How often have we seen in the news where unsuspecting property buyers purchase a house only to find that it's sitting on top of toxic waste or there are toxic waste sources close by. If you're on the hunt to buy a house, it's certainly worth your while investigating this aspect thoroughly.

I just received an email from Vanessa Pantano of Environmental Data Resources Inc., about an interesting tool they've launched to assist home buyers with screening for such issues.

The EDR GreenScreener identifies five types of environmental concerns that may exist in the area around a property. Records of these issues are searched within 1/3 of a mile from the property, but leaking storage tanks are searched to within five hundred feet. The EDR GreenScreener reviews only active environmental concerns as defined by governmental agency records.

The tool searches on:

Leaking Storage Tanks
EPA Superfund Sites
EPA Proposed Superfund Sites
State Hazardous Waste Sites (Where Available)
Clandestine Drug Lab Sites

The EDR GreenScreener is free to use but the company also offers a more detailed premium reporting service. EDR is a provider of environmental risk information services in the United States, providing reports to help its customers assess and manage environmental risk.