VESTRA staff completed a liability and remedial cost review for a large brownfield site for Les Schwab Tires (LST). LST wished to purchase the site for a large tire store in a growing urban area. The site had a past use of solvents and hydrocarbon fuel storage and was believed to be the possible source of a plume of TCE contamination in the surrounding area.

VESTRA staff were retained to provide advice to LST about on the potential cost of investigation and remedial activities should the site be purchased and to negotiate modifications on the asking price. As part of the liability review, VESTRA staff performed a detailed review of past documents and agency files on the site and adjacent sites to determine the possibility if the purported contamination was actually originating on the proposed LST site. The investigation concluded the contamination likely was originating from a site other than the proposed site, and the probable cost of demolition and cleanup likely was not in excess of $150,000. LST used the cost estimate to negotiate a favorable purchase price and liability indemnification for the parcel.

VESTRA has completed more than 80 Phase/Environmental Site Assessments for Les Schwab Tires throughout California.