SU0008956_SSCRPT - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

4.0 SITE INSPECTION Live Oak inspected the site on December 6, 2010. Photographs of the Site are attached to this report as Appendix 2. The Site is an almond and persimmon orchard. Two residences, a garage, a small studio or bunk house, a barn, and a pump house are located on the northern side of the Site. The domestic water well is located to the south of the pump house. One approximately 500-gallon above-ground storage tank was observed on the south side of the barn. A partially-burned brick and wood packing shed is located to the east of the other structures. Miscellaneous unburned debris was observed in wooden produce bins inside the burned structure, among the debris were several agricultural chemical containers which appeared to be empty. Several broken lawnmowers and other debris were observed in and around the burned building. A brush pile was observed to the east of the burned building. An irrigation well with a water connection for mixing chemicals was observed along the southern side of the Site. Three pole-mounted transformers were located near the well; they were labeled with blue stickers indicating they are free of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). A fourth transformer was located near the residential area; no blue sticker was observed on this transformer. The adjacent land consists of orchards, vineyard, open land, and rural residences. Railroad tracks run along Highway 120 to the immediate north of the Site. To the north of the Site, across Highway 120, is a church with a cemetery. 5.0 INTERVIEWS 5.1 Interview with Property Owners Dave Van Elderen was interviewed by telephone on November 27, 2010. He indicated that he and his brother Dan have owned the Site for 13 to 14 years. During that time, it has been an orchard with 55 acres of almonds and five acres of persimmons. He did not know about any prior uses for the Site. Mr. Van Elderen indicated that there are two houses on the Site; one is occupied by the farm foreman and the other by a renter. There is also an old bunk house on the Site, he said. He stated that an above-ground storage tank is located on the Site; he has never used it. He was not aware of any fires on the Site and indicated the shed must have burned before he took ownership. Agricultural chemicals are mixed near the irrigation well as well as near one residence, he said. Mr. Van Elderen was not aware of any additional fuel tanks, dumping, or other environmental issues on or adjacent to the Site. LOGE1028 Page 3