Why check homes, businesses and properties for toxic pollution threats?

Toxic pollutants can drastically reduce property values and restrict property use. Unsuspecting purchasers of contaminated property can be held financially liable for hidden problems caused by previous owners. Cleaning up pollution hazards is often expensive, technically difficult and time-consuming. Living on or near a contaminated site can endanger your health.

How can I protect my property investment?

As a good first step, you can inspect and investigate any property you plan to own or operate for on-site hazards as well as threats posed by nearby toxic sites. Toxics Targeting provides a service that compiles government data for up to 19 toxic site categories on as well as around any address in New York or New Jersey. The identified sites are mapped and profiled in a report that helps real estate buyers conduct due diligence or Phase I environmental site assessments that fulfill "all appropriate inquiry" guidelines regarding clean up liability.

Where does Toxics Targeting get its information?

We compile in-depth data from local, state and federal government sources for nearly 1,000,000 known or potential toxic sites across New York and New Jersey. We map toxic sites using government "street databases" developed for census studies.

What are toxic pollutants?

Common pollutants include industrial wastes, gasoline, fuel oil, chlorinated solvents, pesticides, lead, mercury and other heavy metals. Many toxics resist natural degradation and spread through air, soil, rivers, streams and groundwater. Solvents and a gasoline additive called MTBE (methyl tertiary butyl ether) produce soil gas vapors that can intrude into homes and buildings. Touching, breathing or consuming toxics in water can cause health hazards, including cancer, birth defects, nerve damage and chronic ailments, even at low-level exposures.

Are environmental hazards common?

Toxic sites are widespread in most communities even though the majority of properties are not heavily polluted. Leaking petroleum tanks and spills are typically the single most widespread threat. Abandoned landfills or waste dumps often contaminate large areas. Across New York and New Jersey, known hazards in thousands of communities have polluted homes, businesses, schools, water supplies, churches, wetlands, waterways, parks and critical environmental areas. Many identified hazards continue to exceed clean up standards decades after being reported.

Can I see pollution problems?

You can often observe oil sheens, rusted 55-gallon drums, petroleum-contaminated dirt, warning signs and monitoring wells, but pollution hazards can be underground or otherwise invisible to the naked eye. Many toxic sites are occupied by active businesses, notably gas stations and factories. If you see or smell obvious chemical hazards, avoid exposure and call the NYS Spill Hotline: 1-800-457-7362 or the National Response Center: 1-800-424-8802.

What is a Phase I environmental site assessment?

Lenders often require a Phase I before granting mortgage loans for commercial, industrial or multi-family properties. It usually includes an environmental database review as well as a visual inspection of the subject and adjoining properties by an engineer or environmental consultant. Toxics Targeting's reports have been used to conduct hundreds of thousands of Phase I's.

Who typically buys Toxics Targeting's Reports?

Homebuyers, developers, engineers, environmental consultants, businesses, home inspectors, concerned citizens, lenders, attorneys, appraisers, drinking water suppliers, government agencies, planners, schools, religious institutions and civic organizations.

What else can I do to avoid buying a contaminated property?

Residential property sellers in New York are required to report selected on-site environmental risks to buyers, but can avoid disclosure by reducing the asking price by $500.00 as provided by law. Click here for New York's Property Condition Disclosure Act form. You can insist on full disclosure of known toxic risks. You can also learn a property's history by questioning owners, realtors and neighbors or researching historic maps or photos.

Call 800-2-TOXICS (800-286-9427 NYS only) or 607-273-7464 for more info.