The words themselves sound alarming. Simply stated, an environmental hazard is a condition in the ground beneath or around a property that can impact the health of the family who lives there. Unlike natural hazards, such as mud slides, earthquakes and fissures in the soil, environmental hazards are man made.

There is a lot to be said for having the peace of mind that comes with knowing a property is free from any potential environmental hazards. A check for such hazards protects your family’s health, as well as your investment. As a result, today there is a growing demand by consumers for more in-depth information about environmental conditions in and around a home.

Get an Environmental Report
Developed exclusively for home buyers and sellers, the EDR Neighborhood Environmental Report™ identifies potential environmental risks such as leaking underground tanks, landfills and toxic waste sites on or near a property that may threaten a family’s health or the value of their investment. It is generated from the largest collection of local, state and federal hazard records in the U.S. by the country’s most trusted source of environmental risk information.

The EDR Report is delivered in an accurate, comprehensive, easy to understand summary and is available to home buyers, home sellers, and homeowners through Pinnacle Home Inspections, LLC

The numbers
The most recent federal and state statistics have identified more than 75,000 hazardous waste sites throughout the United States.

Statistics show 551,368 identified leaking underground storage tanks and more than 1,000,000 specific locations at which discharges of hazardous substances have been reported.

What you might find.
Contaminants from current or former industrial activity and landfills, or oil from leaking underground storage tanks can seep into soil and groundwater and cause problems for nearby homeowners.
Often, housing developments are built on land that was once used for other industrial or agricultural purposes. It’s important to take steps to avoid the risks associated with you, your children, and your pets breathing in dust and vapors as well as playing and digging in dirt that can hold contaminants for years.

Even beyond your own yard, there can be potential dangers –in nearby areas that once may have been used for military or industrial purposes and still hold toxins that may make it unsafe for children to play. Sometimes chemicals in the ground can travel through the soil as a vapor, contaminating indoor air.

Besides compromising your health, unchecked environmental hazards can drive down property values and stigmatize neighborhoods, especially if stories make headlines in the local news. In extreme cases, home buyers may even be responsible for the cleanup which can cost thousands of dollars.

What about when you’re selling a home?
A home with a “clean” record is a valuable selling feature, particularly in a slower market. Providing environmental information with the details of your home can add value when you have your next open house.

Interested home buyers will take notice that your home has been checked for potential risks and having this information available to them could provide an edge over other properties they are considering that may not have this information.

Even if an issue is present, in most cases, it is easily solvable. And, buyers will appreciate having the information necessary to take the appropriate steps to protect their family ahead of time.
In addition, providing an environmental report on your home and disclosing any issues upfront could also afford you some liability protection should a problem arise after the sale is completed.

Will a report stop you from buying your dream home?
The good news is that in the majority of cases, the property and neighborhood around it is clean. When an issue of concern is revealed, frequently it requires something as simple as installing a water filter or a ventilation system in your basement. Your local EDR-certified home inspector is trained to carefully walk you through the report’s findings and direct you to whatever resources you may need.

The choice is yours.
Environmental hazards can affect your health and lower the value of your home. Protect your family and investment with an EDR Environmental Neighborhood Report.

Download a Sample EDR Report