Environmental Site Assessment Definition

Environmental Site Assessment or Audit?

What’s the difference? Environmental site assessments are sometimes incorrectly referred to as Site Audits or other variations. The Canadian Standards Association (CSA) developed the Z768 Guidelines for Environmental Site Assessments and a separate document Z751 Guidelines for Environmental Auditing. The two terms should not be confused with each other as the functions are distinctly different as defined below.

An Environmental Audit is a systematic process of objectively obtaining and evaluating evidence regarding a verifiable assertion about an environmental matter, to ascertain the degree of correspondence between the assertion and established criteria, and then communicating the results to the client. A verifiable assertion is a declaration or statement about a specific subject matter that is supported by documented factual data. This may also include a review of a Phase I site assessment.

Environmental matters that might be the subject of an environmental audit include those aspects of an auditee’s activities which may have an impact on the environment, including the policies, procedures, and practices established by the auditee to safeguard the environment. The particular aspects addressed in an audit depend on the objectives and scope of the audit. In some cases they may also relate to environmental aspects of training, health, safety, waste, hazardous materials, transportation, emergency response measures etc.

A Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) is a systematic process by which an Assessor seeks to determine whether a particular property is or may be subject to actual or potential contamination. A Phase I ESA does not involve the investigative procedures of sampling, analyzing and measuring unless enhancements are agreed to. A Phase I ESA may also include a review of previously performed environmental ESAs.

The Associated Environmental Site Assessors of Canada Inc. (AESAC) is Canada’s National organization for Site Assessors and is dedicated to providing services to assist its members in meeting the needs of their clients.

AESAC registered members (RESAs) are required to provide 3 business references, formal educational, professional designations and identify what area(s) of site assessment experience, in addition to the types of businesses they have dealt with.

Certified members who receive the C.E.S.A. designation, must meet strict criteria based on a point system which is used to quantify the qualifications and experience of applicants who come from a wide range of technical and other backgrounds. The point system’s evaluation is based on both training and experience.

Every certified member must pass the National Certification exam in order to receive the C.E.S.A designation.

AESAC LEVELS OF MEMBERSHIP
Two levels of membership have been established. A registered member, known as “Registered Environmental Site Assessor ” (RESA) is a member who is working towards certification. Registration enables the member to participate in the organization, receive full member benefits such as, attend training courses and receive free client referrals via the National Registry.

The second level is a certified member who, upon meeting AESAC’s certification criteria and passing the National Certification Examination, is entitled to the designation of C.E.S.A. (Certified Environmental Site Assessor).

Questions asked by users of Enviromnental Assessments.