DDT and DDE found in soil after purchasing home

What is the name of your state? Arizona
My mother-in-law bought a house that was built in the early 70's. The home was owned by a retired farmer. The owner relocated to Minnesota. After moving in, my mother-in-law was removing some plywood from the back corner of the lot that had black, plastic sheeting underneath it. There was a strong chemical smell. She had the soil analyzed and found it contained DDT, DDE, and Toxaphene. We assume that the previous owner had dumped the chemicals there after their use was banned in the 1970's. There was no disclosure of this by the owner. He was also the only owner of the property, so it couldn't have been a previous owner to him. Shouldn't he be responsible for the cleanup and disposal of the contaminated soil? Also, should the EPA or another federal agency be involved.

[HomeGuru]

Originally Posted by kevinw

What is the name of your state? Arizona
My mother-in-law bought a house that was built in the early 70's. The home was owned by a retired farmer. The owner relocated to Minnesota. After moving in, my mother-in-law was removing some plywood from the back corner of the lot that had black, plastic sheeting underneath it. There was a strong chemical smell. She had the soil analyzed and found it contained DDT, DDE, and Toxaphene. We assume that the previous owner had dumped the chemicals there after their use was banned in the 1970's. There was no disclosure of this by the owner. He was also the only owner of the property, so it couldn't have been a previous owner to him. Shouldn't he be responsible for the cleanup and disposal of the contaminated soil?

**A: yes, but the sol has long expired.
****

Also, should the EPA or another federal agency be involved.

**A: yes, so have her contact them.

What do you mean by "the sol has expired"?

[HomeGuru]

Originally Posted by kevinw

What do you mean by "the sol has expired"?

**A: you are SOL.

After I sent the last reply, I realized what SOL was. However, I wasn't too clear in my original message as to when my mother-in-law bought the property. She bought the property 2 months ago, not in the 70's. It seems that the previous owner deliberately hid the fact that he dumped the chemicals and covered the area with plastic, plywood, and rocks. Isn't this a failure to disclose?

[HomeGuru]

Originally Posted by kevinw

After I sent the last reply, I realized what SOL was. However, I wasn't too clear in my original message as to when my mother-in-law bought the property. She bought the property 2 months ago, not in the 70's. It seems that the previous owner deliberately hid the fact that he dumped the chemicals and covered the area with plastic, plywood, and rocks. Isn't this a failure to disclose?

**A: you are correct as I misread your post. The Seller is guilty.