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Recommendation: Before buying property, conduct a thorough Records Search using the checklist below as a guide.
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Applies to: |
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| Some Things to Check: | Home- owners |
Small Business |
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| | Check Ecology Site Lists and Searchable Databases Hazardous Sites List (HSL) Confirmed & Suspected Contaminated Sites List (CSCS) Leaking Underground Storage Tank List (LUST) Facility/Site Database and/or Atlas EPA's National Priorities List & CERCLIS Database |
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| | Conduct Personal Interviews with... Current and former property owners (+operators +employees if small business) Regulatory Agency Employees Nearby Residents, Businesses |
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| | Review Records of local, state, and federal regulatory agencies EPA Ecology County Health Departments Local Planning Offices Check for: Environmental Permits Hazardous waste manifests, storage notices, waste generator reports Inspection Reports Spill Reports Violation notices, administrative orders, compliance schedules, enforcement actions Correspondence regarding the site / property Zoning, comprehensive plans Business Licenses |
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| | Review Other Public Records Local newspapers, clipping files County Auditor's Office Courts (Superior & District) Check: Title records Environmental liens Surrounding property owners & zoning Aerial photos Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps Polk City Directories Historical records, photos (e.g., archival records, business records, manuscripts, personal papers) Books on local history Periodicals / Journals on local history Historical Society records Historical Museum records Litigation regarding property owner |
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| | For commercial properties, Consider conducting a 'Phase I Site Assessment' (often done by a contractor) See: Selecting an Environmental Consulting Firm (.pdf) |
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Disclaimer: This ‘Guide’ is provided as a service to the public. The information provided herein is intended to be helpful, but it is not exhaustive and the user may need to obtain information from additional sources. Although the ‘Guide’ has undergone review to ensure the quality of the information provided, there is no assurance that it is free from errors. This ‘Guide’ cannot be relied upon to create rights, substantive or procedural, enforceable by any party in litigation with the State of Washington.
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
