#45 - Case History - Small Projects Can Create Big Risk...Yet Again, and Again and Again...

About this episode

The episode discusses a case history involving an environmental site assessment that led to legal disputes over contamination levels.

GBA Case History Series – Case History #45 - Small Projects Can Create Big Risk...Yet Again, and Again and Again... Summary A GBA Member Firm performed an environmental site assessment (ESA) for a commercial real estate developer. After the Member Firm reported the laboratory tests, which indicated unacceptable levels of a contaminant, the prospective purchaser reneged and demanded a return of its deposit. After getting a second ESA from another laboratory, the Member Firm reviewed the second laboratory’s results and agreed that the initial lab did not record the results correctly, and the contamination levels were not as severe. Both the developer and prospective purchaser sued the Member Firm who, in turn, sued the other laboratory. The Member Firm prevailed against the initial lab but recovered less than half the total amount of the settlement it reached with the developer and prospective purchaser. Our Hosts: Elizabeth Brown, PE - Principal Geotechnical Engineer/ JLT Consultants Elizabeth is the Principal Geotechnical Engineer at JLT Consultants in Boise, Idaho. Elizabeth has performed and/or assisted with numerous geotechnical investigations throughout Idaho, Oregon…

People in this episode

Hosts: Elizabeth Brown, Abi Corbett

Topics covered

• environmental site assessment
• commercial real estate
• contamination
• legal disputes
• geotechnical engineering
• risk management

Keywords

• environmental site assessment
• contamination levels
• legal disputes
• geotechnical engineering
• commercial real estate

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: GBA, JLT Consultants, SME

Places: Boise, Idaho, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming

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