Sources as of November 10, 2026. This report is not updated after that date.
Two flex-industrial buildings
Illustrative property in the Midwest · 3.1 acres · built 1968 and 1994
The one thing to look into: the machine shop years, 1968 to 1989.
- Neighbors' recordsWatchDry cleaner in the state cleanup program, 0.2 mi northeast, uphill. Groundwater flows from it toward the site.
- This site's recordsWatchFormer machine shop, on site.
- FloodConcernBuilding A is outside the mapped flood areas. About a third of Building B is in Zone AE, the 1% annual-chance flood area.
- Not checked1 gapNo city directory listings for 1989 to 1994. A gap is never a clean result.
What matters here
Worth a Phase I, with two things to price in. Building B sits partly in the 1% annual-chance flood area, so a lender will require flood insurance on it. The site was a machine shop from about 1968 to 1989, and a dry cleaner 0.2 miles uphill is still an open state cleanup case.
The machine shop years, 1968 to 1989
This property, behind Building A
City directories list a machine shop here from 1970 to 1988. Aerial photos from 1974 and 1981 show drums along the back fence and a storage yard that later became Building B.
Machine shops used cutting oils and degreasers. No spill is on record, but none would be for those years.
Ask the Phase I to focus on the 1968 to 1989 machine shop and the old yard behind Building A.
The site from above, over time
The 1974 and 1981 photos show outdoor storage behind Building A. That is the area to ask about.
Photos aren't shown in this copy of the report yet. The photo reading above is still part of the findings.
- 1
1960. Open field.
- 2
1974. Building A is up, with drums along the back fence.
- 3
1981. The storage yard grows toward the creek.
- 4
1995. Building B is built over the old yard.
What this land and its neighbors were used for
Old fuel, repair and industrial uses are where contamination usually starts, on the site or next door. Here is each lot, oldest use first.
This site
- 1952 to 1966
- Farmland
- 1968 to 1989
- Machine shop (Building A)
- 1990 to 1993
- Vacant
- 1994 to today
- Warehouse and flex space (Buildings A and B)
Across the street, south
- 1961 to 2004
- Gas station
- 2006 to today
- Retail
Government records on and near the site
2 records are worth a closer look, and 1 more doesn't change the call. Groundwater likely flows from the northeast toward the property.
Former machine shop
WatchThis property · on site
On the site
Past industrial use with drums and outdoor storage. Nothing is on record, which is normal for those years.
Record numbers
City directories 1970 to 1988; aerial photos 1974, 1981
Dry cleaner in the state cleanup program
Watch0.2 mi northeast · 0.2 mi northeast, uphill
Groundwater flows from it toward the site
Open since 2015 with solvent in the soil. Ask whether vapor has been tested at the property line.
Record numbers
State dry cleaner remediation program
1 record that doesn't change the call
Former gas station, leaking tank
Not a concern0.1 mi south · 0.1 mi south, downhill
Groundwater flows away from it, not toward the site
Closed in 2009 with no further action, downhill and more than ten years old.
Record numbers
Leaking underground storage tank case, closed 2009
Flood zone and water on the lot
HighBuilding A is outside the mapped flood areas. About a third of Building B is in Zone AE, the 1% annual-chance flood area.
Building A (front)
FEMA zone X, minimal
100-year flood: not reached by the mapped flood
Building B (rear)
FEMA zone AE on about 35% of the footprint
100-year flood: about 1.5 ft at the back wall
Flood insurance
Zone AE on a mortgaged building means federally backed lenders require flood insurance on Building B. Ask the seller for an elevation certificate and any past flood claims.
What to do next
In order. Most of these need no permission from the seller; the ones that need someone on the site say so.
- 1
Order a Phase I
Needs site accessAsk it to focus on the 1968 to 1989 machine shop and the yard behind Building A.
- 2
Price flood insurance for Building B
Get a quote, and ask the seller for an elevation certificate and any past claims.
- 3
Ask about the dry cleaner
Has the cleanup reached the property line, and has anyone tested for vapor there?
What we couldn't check
A gap is never a clean result. These are the open questions, the ones that could change the call first.
No city directory listings for 1989 to 1994.
Why it matters: We can't say who used the buildings in those years.
How to close it: Ask the seller, or have the Phase I check older tenant records.
1 smaller gaps
- State tank records were offline when this ran.
Words in this report
- REC
- Recognized environmental condition: contamination, or a likely risk of it, on the property. The thing a Phase I is looking for.
- HREC / CREC
- A past release that was cleaned up. Historical (no limits on use) or controlled (cleaned up with limits, like no groundwater wells).
- LPST / LUST
- A leaking petroleum or underground storage tank case with the state.
- Upgradient
- Groundwater flows from that place toward the site, so a leak there can travel here.
- ug/L
- Micrograms per liter, a concentration in water. MTBE and benzene are fuel compounds.
- Zone X
- FEMA's area of minimal flood hazard. Lenders don't require flood insurance there.
Limitations of this report
This report is an automated desk screen. It is not a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment, does not follow ASTM E1527-21 or EPA's All Appropriate Inquiries rule (40 CFR Part 312), and does not qualify anyone for CERCLA landowner liability protections or meet any lender, SBA, agency or insurer requirement.
No one visited the property. There was no sampling or testing, no interviews with owners, occupants or officials, no user questionnaire, and no search of title, environmental liens or land use limitations. The report does not cover asbestos, lead paint, radon, mold, wetlands, building condition or anything not shown in the records searched.
Software, including AI models, found the records and wrote the findings. No environmental professional reviewed them before delivery. Public databases leave out many sites, can place sites in the wrong location, and can be out of date. The address and parcel shown may not match the property you meant, so check them.
Flood results come from FEMA maps and public data. They are not an official flood zone determination or elevation certificate, and do not say whether flood insurance is required. Areas outside a mapped flood zone can still flood.
Findings reflect the sources as they stood when the report ran, and we don't update it. A finding of no concern does not mean the property is free of contamination or flood risk.
This report is for the customer who ordered it and is not professional, legal, engineering or financial advice. No one else may rely on it. Use is subject to the Terms of Service, which limit our liability to the amount paid for this report.