The ASTM standard that describes the environmental assessment needs of parties involved in the acquisition of forestland and rural property has been revised. The revision is an important step toward making ASTM E2247, Practice for Environmental Site Assessments: Phase I Environmental Site Assessment Process for Forestland or Rural Property, compliant with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's All Appropriate Inquiries Rule (40 CFR Part 312, Standards and Practices for All Appropriate Inquiries). E2247 is under the jurisdiction of Subcommittee E50.02 on Real Estate Assessment and Management, part of Committee E50 on Environmental Assessment, Risk Management and Corrective Action.

"Committee E50 believes that referencing E2247-08 in the AAI Regulation will provide the needed guidance to parties purchasing large tracts of land and seeking CERCLA liability protection as bona fide prospective purchasers or innocent landowners," says David Parsonage, vice president, American Geosciences Inc., and chair of the ASTM task group on ASTM E2247. "The forest industry, other natural resource industries, conservation organizations, forest and rural real estate professionals, lenders, resource management agencies and environmental consultants are examples of the variety of parties that apply E2247."

Purchasers of forestland have often adapted ASTM E1527, Practice for Environmental Site Assessments: Phase I Environmental Site Assessment Process, to their application in order to claim one of the landowner liability protections under CERCLA. However, E2247 more clearly addresses property uses and environmental concerns typical of forestland and provides for the use of remote sensing methods such as the use of aerial photography or flyovers. "Based on the success of the consensus process and input from EPA technical and legal representatives during the drafting of the E2247 revision, purchasers of forestland and rural property will soon have an effective and efficient alternative for demonstrating compliance with the AAI rule," says Parsonage.

ASTM International standards can be purchased from Customer Service (phone: 610-832-9585; https://www.astm.org/contact/) or at www.astm.org. For technical Information, contact David Parsonage, American Geosciences Inc., Murrysville, Pa. (phone: 724-733-7000; dparsonage@amergeo.com). Committee E50 meets Sept. 30-Oct. 2 during the October committee week in Miami, Fla. For meeting or membership information, contact Daniel Smith (phone: 610-832-9727; dsmith@astm.org).

Release #8033