[CPEO-MEF] Worries of declining property values amid contamination

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Please note that there are two articles in this posting.
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California
Homeowners: Water worries hurt values
SOUTH SANTA CLARA COUNTY RESIDENTS FILE LAWSUITS, SEEK PROPERTY TAX
RELIEF
By Daniel Vasquez
Mercury News

A growing number of families living on the rural edges of Silicon Valley
believe fears swirling around perchlorate contamination in water wells
are slowly poisoning the local real estate market.

``A person's property is their life savings, and I feel like mine has
just been flushed down the toilet,'' said Pat Ashworth of San Martin.

Ashworth uses about 50 five-gallon bottles of water a week to nourish
her four Connemara mares and their babies. She fears the water from her
well, so her husband, daughter and animals aren't allowed a drop of it.

No one knows whether the plume of perchlorate found in southern Santa
Clara County will ever cause harm to residents, but many say the health
questions alone will stop people from buying homes there.

This article can be viewed at:
http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/2003/05/15/business/5866217.htm

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Toxin, property values worry homeowners
By Joshua L. Kwan
Mercury News

Mountain View homeowners living on or near land contaminated with the
industrial solvent TCE are worried the toxin could not only harm their
health, but the value of their homes and property as well.

Some are concerned that the mere word ``toxin'' may be enough to spook
prospective buyers. Others fret that the unwanted media attention about
trichloroethylene -- a once-ubiquitous solvent used in cleaning
microchips and machinery -- may erode the reputation of their well-kept
neighborhoods.

Bruce England, a resident of the Whisman Park neighborhood, said many
homeowners appreciate the role the Environmental Protection Agency is
taking to guard their health by regulating the polluters. They're
relieved that TCE poses no immediate dangers; and long-term risks for
neurological disorders, kidney and liver cancer are relatively small.

But the spotlight on the problem comes with an unsolicited publicity
that may tarnish their neighborhoods, England said.

``I wish we didn't have to worry about this part of it,'' said England.
``I'd like to just deal with the cleanup and deal with the process
openly without worrying about home values.''

This article can be viewed at:
http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/news/5875133.htm

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