Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs) are a key tool in mitigating risk for commercial property buyers, lenders, and lessors. They are used to identify potential or existing environmental contamination that may cause liabilities for the owner, lessor, and/or lender. They usually assess environmental concerns regarding both the land and the physical improvements to the land. Why…
For commercial property owners, purchasers, and developers, environmental compliance services are a critical component of due diligence and risk mitigation. Environmental compliance services can protect from liability associated with land contamination, unexpected costs associated with environmental clean-up, and unfavorable purchases of previously contaminated property. Environmental compliance services also are critical in preventing unnecessary government fines…
In an ideal world, every new construction project would take place on a plot of perfectly clean and prepared land that is well suited exactly for the purpose. In reality, most projects, especially those in urban areas, are sited on property that has a history, and not always a clean one. Often, that history means…
Five billion dollars. That’s the number the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says it collected in criminal fines and civil penalties for violations of federal environmental guidelines in 2018. In addition, more than $1.2 billion was committed by private firms to clean up contaminated sites, while prison terms for violations of environmental violations increased from previous…
2018 was a year of enormous growth for us at GLE. We added 19 new team members and added 332 new clients in addition to our existing client base. At the same time, we continued our commitment to provide you with timely, useful information and news on topics that are important to you through our…
A proposed passenger rail line between Tampa Bay and Orlando would provide a fast, comfortable option for travel between the two cities, and has cleared several initial hurdles toward becoming a reality as early as 2021. The proposed project, which is privately funded, would impact commuters, vacation travelers, and others who travel between the cities….
If you pay attention to the news, you may have heard that the current United States administration is planning to roll back regulations intended to protect our waterways from pollution. The news has created a great deal of controversy and spread through both legitimate and less trustworthy news sources, as well as across social media….
Across social media, people have been talking about changes to the EPA’s clean water regulations. On one side, folks are worried that it signals a loss of important protections. On the other, folks feel that it’s a return to clearer, more business- and farm-friendly standards. The reality is that most people don’t know what the…
It’s a word that evokes childhood nightmares of quicksand and disappearing into the void. The word is “sinkhole” and, unfortunately, it’s not only the stuff of nightmares but a real possibility for millions of Floridians. More than most parts of the U.S., Florida is susceptible to sinkholes because of the geology of the peninsula. Under…
If you ask developers about brownfield development, you’ll often get one of three responses: They’ve done it before and it was a disaster, they’ve never done it and never will, or they’re in the process of considering a brownfield property for purchase. Unfortunately, you’ll only rarely hear from someone who has done it and wants…
