An important component regarding legal protection during a property transaction is a Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) [link to Phase 1 ESA blog]. The current industry standard for Phase 1 ESAs is the American Society for Testing and Material (ASTM) E1527-2013. The purpose of the Phase 1 ESA is to identify Recognized Environmental Conditions (RECs). A REC is the presence or likely presence of any hazardous substances or petroleum products in, on, or at a property.