| ASTM Forms New Vapor Intrusion Task Group
ASTM International Committee E50 on Environmental Assessment, Risk Management, and Corrective Action approved a new task group (E50.02.06) at their October meeting to develop a standard to assess vapor intrusion as it relates to property transactions.
Vapor intrusion is caused by the release of volatile chemicals from contaminated soil and groundwater into indoor air spaces of overlying buildings, potentially causing both safety and health concerns. Anthony J. Buonicore will chair the task group. Buonicore, chairman of Environmental Data Resources, Inc. and past president of the Air and Waste Management Association, previously chaired the task group that developed the ASTM standards E 1527, Practice for Environmental Site Assessments: Phase I Environmental Site Assessment Process and E 1528, Practice for Environmental Site Assessments: Transaction Screen Process.
“This is an ideal time for ASTM to get involved because of all the confusion and controversy in the marketplace over vapor intrusion and because vapor intrusion is now beginning to emerge as a potential obstacle in real estate transactions,” Buonicore said. “ASTM is an excellent forum capable of bringing all sides together to develop consensus around a reasonable approach to dealing with the issue.”
It is the task group’s intention to achieve consensus on an approach to identify and assess a potential vapor intrusion problem, while at the same time avoid adding an undue cost burden on the real estate transaction. Harris Sanders, vice president of Prudential Real Estate Investors and a member of the task group, commented, “For those of us involved in the purchase of real estate, it is important that we are not needlessly pushed into the conduct of unnecessary and often expensive Phase II site assessments, for example, as a result of an overly conservative approach to assessing vapor intrusion. At the same time, if there indeed are genuine issues of health and safety, it is important that these become known in the property due diligence process.”
Buonicore added, “This will not be an easy effort. Vapor intrusion is a complex and controversial subject, but it is a critically important issue to our industry.”
All interested parties are invited to participate in task group E50.02.06. //
Contact:
Technical Information: Anthony J. Buonicore, Environmental Data Resources, Inc., Milford, Conn.
Phone: 800/238-1841
ASTM staff: Daniel Smith
Phone: 610/832-9727
Upcoming Meeting: Feb. 7-9, January/February Committee Week, Phoenix, Ariz.
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