Water Contamination, Land Pollution & Hazardous Waste Material are issues families all across America are afflicted with daily.
Their property values are being lowered by 25% because of the chromium problem.
13 people filed appeals with the Midland Central Appraisal District to get those values reduced after a round of tests showed the dangerous chemical at more than 50 times the acceptable federal level.
Known as some of the most hazardous and dangerous waste sites in the United States, I�ve known people who didn't buy homes near them, fearful that toxic substances could be leaking into the nearby air or water to harm them. Think Civil Action.
So you�d probably think that if a Superfund site got cleaned up, housing prices would rise accordingly.
The reason, she believes, is the soil contaminated with byproducts from gasoline production discovered last fall in the neighborhood. Even though no chemicals were found on her property, the discovery has tarred the entire area, prompting potential purchasers to look elsewhere in what has become a buyers' market, she said.
"I truly believe it is the soil contamination," she said, adding her real estate agent cited that as one reason it was taking so long to sell.
Still, the proximity to a potentially major environmental problem was enough to further dissuade already jittery lenders and would-be buyers from consummating any deal for the property in a declining market.
"I've had seven offers in the past three months and they've fallen out of escrow because of this one thing," said Cynthia Kortcamp, the Re/Max Beach Cities agent with the listing.
"This property should have been sold, but it's not sold because of the issues, so poor Julie reduces, reduces, reduces," she added. "We're down to $386,000. - You cannot buy a property on a lot anywhere in Torrance for this price. It's just frustrating. I told Julie I want to take my (for sale) sign off (the property). There's pretty much nothing I can do."
"This is a nightmare," she said. "It's a tragedy for everybody on that street. I'm lucky. I have another place to live. Those people don't."
The homeowners, who live in the 39-home Country Club Woods subdivision, said they are worried that the state plan would cost more than they can afford. They also said that before paying for any cleanup, they would like to consider suing the county or city, two agencies that used the dump when it operated between 1949 and 1953.
County Supervisor Lou Calcagno said he has appointments next week with property owners or their attorneys who want more information about the zones, which they say will reduce their property values and limit their land use.
