Residential Real Estate Environmental Hazards in Community

Nationwide Program – The Keystone Clean Water Team is in pre-launch for a new USA program to help homeowners.  The program helps you to identify the existing and historic environmental hazards in your community.   We are working with a national environmental database search company to offer a report to help you understand your home’s or your future homes environmental health status within a community.  We are doing this by taking a snapshot of the current and historic environmental concerns and hazards in the community and a review of select criminal activity.

The program, Neighborhood Environmental Report™, offers a search of over 1,400 databases and millions of records of potential land and groundwater contamination within 1 mile radius of the entered address.  The report  includes a search for concerns that might be dangerous to a homeowner’s family or investment such as nearby leaking underground oil tanks, leaky underground fuel tanks (LUSTs), leaky above ground tanks (LASTs),  CDC Health Assessment Database,  landfills, hazardous waste sites, DOD facilities, gas and radiological sources, National Wetland Mapping, Flooding mapping data, drug houses, and clandestine drug labs.

Some of the most toxic and/or costly hazards exists outside of your home.  These contaminants can enter your home through direct human or animal contract or vapor intrusion into your home through the air, soil, or groundwater.  These hazards pose a threat to you and your family’s health and the value of your property.    Every report includes detailed information about what has been searched and identified as well as contact information for all governmental and private organizations cited in the databases.

The benefits of this report:
1. Help existing homeowners understand the hazards in their communities.
2. Aid future homeowners quickly learn about the historic hazards and concerns to conduct prior water quality, soils, or environmental testing and get the proper inspections.
3. Aid real estate professionals, investors, and appraisers evaluate the value of a home or residential property.
4. If you are selling your home, what a great way to introduce your home and surrounding community to any potential buyers, and as a home buyer, the Neighborhood Environmental Report helps provide peace of mind for you and your family.
5. For environmental groups, this is a great way to educate and inform your community about existing environmental hazards, develop local targeted sub-watershed monitoring programs, and educate children about their communities.  In some cases a larger search area is needed.
6. Home inspectors, environmental laboratories, and other may find the reports useful, but in many cases some additional review or interpretation will be needed to select the appropriate testing parameters, inspections, and monitoring.

Learn More about this Nationwide Program to Help Educate the Community.

USDA ESTABLISHES TIPLINE FOR SUSPICIOUS GAS DRILLING ACTIVITIES

USDA ESTABLISHES TIPLINE FOR SUSPICIOUS GAS DRILLING ACTIVITIES
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has created an “Eyes on Drilling” tipline for citizens to report non-emergency, suspicious activity related to oil and natural gas development. EPA is asking citizens to call 1-877-919-4EPA (toll free) if they observe what appears to be illegal disposal of wastes or other suspicious activity. Report also may be sent by email to eyesondrilling@epa.gov. Citizens may provide tips anonymously if they don’t want to identify themselves. In case of an emergency, such as a spill or release of hazardous material, including oil, to the environment, citizens are advised to call the National Response Center at 1-800-424-8802. According to the EPA, public concern about the environmental impacts of oil and natural gas drilling has increased in recent months, particularly regarding development of the Marcellus Shale formation where a significant amount of activity is occurring. While EPA doesn’t grant permits for oil and gas drilling operations, there are EPA regulations that may apply to the storage of petroleum products and drilling fluids. The agency is also very concerned about the proper disposal of waste products, and protecting air and water resources. EPA is asking citizens to report the location, time and date of such activity, as well as the materials, equipment and vehicles involved and any observable environmental impacts. Instructions for the tipline are at: http://www.epa.gov/region03/marcellus_shale/tipline.html.