommended action tier	Liability memo, cost-to-cure range, and a disposition strategy
Timing
Typical turnaround	3–5 business days for an RSRA; 10–15 for a full Phase I	3–5 business days	2–4 weeks depending on portfolio size	1–3 weeks, accelerated for a scheduled foreclosure date
Priced per	Per property, per loan	Per property	Per portfolio, tiered by asset count	Per asset
Credit file
Reliance	Lender, SBA, and the CDC named in writing	Lender and its successors and assigns	Institution-level reliance covering the reviewed asset list	Lender, special servicer, and counsel
Decision it supports	Whether the loan can be guaranteed and funded as scoped	Whether this file can clear on a screen or needs a Phase I	Which assets need a full Phase I, which clear, which carry active cases	Foreclose, hold, or sell the note — and what the recovery really nets
Escalates to	Phase II investigation, escrow or indemnity condition	ASTM E1527-21 Phase I ESA	Phase I ESA or Transaction Screen on flagged assets	Phase II investigation, remediation scoping, or brownfield program entry
	View SBA Due Diligence	View Screen / RSRA	View Portfolio Review	View Workout / REO

SBA Environmental Due Diligence

SOP 50 10 decision-tree scoping for 7(a) and 504 loans

Best for: 7(a) and 504 loans where the SBA decision tree, not your internal policy, sets the report level
Typical trigger: SBA-guaranteed loan secured by commercial real estate
Standard / basis: SBA SOP 50 10 decision tree, layered on ASTM E1527-21 / E1528
Site visit & fieldwork: Scaled to the decision tree — records-only, screen, or full site reconnaissance
Deliverable: RSRA, Transaction Screen or Phase I ESA plus an EP qualifications statement
Typical turnaround: 3–5 business days for an RSRA; 10–15 for a full Phase I
Priced per: Per property, per loan
Reliance: Lender, SBA, and the CDC named in writing
Decision it supports: Whether the loan can be guaranteed and funded as scoped
Escalates to: Phase II investigation, escrow or indemnity condition

View SBA Due Diligence

Project Experience

Relevant Case Studies

See how we've helped clients in your industry solve complex environmental challenges.

Manhattan, NY

Commercial Portfolio Acquisition

Completed 24 Phase I ESAs for commercial portfolio acquisition within 30-day due diligence window.

24 properties assessed

30-day completion

3 RECs identified and quantified

View Full Case Study

Jersey City, NJ

Mixed-Use Lending Support

Environmental due diligence for construction loan on former industrial brownfield site.

Lender requirements met

Risk assessment provided

Loan closed on schedule

View Full Case Study

Brooklyn, NY

Industrial Portfolio Review

Phase I/II program for 12-property industrial portfolio with multiple environmental concerns.

Portfolio-wide assessment

Liability quantification

Lending decision supported

View Full Case Study

Why Choose Us

Credentials That Matter

Our certifications, insurance coverage, and regulatory expertise give you confidence that your project is in capable hands.

100% lender acceptance rate

SBA and FDIC compliant assessments

350+ Phase I ESAs completed

1-week turnaround available

$5M professional liability coverage

500+

Projects Completed

20+

Years Experience

100%

Lender Approval Rate

$5M

E&O Coverage

Frequently Asked Questions

Financial Institutions & Lenders FAQ

Common questions from financial institutions & lenders about our environmental and civil engineering services.

Next Steps

Ready to Discuss Your Project?

Let's talk about how our integrated environmental and civil engineering expertise can support your next project.