March 1, 2011 Mr. Vincent C. Fregoso, AICP City of Santa Ana 20 Civic Center Plaza Santa Ana, CA 92702 Re: Phase I Environmental Site Assessment Update Memorandum Vacant Property 1585 Santa Clara Avenue Santa Ana, California 92507 Dear Mr. Fregoso URS is pleased to submit this Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) Update Memorandum for the above-referenced site. We appreciate the opportunity to provide environmental services for this project. Based on the scope of work conducted for this Phase I ESA Update, this assessment has revealed no evidence of Recognized Environmental Conditions (RECs) in connection with the subject property, with the exception of the historical agricultural usage. No offsite properties with the potential to have created an environmental concern for the subject property were identified. No further investigation appears warranted at this time. Please contact us at (714) 835-6886 if you have any questions or require further assistance. Very truly yours, URS CORPORATION Janet L. Tentler Senior Environmental Scientist URS Corporation 2020 East First Street, Suite 400 Santa Ana, CA 92705 Tel: 714.835.6886 Fax: 714.667.7147 www.urscorp.com
1.0 INTRODUCTION URS Corporation (URS) conducted a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (Phase I ESA) Update of the property located at 1585 Santa Clara Avenue in Santa Ana, Orange County, California (subject property or site). The purpose of the Phase I ESA Update is to gather information about the subject site and surrounding areas to identify conditions indicative of releases or threatened releases of hazardous substances, pollutants and contaminants, petroleum or petroleum products, and controlled substances. This Phase I ESA Update was accomplished by, and limited to, a limited reconnaissance of the site, a drive-by survey of the site vicinity, and review of agency databases regarding past and current land use for indications of the manufacture, generation, use, storage and/or disposal of hazardous substances at the site. The subject property consists of an approximately 4.8-acre parcel developed with a single family residence, a detached garage and an abandoned orange grove. The residence, currently unoccupied, is located in the northwestern portion of the parcel. The remaining parcel is occupied by an abandoned orange grove. Access to the subject property is via Santa Clara Avenue. At the time of the site reconnaissance, the single family residence was of wood-framed construction. The interior of the residence was inaccessible at the time of the site reconnaissance. The parcel was surrounded with chain-link fencing; therefore, the remainder of the parcel was also inaccessible. The Phase I ESA Update specifically did not include testing for radon, asbestos, lead-based paint, or lead in drinking water; vapor intrusion, sampling and/or testing of soil or groundwater, or sampling and/or testing for mold and water intrusion. URS reviewed readily available historical data pertaining to the subject property. These references were reviewed for evidence of activities that would suggest the potential presence of hazardous substances at the subject property and to evaluate the potential for the subject property to be impacted by offsite sources of contamination. 2.0 HITORICAL REVIEW 2.1. HISTORICAL USGS TOPOGRAPHIC MAPS URS reviewed the following historical USGS topographic maps that were obtained from Environmental Data Resources, Inc. (EDR): Anaheim, California quadrangle dated 1889; Southern California Sheet No., California quadrangle dated 1901; Corona, California quadrangle dated 1902; Orange, California quadrangles dated 1935, 1950, 1964, 1972, and 1981; and Anaheim, California quadrangle dated 1942. The following is a summary of their review.
1889, 1901, 1902 The subject property was located within a rural area south of the City of Orange and northeast of the city of Santa Ana. The subject property could not be identified on the scale of these maps provided. The surrounding area was also depicted as rural with individual residential-type structures depicted throughout the area. Santiago Creek was shown to the north of the subject property. 1935 The site was shown with one dwelling on the property; however, the orange grove was not depicted on this topographic map. An improved road (currently, Santa Clara Avenue) was depicted bordering the north side of the subject property. Sparsely distributed residential-type structures were depicted within the site vicinity. Fairhaven and Santa Ana Cemeteries were depicted northeast of the site. 1942 The 1942 topographic map was similar to the 1935 topographic map; however, the site was depicted with one residential-type structure and a citrus orchard. Slight increase of development was depicted on the surrounding area. 1950, 1964, 1972, and 1981 The subject property remains depicted with one residential-type structure and a citrus orchard. Urban development increases in every revised topographic map. 2.2. HISTORICAL AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHS URS reviewed aerial photographs of the site vicinity for the years 1938, 1947, 1952, 1968, 1977, 1990, 1994, 2002, and 2005 that were obtained from EDR. A summary of the aerial photograph review follows. 1938, 1947, 1952 The subject property appeared with one structure within the northwestern corner of the property with the remaining acreage of the parcel appears as an orchard. A cemetery was depicted to the northeast, while the remaining surrounding properties were depicted as orchards.
1968 No changes were apparent at the site. There appeared to be an increase in residential development south of the site and Santa Clara Avenue. The properties to the north of Santa Clara Avenue remained orchards and cemeteries. 1977 No changes were apparent at the site. Residential properties were depicted to the north, south, east, and west of the site, with the exception of the cemetery property depicted to the northeast. 1990, 1994, 2002 and 2005 The site remained an orchard with a single-family residence located within the northwestern corner of the property. The site vicinity was mostly depicted as residential with some commercial properties. Orchards were no longer depicted within the site vicinity. 2.3. DATA GAPS Data gaps were encountered during the review of historical documentation for the subject property. URS was not able to interview site representatives (such as past owners) who were familiar with the subject property prior to 1990. Based on information obtained from a variety of sources, URS does not consider the data gap identified herein to be significant. In addition, ASTM Standard E 1527-05 states that all obvious uses of the property shall be identified from the present, back to the property s first developed use, or back to 1940, whichever is earlier. Our review of reasonably ascertainable standard historical sources indicates that the property was vacant land prior to it being first developed in 1990. 3.0 SITE RECONNAISSANCE 3.1. SITE OBSERVATIONS The subject property consists of an approximately 4.8-acre parcel developed with a single family residence, a detached garage and an abandoned orange grove. The residence, currently unoccupied, is located in the northwestern portion of the parcel. The remaining parcel is occupied by an abandoned orange grove. 3.1.1. Hazardous Substances At the time of the site reconnaissance, no hazardous substances were observed on the subject property
3.1.2. Waste Disposal During the site reconnaissance, no evidence of waste disposal, stains and/or leaks were observed. 3.1.3. Drums/Other Chemical Containers No drums or other chemical containers were observed onsite during the site reconnaissance. 3.1.4. Dumping No evidence of unauthorized dumping of chemicals or substances was observed onsite during the site reconnaissance. 4.0 GOVERNMENT AGENCY INFORMATION URS ordered current records regarding past and current site use regarding potential environmental concerns at the site and reviewed the agency database list search for potential environmental concerns at surrounding properties. The information obtained during the records review is provided in the following sections. 4.1. DATABASE LIST SEARCH URS contracted an environmental database firm, EDR of Milford, Connecticut, to conduct a search for facilities listed by regulatory agencies as potentially having environmental concerns. The search was limited to within a one-mile radius (i.e., ASTM and AAI standards) of the subject property to assess whether activities on or near the site have the potential to create RECs at the subject property. It should be noted that this information is reported as URS received it from EDR, which in turn reports information as it is provided in various government databases. It is not possible for either URS or EDR to verify the accuracy or completeness of information contained in these databases. However, the use of and reliance on this information is a generally accepted practice in the conduct of environmental due diligence. 4.1.1. Subject Property The subject property was not identified in the EDR Radius Map Report with GeoCheck. 4.1.2. Adjacent Properties No properties located adjacent to the subject property were identified in the EDR Radius Map Report with GeoCheck. However, the Orange County Cemetery District, northeast of the site, was listed on the leaking underground storage tank (LUST) database twice. Both listings were soil contamination and listed as closed with the lead agency. Based on the agency closure status, it is URS opinion that these listings do not represent an environmental concern to the subject property.
4.1.3. Prior Documents The following document previously prepared for the subject property was available for URS review, and is summarized below: Phase I Environmental Site Assessment Report Vacant Property, LandAmerica Corporation, July 6, 2007. In 2007, LandAmerica was requested to perform a Phase I ESA for the subject property. The site was reported as developed for a combination of agricultural and residential use on a 4.8 acre parcel in the city of Santa Ana, California. LandAmerica s assessment did not reveal any evidence of RECs in connection with the property. Based on the information available at the time of their assessment, LandAmerica did not recommend further investigation of the Property. 5.0 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS URS has performed a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment Update of the property located at 1585 Santa Clara Avenue in Santa Ana, Orange County, California. 5.1. FINDINGS Based on the scope of work conducted for this Phase I ESA Update, no RECs were found in connection with current operations at the subject property. However, the property has been in agricultural use since at least 1938. Common agricultural practices can result in residual concentrations of insecticides, pesticides or herbicides in near-surface soil, though not generally at concentrations that pose a significant health risk. Based upon the fact that the property is proposed for development for residential use, residual concentrations of insecticides, pesticides or herbicides, may be present; shallow soil sampling and analysis is recommended. No offsite properties with the potential to have created an environmental concern for the subject property were identified. No further investigation appears warranted at this time.