Farmland environmental due diligence: what to check on rural acreage
Farms are big and mostly open, so findings tend to cluster around the barn, the fuel tank and the old dump.
Why farmland and rural acreage carry this risk
Working farms keep fuel tanks for equipment, mix and store pesticides near the barns, and often had an informal dump in a ravine or field corner.
Rural parcels can also carry oil and gas wells, old water wells and septic systems that were never mapped.
What usually turns up
Farm fuel tanks
Worth checkingMany farm tanks are exempt from federal registration, so they do not show up on tank lists. Aerials and a site visit find them.
Pesticide mixing and storage
Worth checkingSpills where chemicals were mixed and rinsed can leave a hot spot near the barn.
Oil and gas wells
Worth checkingPlugged and orphaned wells are common in producing states and limit building near them.
Flood zones along creeks
Usually minorBottomland is usually in a flood zone. It matters most if you plan to build.
What the pre-screen checks for a farmland
- Historical aerials to find the farmstead, tank pads, pits and dumps.
- State oil and gas well records where available.
- Water wells on record near the parcel.
- FEMA flood zones across the acreage.
Pre-screen a property before you spend on a Phase I
A desk review of one address: past uses from historical photos and maps, federal and state environmental records, and flood risk, ready usually within the hour. $100 for one report, or $100/month for 3.
Questions to ask the seller
- Where were fuel tanks kept, and are any buried?
- Where were pesticides mixed and stored?
- Any wells (water, oil or gas) on the property, active or plugged?
- Was there ever a dump or burn pile?
When to order a full Phase I
Order a full Phase I when you plan to develop or when a lender requires it. For land bought to keep farming, a clean pre-screen and a walk of the farmstead go a long way.