When purchasing a piece of property, it is important to be aware of any environmental liabilities associated with it. For example, you should find out if there are any:
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Registered underground tanks within several miles of the property.
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Known contaminated properties in the neighborhood.
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Property owners who have been fined by the government for failing to meet environmental safety standards.
Before, it took a costly site investigation to acquire this type of information, but now there are online environmental databases available at a fraction of the cost. Anyone can access reports on otherwise hard to detect environmental issues.
Key Benefits of Online Databases
With these databases, it is possible to obtain a list of:
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Hazards near a property.
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Spills and violations attributed to businesses nearby.
Reputable Database Providers
Some reputable databases include:
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VISTA Information Systems: Located in San Diego, California, which allows you to register and search the data bank for free.
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E Data Resources: Located in Southport, Connecticut.
These services are all relatively inexpensive, but can provide you with priceless information that is useful before you make a purchase.
