The High Flyer Newsletter #97

Author

Brett Perry
February 08, 2024

E1527-13 for Phase I ESAs Discontinued as of February 14, 2024

In this newsletter and upcoming posts, we will delve into the significant differences between ASTM International's newly revised Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) standard, E1527-21, and its predecessor, E1527-13. In December 2022, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) amended its AAI rule to reference E1527-21, which officially went into effect on February 13, 2023. This amendment granted a one-year extension for the use of E1527-13. However, as of February 14, 2024, E1527-13 will no longer be recognized as meeting AAI requirements under CERCLA.

While E1527-21 is not an EPA-mandated regulation for AAI compliance, it has gained widespread recognition as the industry standard for Phase I assessments, making it a crucial component of most commercial real estate transactions.

Our objective is to provide guidance and collaborate with our website users to find solutions together. Last week focused on topographic maps and our approach to making them more accessible and valuable.

Under the 2013 standard, environmental consultants only needed to review historical sources to identify Recognized Environmental Conditions (RECs). The revised standard now requires the review of at least four (4) historical sources (aerial photographs, topographic maps, fire insurance maps, and city directories) for both the subject property and adjoining properties.

In this newsletter, we delve into the world of aerial photography, offering insights into its fascinating history to help you impress others at social gatherings. We'll also explore the evolution of aerial photography techniques over the years and examine the significance of orthophotos.

Aerial photography has a fascinating history that traces back to 1839 when a photo of Paris was taken from the roof of a tall building. During those early days, the technology, known as daguerreotypes or tintypes, required long exposure times and a stationary camera. This limitation led to innovative solutions, like Gaspar Felix Tournachon, also known as "Nadar," who in 1858 used a hot air balloon as an aerial photography platform, tethering it 80 meters above the ground to capture an image of Petit-Becetre, France. James Wallace Black followed suit in 1860, photographing Boston from a hot air balloon, creating the oldest surviving aerial photograph.

Advancements in photography, such as the development of dry plates, paved the way for new aerial photography platforms. In 1903, carrier pigeons with breast-mounted cameras were patented and successfully used for this purpose. In 1906, an attempt was made to use a rocket-launched camera with a parachute return system. Notably, in the same year, a photo of San Francisco was captured using several kites strung together, documenting the aftermath of the 1906 earthquake. Kites were popular for aerial photography around that time.

Wilbur Wright is credited with taking the first aerial photo from an airplane in 1909 over Centrocelli, Italy. The military played a significant role in advancing aerial photography technology, with Sherman Fairchild developing an aerial camera system that greatly improved photo clarity and allowed for adjustable intervals for taking pictures. The Fairchild camera became the standard for aerial photography for five decades.

After World War I, the military's decreased demand for cameras prompted Sherman Fairchild to explore new markets. He collaborated with government agencies, who found aerial photographs to be a valuable tool for property tax assessment and maintaining property tax records, a practice that continues to be used today.

I've been utilizing aerial photography since the 1980s, driven by personal frustrations to seek solutions for enhancing the usability of native aerial images. In the early stages of my career, prior to the digital era, reviewing an aerial photo typically necessitated a visit to a private aerial photo company or a government agency. This was not only inherently inconvenient but also challenging, as it often required squinting at a 9-inch by 9-inch print through a magnifying glass to locate the subject property. This challenge was exacerbated when dealing with historical images, where the surrounding area had undergone significant changes due to development or redevelopment. In many cases, accurately pinpointing the boundaries of the subject property seemed nearly impossible. Additionally, there were instances when I had colleagues review aerial photos on my behalf due to travel constraints, which sometimes resulted in interpretation errors.

Advancements in technology eventually led to the digitization of these prints, with companies offering services that delivered bundles of aerial photographs as PDFs. More recently, as HistoricAerials.com gained popularity, companies developed platforms for viewing and comparing aerial images over time. However, these solutions fall short of the capabilities achievable with orthophotos.

What sets orthophotos apart from georeferenced aerials is accuracy. The spatial correctness of our aerial collection is crucial for sophisticated environmental consultants, metal detector enthusiasts, archaeologists, and more. The ability to precisely attribute geocoordinates or make accurate measurements of areas of interest distinguishes professionals from amateurs.

The orthophotos on HistoricAerials.com give you full control, allowing you to pan around with all the pyramid layers and zoom in or out without compromising resolution quality. Our platform is free to use and offers additional capabilities at a fraction of the cost compared to third-party vendors offering inferior products.

Did we mention that we possess the largest collection of orthophotography for the United States? It's not even a close comparison, and we have recently finalized an agreement to acquire another private collection of aerial film, with details to be announced in a future newsletter.

We believe we've created a superior solution, but as always, we welcome suggestions on how to improve our application for a better user experience and enhanced utility of our aerial photos on our website. To learn more about the history of aerial photography and explore our collection, please visit this page: https://www.historicaerials.com/aerial-photos.

Thank you for being a part of our community.

Super Priority Liens!

Super Priority Liens! Your feedback matters, and we've heard you loud and clear. Due to overwhelming demand from our community, we've decided to bring back information related to Environmental Liens and Activity Use Limitations (AUL) State statutes. This information was originally compiled during our research and was featured in our newsletter back in June 2009.

It's essential to keep in mind that this information should not be construed as legal advice. We want to be transparent and acknowledge that we may not be aware of any recent alterations or updates to these statutes.

We encourage you to reach out to our support team (via EMAIL) if you encounter any problems, have concerns, or possess any updates that we should be aware of. Your feedback is highly valuable to us, and we remain dedicated to providing accurate and current information to the best of our abilities.

New Images Added

Feature Showcase

Discover the geographical wonders of the United States like never before with our map's contour overlays! This tool is a must-have for a range of professionals and enthusiasts.

With our contour overlay, every valley, hill, and plateau across the U.S. becomes a story waiting to be explored, offering a unique blend of utility and discovery.

"Through the Lens" Documentary Update

More filming in the works for our Historical Aerial Imagery documentary “Through the Lens!” Here is a perspective inside the cockpit as we are about to take off. If you haven’t seen it yet, checkout our teaser trailer on Youtube here.

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