Austin Brownfields Revitalization Office (ABRO) offers no-cost environmental site assessments to help community-oriented developers address environmental obstacles to fulfill property redevelopment goals.
Do you know if your property has any environmental concerns? Nonprofits and developers can run into difficulty obtaining financing due to liability that transfers with the property. A Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) is commonly done prior to commercial or industrial property transactions to assess the likelihood of contamination. ABRO offers no-cost environmental assessments to aid in this process.
No-cost environmental assessments
Environmental due diligence starts with completing a Phase I ESA before purchasing a property. It is a critical step in protecting a future landowner from certain liability for contamination already on the property.
What to expect during a simple assessment process
| A Phase I ESA looks at the history of the site and its surroundings, to see if there are any clues about possible environmental impacts. |
| If sources of contamination are suspected, additional information specific to the site is needed. A Phase II ESA will be performed, and environmental samples will be collected to see if there is contamination on the site. If there is contamination, multiple sampling events may be needed to find the full extent of contamination to be cleaned up. |
| A cleanup plan outlines how to safely remove the contamination following environmental regulations. |
Assistance eligibility
Any entity may be eligible for an assessment. Including:
- Nonprofits
- Community or neighborhood development corporations
- Redevelopment agencies
- Any redevelopment that benefits the community
Other eligibility criteria apply, please contact us for details. For more information, please email or call the Austin Brownfields Revitalization Office.
If the Phase I ESA identifies possible contamination, ABRO may provide a Phase II environmental investigation to inform you if contamination is present.