Environmental registry now open

Real Estate Weekly, August 14, 1991

Environmental registry now open

The National Environmental Registry, which provides a permanent microfiche record for site and facility environmental assessments, transactional audits and laboratory and other reports for members of the Environmental Safety Council of America, will now register such documents for any non-member real estate, lending, insurance, environmental, legal or other party to an environmental investigation.

The Environmental Safety Council, a non-profit association for building owners, managers, corporate employers, lenders, architects, attorneys, tenants, employees and the general public with national headquarters in New York City, had previously established the program for the exclusive use of its national 300-office S.A.F.E. environmental service center network.

"Because microfiche registry is the first step to a badly-needed standard assessment protocol, and because the tamper-proof permanence of the system establishes a historical benchmark for all facilities undergoing environmental investigations, the Council has been under intense pressure by banks, attorneys, real estate firms and non-member environmental consulting firms to make our Registry available to the entire industry," said Gayle Essary, CEO.

He pointed noted that central registration substantially reduces the costs and delays previously associated with subsequent transactions for a property with a benchmark report already on file.

Essary said the Council devised a system whereby its "qualified" and "certified" reports are still exclusive to those following the proprietary S.A.F.E. ("Site and Facility Environmental") investigatory protocol, but all others meeting minimum standards are eligible for a "Seal of Registration." Since E.P.A, OSHA and other government agencies now accept the registry's microfiche reports, and since they are similarly accepted in legal proceedings, the need to maintain even an original full-sized document on file is obviated.

Costs for microfilming and registration are $150 for the first 100 pages for members, $175 for non-members, $250 for 101-250 pages ($275 for non-members), and $350 for 250-500 pages ($375 for non-members). Larger size reports and volume discounts are available.

Documents for the National Environmental Registry may be forwarded to James Burrows, administrator, 248 Hempstead Turnpike, West Hempstead, New York 11552. A two-page National Environmental Record Transmittal Form is available without charge by calling 1-800-2-TEST-ME, extension 248.