With the recent oil spill running through Red Butte Creek and our neighborhood, I won’t re-hash the latest news of the event, you can find info here and pictures here. I want to focus on an issue some have not addressed yet. What do you do if you are a homeowner, and your property abuts the creek? See map of affected properties.
Property Along Red Butte Creek
The first thing to do is to contact Chevron to have the affected areas abutting the creek cleaned up as soon as possible, DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DO THIS YOURSELF!! Oil is a hazardous and toxic substance and can negatively affect your health!
The second thing to do is to make sure your property is clean! I would negotiate with Chevron to have my property tested and deemed cleaned with a Phase II Environmental Site Assessment, once clean-up crews have finished. Your home could now have a environmental stigma attached to it, and this issue will most likely need to be disclosed to a potential buyer if and when you ever decide to sell. If you have this assessment, and it is clean, it will help in your negotiations.
Lastly, before signing any documents from Chevron or Salt Lake City, contact an attorney and environmental engineer to make sure you look at the long term consequences of this spill on your property’s value, and make sure you are compensated appropriately.
These are my opinions only, i am NOT an expert in environmental issues, oil spills, legal issues or property boundaries. Just because your property is located next to the creek, does not mean it is contaminated. Any links associated with this article are for informational purposes, I am not endorsing any company or the accuracy of the information contained therein. Do your own due diligence as it pertains to this indecent.
Tags: environmental stigma, phase ii, red butte creek, Yalecrest
