ABSTRACT
Site assessment Phase I preliminary investigations are designed to provide a comprehensive overview of available information concerning a site. The need for this preliminary phase is often forgotten in the rush to go and drill some holes on site to “see what is there.” This urge should be resisted since many errors and misinterpretations in geologic data can occur when poorly placed exploration boreholes contact stratigraphic materials that are structurally complex. Any site assessment project where significant field data gathering is required should be conducted in a phased approach. Phase I would consist of primarily a literature and field reconnaissance that would set the stage for later intensive Phase II field data gathering. Although this
text primarily concentrates on waste disposal or remediation projects, many if not all concepts presented below would be applicable for any site investigation where the facility may have some impact on the environment. Specific to waste disposal these preliminary Phase I investigations can be conducted for new sites, either greenfield or acquisitions; expansions to currently operating sites; evaluations of associative risk of a site or as a first step in a Superfund Remedial Investigation/ Feasibility Study (RI/FS) (Table 21). The scope of work for Phase I studies is some what different for each of the above; however, the basic elements remain the same for these preliminary review efforts.
