Closed, Illegal and Abandoned (CIA) Disposal Sites

Phase I: Office Investigations

Phase I Office Investigations for Closed, Illegal, and Abandoned (CIA) disposal sites are similar to Comprehensive Environmental Restoration, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) Phase I Investigations and the Site Investigation Process (SIP) established by CalRecycle for CIA sites. 

The purpose of these investigations is to obtain as much available information regarding a site from existing agency files, reports, and databases. This information may include property owner information, enforcement documentation, inspection documents, maps and drawings, historical aerial photos, permits, and previous investigation reports (e.g., air and water Solid Waste Assessment Testing (SWAT) reports. Additionally, when investigating a burn dump, a reasonable search to identify designated environmentally sensitive locations in California should be conducted. The following items are typically required during a Phase I investigation:

• Title Search
• Assessor Parcel Number or Map

A site visit or field inspection may be performed as part of a Phase I office investigation, however, no field work is performed, such as surveying, intrusive investigation, or sampling. Generally, the information obtained from the Site Investigation Process (SIP) will meet the requirements for a Phase I office investigation. For the forms used in the SIP process, visit the LEA Central forms page.