# Authority Status — `phase-i-esa`

Date-stamped record of the regulatory currency review for this skill.

**Last full review: 2026-04-26.**

## ASTM standards

| Standard | Version current | Date verified | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| ASTM E1527 (Phase I ESA) | **E1527-21** | 2026-04-26 | [ASTM E1527-21](https://store.astm.org/e1527-21.html) |
| ASTM E2247 (forestland/rural) | E2247-23 | 2026-04-26 | ASTM (industry confirmation) |
| ASTM E2600 (vapor encroachment screening) | E2600-15 (reapproved 2021) | 2026-04-26 | ASTM |

## Federal AAI rule

| Authority | Status | Date verified | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40 CFR Part 312 — All Appropriate Inquiries | Current; recognizes E1527-21 since rule of 2023-03-14 (88 FR 8973) | 2026-04-26 | eCFR |
| 40 CFR § 312.10 — Environmental Professional qualifications | Current | 2026-04-26 | eCFR |
| 40 CFR § 312.20 — Investigation period (180 days / 1 year shelf-life) | Current | 2026-04-26 | eCFR |
| 40 CFR § 312.26 — Federal/state/tribal/local records search distances | Current | 2026-04-26 | eCFR |

E1527-13 lost AAI recognition on **Feb 13, 2024** per the 2023 rule; reports continuing to follow E1527-13 cease to satisfy AAI on that date.

## CERCLA

| Authority | Status | Date verified | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| CERCLA § 101 (42 U.S.C. § 9601) — definitions | Current | 2026-04-26 | Cornell LII |
| CERCLA § 107(b) (42 U.S.C. § 9607(b)) — innocent landowner / bona fide prospective purchaser / contiguous property defenses | Current | 2026-04-26 | Cornell LII |
| 40 CFR § 302.4 — Designation of CERCLA hazardous substances | Current; **PFOA and PFOS added effective 2024-07-08** | 2026-04-26 | [EPA PFOA/PFOS designation](https://www.epa.gov/superfund/designation-perfluorooctanoic-acid-pfoa-and-perfluorooctanesulfonic-acid-pfos-cercla); [Federal Register notice 89 FR 39124](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/05/08/2024-08547/designation-of-perfluorooctanoic-acid-pfoa-and-perfluorooctanesulfonic-acid-pfos-as-cercla-hazardous) |

## PFAS-related developments since 2024

| Development | Date | Source |
|---|---|---|
| EPA designates PFOA and PFOS as CERCLA hazardous substances | Effective 2024-07-08 (89 FR 39124, 2024-05-08) | EPA / Federal Register |
| EPA CERCLA PFAS Enforcement Discretion Policy | 2024-04-19 | EPA enforcement memo |
| CERCLA § 102(a) Framework Rule announced | 2025-09-17 | EPA announcement |

## Items pending verification in next review

- ASTM E1527 next revision cycle — ASTM revises every 8 years; E1527-21 will reach the 2029 horizon. Monitor for an E1527-29 or interim revision.
- Any post-2025 amendments to 40 CFR Part 312.
- CERCLA § 102(a) Framework Rule status — additional PFAS substances may be designated.
- State analytical-method approvals for PFAS (changes per state lab certification programs).

## Notes on use

- The 2024-07-08 CERCLA designation of PFOA/PFOS materially affects Phase I REC analysis at properties with historical PFAS-relevant uses. Pre-2024 reports do not reflect this; updated reports for the same property may classify previously-non-REC conditions as RECs.
- E1527-21's emerging-contaminants language is broad enough to reach PFAS without a separate ASTM update; some jurisdictions (e.g., Massachusetts MCP) require explicit PFAS evaluation under state cleanup law independent of ASTM scope.