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ABOUT

S&S Commercial Environmental Services, Inc. was started in 1996 by Steven B. Webster (Webby) and Stephen A. Quartararo (Steve) to provide rapid accurate required environmental property disclosures to the Commercial Real Estate Industry.

 

On October 12, 2002 Steven B. Webster was killed in a terrorist attack while vacationing in Bali, Indonesia.

 

S&S Commerial Environmental Services, Inc. has continued the tradition started in 1996 and provides the EPA recommended "all appropriate inquiry" without  embelishing the facts and interfering with the real estate transaction. 

 

No Phase II work is ever recommened without reasonable effective inquiry. 

 

S&S Commercial Environmental Services, INC. is a company created specifically to provide for the complex environmental needs of today’s Commercial and Industrial Real Estate Market, SBA transactions, and HUD refinance and new transactions.

 

More than 40 years of combined experience between the principals and associates of S&S working in the environmental and real estate fields enables us to provide these services in a less complicated manner, more efficiently at a more economical cost than a conventional environmental service company.

 

Most Banks and Lending institutions have specific environmental requirements depending on their risk management programs.  S&S can provide these requirements and in many cases has been involved in helping to create or fine tune Risk Management Programs for Banks, Lending Institutions and other entities.  Programs that fit specific needs, are adherent with updated ASTM Standards and work in the real world.

 

S&S provides a wide range of professional environmental services including Phase One Environmental Site Assessments, Phase Two Testing, Phase Three Remediation, risk management, consulting, professional witness and project management. 

 

S&S California Contractor classifications include Class A General Engineering Contractor with HAZ Certification, Class B General Building Contractor, Specialty License C-2 Insulation and Acoustical with ASB Certification for bidding and oversight, and Specialty License C-57 Water Well Drilling Contractor.  In addition our principals hold a California Real Estate Brokers License and California Life and Health Insurance License which allows them to understand the importance of practical due diligence.

 

S&S Commercial Environmental Services maintains 1 million dollars in Errors and Omissions Insurance and 2 millon dollars aggregate liability Insurance.

Stephen A. Quartararo

Environmental Professional, CFR Title 40 Code of Federal Regulations Section 312.22

Owner S&S Commercial Environmental Services, Inc. since formation 1997. General Engineering Contractor A, Hazardous Materials Certified, General Building Contractor B, Insulation and Acoustical C-2, Asbestos Certified, Water Well Drilling Contractor C-57. Real Estate Brokers License, Life & Health Insurance License.

 

Phase I Site Surveys, Phase II Soil and Groundwater Investigations, Phase III Remediation of Soil and Groundwater leading to No Further Action or Closure by Local, County, State, and Federal Agencies.

 

March 2016 - No Further Action (NFA) Closure Letter for Soil, Soil Vapor, and Groundwater for large light industrial property in Carson, CA - Proved liability for further quarterly monitoring and remediation of groundwater under NFA property was the responsibility of Owner of an off-site VOC contaminant source being remediated by Others. Coordinator for Oil Well Re- abandonment at Signal Hill Site 2009, Valencia 2006.

 

Environmental Hazard Assessment, Project Cost to Cure Physical Deterioration, Construction Management, Environmental Site Appraisals. Storm and Irrigation Water Conservation, Re-use.

 

EXPERIENCE


43  years as asbestos and environmental consultant and abatement contractor direct and subcontract.  20 of those years as owner of an Environmental Company, 16 as a General Engineering Contractor with Hazardous Certification and 3 of those years with related storm and irrigation water conservation-related companies.

 

Performance of 6,000 plus Phase I site assessments and 100's of Phase II and Phase III site investigations and closures.

 

Professional cost estimation, third party verification of sampling activities, underground tank removal monitoring and property assessment consultant for soil and groundwater.

 

Coordinator of design and construction in two Los Angeles high rise office buildings for fire safety retrofit under the City of Los Angeles fire life safety ordinance.

 

Develop and Design of affordable housing, including site selection, negotiation, planning, and permit process and funding sourcing.

 

MAJOR CONTRACTS


UC Santa Barbara (1979) - HVAC system cleaning of five-story Chemistry and Physical Sciences buildings on campus.
VA Medical Center LA Jolla (1980) - After-fire decontamination of Surgery Floor HVAC.
TRW (1983) - Bulk materials sampling for asbestos in a 65-building facility, Redondo Beach, CA. 
UC Chancellors Office, UC San Francisco Medical Center (1984) - Survey design, fieldwork completion, report design, report completion for UC Chancellor’s office's funding request to State Assembly funding for asbestos abatement and management - 103 buildings - hospital, classrooms, and administrative offices.
California Hospital Medical Center (1983) - Contract and specification design and completion of asbestos abatement projects.
County of Los Angeles (1984) - Approval of specifications, third party monitoring of contractor during Building 5 Asbestos Abatement Project at Rancho Los Amigos Medical Center.
JMB Property Management (1985) - Coordination with building management and Med Tox abatement and hygiene personnel on 3 stories of asbestos containment project in 25 story high rise office building, Century City, CA.
 

Tishman Construction (1985) - Area containment for electrical work adjacent to occupied areas in asbestos affected Bank of America offices at ARCO Towers, Los Angeles, CA.
Equitable Real Estate Investment Management (1986) - Asbestos abatement and containment projects, including elevator lobby doors, full-floor abatement, and after-fire decontamination projects in former First Interstate Bank and Union Bank buildings, Los Angeles, CA.
Baxter Pharmaceutical (1988) - Building materials sampling for asbestos and reports for 14 buildings in seven Midwest States.
Fremont Indemnity (1991) - Independent owner’s agent for fire protection citation response to LAFD and construction of tenant improvements for asbestos abatement and fire life safety rehabilitation of 11-story office building in midtown Los Angeles. Included removal of the underground diesel tank.


Redlands Federal Savings (1990) - Phase I Environmental Assessments of raw land in the Inland Empire and San Diego areas of Southern California.
SPS Technologies (1993) - "Qualified Risk Assessment"(QRA) for sale of an existing 20-acre site in Costa Mesa, CA: Work involved review of commercial appraisals, Environmental Site Remediation work completed, further remediation cost proposals, interviews with responsible
government agencies, interviews with banking authorities, preparation of report detailing current conditions and value of property less expected remediation costs, results of interviews with regulatory agencies and financial authorities, four scenarios under which the property might be sold and the anticipated financial return and liability concerns of each scenario.
Money Store Investment Corporation (from 1992 until sold) - Related - 400+ Phase I Environmental Assessments of commercial property as collateral for SBA backed commercial loans in California.


Coast Federal Savings (Former) - 300+ Phase I Environmental Assessments and Asbestos Inspections of residential apartment buildings, commercial shopping centers and other commercial buildings from San Diego to San Francisco and Sacramento to New York State.
Chevron Real Estate Services (1991) - Coordination and management of gasoline contaminated soil remediation project in Blythe, CA; work included shoring to 30 feet along the western perimeter of project to protect adjacent restaurant, removal and bio-remediation of 3,500 cubic feet of contaminated soil, removal of 5,000 gallons of contaminated water, placement of filter over local groundwater, backfilling of excavation with remediated soil.
Carlsberg Management Company (1989-1995) - Independent owner’s agent for fire protection citation response to LAFD and construction of tenant improvements for asbestos abatement and fire life safety rehabilitation of 10-story office building in West Los Angeles. Owner’s representative: work included selection and coordination of architect, mechanical, electrical, fire sprinkler, asbestos abatement/containment, and industrial hygiene contractors and interface with the City of Los Angeles Building, Electrical and Structural Departments and Inspectors over a five year period under-occupied and vacant building conditions.


California Federal Bank (1993) - Phase I Environmental Assessments and Asbestos Inspections of commercial and residential buildings in Northern and Southern California.
Folger & Levin, Law Firm (1995) - “Environmental Risk Assessment" (ERA) for a 3-acre parcel in West Los Angeles. Review of six environmental soil and groundwater studies, practical expansion of research and coordinated explanation of real environmental issues for use by the commercial property appraiser.
State Farm Insurance Company (1995) - Asbestos expert for client negotiations.
Berger, Kahn, Shafton, Moss, Figler, Simon & Gladstone (1996/1997) - Asbestos expert witness.

Prestholt, Kleeger, Fidone & Villasenor (1996) - Asbestos expert witness.


S&S Commercial Environmental Services (1997 - Present) - Phase I Site Assessments and Miscellaneous Independent Project Management and General Engineering Contractor for soil and groundwater sampling and remediation leading to site closure letter from County and City Fire Departments, Health Departments and CA Regional Water Boards ranging from thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Oil Well Re-abandonment.


Bank of America - Related - Phase I Environmental Assessments in Southern California.


Wells Fargo Bank - Phase I Environmental Assessments and Asbestos Inspections in California for Standard and SBA backed RE property loans.


CHASE Bank - Phase I Site Assessments


First Foundation Bank - Phase I Environmental Site Assessments & Phase I Reviews, Phase II Site Investigations. California and Nevada


Standard Life Insurance Company - Phase I Site Assessments


Metropolitan Life Insurance Company - Phase I Sire Assessments


Textron Financial - Heritage Golf Group - 127 Acre Golf Course Santa Clarita - Phase I


Miscellaneous Independent Cost Estimation for required remediation of contaminated sites with commercial and industrial property appraisers.


EDUCATION


B.S. Urban Environmental Management; Cal State University Dominguez Hills
J.D. Candidate Classes in Torts, Contracts, Criminal Law, Legal Writing; Western State
University, Southern California College of Law
Major Emphasis - Tort Theory and the implications to modern environmental contamination and
clean-up problems.
“Low-Risk Closure Guidelines” - California Regional Water Quality Board - Los Angeles
Region Seminar June 1996.
Miscellaneous Classes provided by State Agencies and job site discussion regarding water quality
standards and remediation.
California Storm Water Association (CASQA - Member and participation as a vendor
representing OSORB as Absorb Concentrate & Eliminate (AC&E San Diego August 2012.
Member and participation as a vendor representing ASRE (Advanced Stormwater Recovery &
Engineering Garden Grove September 2014.


LICENSES


California A General Engineering Contractor, Hazardous Materials Certified
California B General Building Contractor
California C-2 Contractors License, Asbestos Certified
California C-57 Water Well Driller
California Real Estate Broker
CA Life & Health Agent (former)

 

Current & Former
CERTIFICATIONS


Certified Asbestos Consultant (CAC, State of California)
EPA/AHERA Competent Person, Supervisor/ Management Planner/Project Designer
Hazwhopper 48 Hour OSHA Certified Field Supervisor
Certified Professional Estimator (CPE) Lead Abatement Supervisor

 

REGISTRATIONS


Registered Environmental Assessor (REA)
Registered Property Manager (RPM)


AFFILIATIONS


American Society of Professional Estimators (ASPE)
California Society of Real Estate Appraisers (CSOREA)
American Institute of Plant Engineers (AIPE)
California Society of Hospital Engineers (CSHE)
National Society of Power Engineers (NSPE)
Kiwanis International, Greater Anaheim, CA (KIWANIS)


PUBLICATIONS


Industrial Real Estate Association Fall 1997 Newsletter, “The Environmental Report, To
Close or Not To Close”, 1997
Home Trader Publications, Copyright 1994 - Residential properties for sale or trade. American
Numerous articles on asbestos in "Asbestos Issues", a nationally published magazine, and
the "Los Angeles BOMA" magazine.


SEMINAR SPEAKER


IRS (Internal Revenue Service), "Discounted Value of Asbestos and Environmentally Affected
Property"
CATL (CA Assoc of Thrift and Loans), "The Affect of Asbestos and Environmental Discounts
on Loans"
American Society of Professional Estimators - "The Design and Estimate of an Asbestos
Abatement Project"
Los Angeles Board of Realtors, "Asbestos in Homes and Property"
(AIPE) American Institute of Plant Engineers, "Asbestos, History, and Challenges"
(CSHE) California Society of Hospital Engineers, "Asbestos, History, and Challenges"
(SCACEO)Southern California Association of Code Enforcement Officials "Single Room
Occupancy Hotels, History, and Modern Operations"


TRAINING CLASSES PRESENTED


8-hour Asbestos Awareness Class presented to:
* City of LA Fire Safety Inspectors
* Zurn Cosco Supervisors and Workers
* Grinnell Fire Protection Supervisors and Workers


EDUCATION VIDEOS


Installation of Fire Sprinkler Hangers within asbestos affected environments, 1986
SROs, The Myth, and Reality, 1991


DEVELOPMENT DESIGN


General Partner - 210-unit Single Room Occupancy (SRO residential project in Anaheim, CA.
General Partner - 55-unit Single Room Occupancy (SRO residential project in Santa Ana, CA.


EMPLOYMENT HISTORY AND OWNERSHIP


S & S Commercial Environmental Services, Inc., ASRE, Inc. AC&E, Inc., Enviroprop, Home
Trader Realty, Inc., Equity Funding Mortgage, NATEC International, Inc., McClelland
Management Services, National Abatement Corporation, Med-Tox Consultants, Pacific
Abatement Group, Asbestos

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