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Accordingly, when geoenvironmental professionals indicate in their reports that they have performed a service "in general compliance" with one standard or another, it means they have applied professional judgement in creating and implementing a scope of service designed for the specific client and project involved, and which follows some of the general precepts laid out in the referenced standard. To the extent that a report indicates "general compliance" with a standard, you may wish to speak with your geoenvironmental professional to learn more about what was and was not done. Do not assume a given standard was followed to the letter. Research indicates that that seldom is the case. Realize That Recommendations May Not Be Huai The technical recommendations Included in a geoenvironmental report are based on assumptions about actual conditions, and so are preliminary or tentative. Final recommendations can be prepared only by observing actual conditions as they are exposed. For that reason, you should retain the geoenvironmental professional of record to observe construction and/or remediation activities on site, to permit rapid response to unanticipated conditions. The geoenvironmental professional who prepared the report cannot assume responsibility or liability for the report's recommendations if that professional is not retained to observe relevant site operations. RaderMill That Geotechnical Issues Have Not Been Addressed Unless geotechnical engineering was specifically included in the scope of professional service, a report is not likely to relate any find- ings, conclusions, or recommendations about the suitability of sub- surface materials for construction purposes, especially when site remediation has been accomplished through the removal, replace- ment, encapsulation, or chemical treatment of on-site soils. The equipment, techniques, and testing used by geotechnical engineers differ markedly from those used by geoenvironmental professionals; their education, training, and experience are also significantly differ- ent. If you plan to build on the subject site, but have not yet had a geotechnical engineering study conducted, your geoenvironmental professional should be able to provide guidance about the next steps you should take. The same firm may provide the services you need. Brad RestionsBulity Provisions Closely Geoenvironmental studies cannot be exact; they are based on profes- sional judgement and opinion. Nonetheless, some clients, contractors, and others assume geoenvironmental reports are or certainly should be unerringly precise. Such assumptions have created unrealistic expectations that have led to wholly unwarranted claims and disputes. To help prevent such problems, geoenvironmental professionals have developed a number of report provisions and contract terms that explain who is responsible for what, and how risks are to be allocated. Some people mistake these for "exculpatory clauses," that is, provi- sions whose purpose is to transfer one party's rightful responsibilities and liabilities to someone else. Read the responsibility provisions included in a report and in the contract you and your geoenvironmental professional agreed to. Responsibility provisions are not "boiler- plate. "They are important. Rely on Your Geoenvironmental Professional for Additional Assistance Membership in ASFE exposes geoenvironmental professionals to a wide array of risk management techniques that can be of genuine benefit for everyone involved with a geoenvironmental project. Confer with your ASFE-member geoenvironmental professional for more information. ASFE TIE NINE PEOPLE IN EANTI 8811 Colesville Road/Suite G106, Silver Spring, MD 20910 Telephone: 301/565-2733 Facsimile: 301/589-2017 e-mail: info@asfe.org www.asfe.org Copyright 2000 by ASFE, Inc. Duplication, reproduction, or copying of this document, in whole or in part, by any means whalsoeve[ is strictly prohibited, except with ASFn specific written permission. Excerpting quoting, or otherwise extracting wording from this document is permitted only with the express written permission ofASFE, and only impurposes of scholarly research or book review OmyASFEMember Firms may insert this document in their reports. IIGR05055.0M