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An important concern associated with the environmental assessment of agricultural properties is the issue of buried pesticide containers. It was an occasional practice to dispose of containers by this method many years ago. To detect these types of underground artifacts is difficult even with the use of ground penetrating radar or other types of non-intrusive, subsurface analyses. The land surface did not exhibit visual indicators for buried containers such as surfacing of product residue, soil mounding or soil depressions. In addition, 84 acres of the site was recently deep- ripped to six feet. Normally, this procedure would uncover buried artifacts. The static groundwater is found approximately 60 feet under the property. This is considered a comparatively deep groundwater elevation. Deep groundwater is not as easily impacted from pesticides or nitrogen in the form of nitrates. The groundwater directional flow is probably towards the northeast. The on-site soils consist of a medium clay content sandy loam soil which can attenuate agrichemical contamination in comparison to a sandy soil. To evaluate agrichemical residues as a nonpoint source of potential contamination, pesticide records from the previous two years were obtained. The science of pesticide residues in soil, air, surface water and groundwater is extremely complex and variable. Environmental models which attempt to predict pesticide behavior and transport in the environment are beyond the scope of this investigation. It has been clearly evident over the last four decades that the riskibenefit ratio regarding pesticides has been overwhelming benefit and comparatively low risk to the United States population, as a whole. Environmental fate data for the following pesticides which were applied to the subject property was obtained from the Illustrated Handbook of Physical-Chemical Properties and Environmental Fate for Organic Pesticide Chemicals: Imidan. Common name: Phosmet. Half-lives in the environment: Surface water: 33 days (d). Soil: field half-life of 10 d. Phytolysis half-life 53.25 hrs. Glyphos. Half-lives in the environment: Air: 0.469-4.69 hrs. Surface water: 70 d. Soil: <28 d. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS From visual observations,there is no surface contamination. The probability of subsurface contamination from pesticides can be considered low, considering the environmental fate data and soil type. Groundwater testing for nitrate and DBCP will be performed next month to complete the requirements of the Soil Suitability Study. Therefore, at this point in time, no corrective action is required within the boundaries of the subject property. 4 `vaffey Jg Prsearch