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The farming and dairy operations are conducted by Mr. Van Vuren. Since the dairy is <br /> completely organic,there have been no a ichemical ap6 lice ations for the.past ten ears., Any <br /> nearby agrichemical mixing and application must be done very carefully so that the Van Vuren <br /> property is not impacted. Therefore, assurance is made that material applied nearby has been <br /> done correctly and accurately to its intended target without drift, <br /> The subject property was surveyed for evidence which is indicative of surface and/or subsurface <br /> contamination: There is one transformer on the subject property that is relatively new and <br /> exhibited no evidence of leakage. Evidence of typical solid waste disposal at the actual dairy site - <br /> included old cars, containers, metal and other objects. <br /> The site was inspected for environmental concerns originating from discolored, <br /> disturbed/subsided soils, stressed vegetation or unusual/noxious odors. None of these <br /> environmental indicators were observed, however, the acreage is currently in oats and difficult to <br /> observe. Obviously, no hazaxdous..materials or agrichemicals are stored on-site in the barn. <br /> An important concern associated with the environmental assessment of agricultural properties is <br /> the issue of buried pesticide containers or discarded items. It was an occasional practice to <br /> dispose of containers by this method many years ago. To detect these types of underground <br /> artifacts is difficult even with the use of ground penetrating radar or other types of non-intrusive, <br /> subsurface analyses. It is usually only after a contaminant plume has impacted a domestic well <br /> 71 <br /> that buried pesticide containers are usually discovered. Due to the underlying hardpan layer, it is <br /> highly unlikely this practice occurred in this locale. <br /> The static groundwater table is found approximately 100 feet under the property as illustrated on <br /> the attached Lines of Equal Depth to Groundwater Map published by the Flood Control District. <br /> This is considered a deep groundwater elevation. Impact from nitrate to comparatively deep <br /> groundwater may not be as significant as with shallow groundwater. This is particularly true if <br /> there are intervening layers of clay down to the static water table, thereby attenuating adverse - <br /> constituents. The soil profile to the depth of groundwater is assumed to consist of heavier soils <br /> of clay and silt. The referenced hardpan layer can also have an attenuating effect on the <br /> downward migration of nitrates. Groundwater directional flow appears to be toward the <br /> northwest toward a zone of recharge, as denoted on the attached Lines of Equal Elevation <br /> Groundwater map. -- <br /> Although the subject property has been in agricultural production for five decades, there was no <br /> evaluation of environmental fate data for agrichemical residues as a nonpoint source of potential <br /> contamination since none have been applied for the past 10 years. In addition, it is highly <br /> >.� unlikely there has been agrichemical drift which may have impacted the subject property. The <br /> - science of pesticide residues in soil, air, surface water and groundwater is extremely complex and <br /> variable. Environmental models which attempt to predict pesticide behavior and transport in the <br /> environment are beyond the scope of this investigation. <br /> vaffey Ag Research <br />