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Environmental Risks: How to Dial them In

Published January 7, 2025

Evaluating Real Estate: Environmental Considerations

When it comes to finding the perfect property, many buyers focus on details like location, price, square footage, power requirements, and parking spaces. However, one crucial factor that often gets overlooked is the property’s environmental context. If you’re new to this process, here’s a brief, pragmatic guide. It will help you minimize potential environmental risks.

Step 1: Understand Your Environmental Goals

From an environmental perspective, most buyers aim to avoid complications and reduce exposure to hazardous or toxic substances. For instance, you’ll want to steer clear of properties that might have issues with air emissions, contaminated waste streams, or hazardous chemicals—unless you’re specifically seeking a site for a manufacturing facility that requires use of such materials. In those cases, strict safety protocols and public chemical safety lists are essential resources to consult.

Step 2: Leverage Publicly Available Environmental Data

Start your research by reviewing publicly available environmental data. These substantial resources can provide valuable insights into potential risks or issues associated with a property:

• State Environmental Databases: Most states (except Nebraska and New Mexico) offer online access to environmental site related databases. For example, in California, tools like Envirostor and Geotracker can help you gather detailed information on specific addresses. These tools compile data from multiple sources, offering a comprehensive view of potential environmental concerns.
• Historic Aerial Imagery: Tools like Google Earth Pro allow you to explore historical aerial photographs of a site. These images can reveal signs of past spills, land use changes over time, or other environmental impacts that might not be evident today by visiting the site. For more guidance on this, check out my YouTube video titled “A Useful Tool – Explained”

Pro Tip: If you’re unsure where to find these resources, email me. I’ll send you a spreadsheet of links to state-specific online environmental data sources.

Once you get serious, an Environmental Phase 1 report is an essential tool to ferret out past site uses and current regulatory liabilities.

Step 3: Inspect Neighboring Properties

After reviewing the data for your target property, take the time to investigate neighboring properties — especially those sharing a common border. Walk around the site perimeter to observe the surroundings. What’s nearby? Are there any telltale signs of pollution or activities that could pose a risk? Neighboring properties could range from benign parks to problematic industrial sites.

Final Thoughts

Evaluating a property’s environmental context is an essential step in the real estate process. By utilizing free resources like the state databases, Google Earth Pro and conducting a thorough review of both the property and its surroundings, you will identify potential risks and make informed decisions. Remember, due diligence today can save you from costly issues tomorrow.

Thanks for reading, and we’ll talk again soon!