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I have an assignment to value agricultural land that was used for cattle dipping vat purposes between about 1920 and about 1970. The USDA required the construction of dipping vats and the use of an Arsenic solution to rid the cattle industry of the Texas Fever Tick.

If you have any information about the impact of former cattle dipping vats on agricultural land I would like to visit with you about this subject.

Thank you in advance.

Gene Cope

The concern would be whether soil or groundwater was impacted by the use of the vats and their contents. The dipping solution contains a small percentage of arsenic. The relevant questions are: 1) Did the concrete vats leak?, and 2) How were the contents of the dipping solution disposed when the liquid was replaced?

Arsenic is regulated in drinking water and many states have established cleanup levels for soil. The applicable standards often are determined by the intended land use and exposure scenarios.

I live in an area and have had experience with former orchard properties contaminated with arsenic...it was used in pesticides...There are many properties that were developed prior to understanding the severity of the problem. Now it is common in both residential and commercial development to search use records of property and if it was determined there was orchard use ground testing samples are done. The samples will be taken deaper in areas where contamination is found. Depending on the levels, redevelopment is greatly effected. In some cases ground water is effected..depending on the levels it may pass as acceptable and I believe that is dependent on the properties intended use. I also can be capped, by parking areas, I am familiar with a site that walmart is developing and is permitted to cap. In your case the use my be less spread out over the property.