Pesticides or Organics = Long term land value?

Organics are usually considered part of the resulting crops...not the value of the land itself.  But that might be changing.  In New Jersey, the residual pesticides in the soil of farmland is being looked at carefully for the implications on future residents.  Hmmm....

A New Jersey case raises questions about what restrictions should be placed on builders seeking to develop former farmland where pesticides were used.

Long-term exposure to the contaminants found in the soil, arsenic and dieldrin, can lead to skin, liver and pancreatic cancer, according to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's Web site. No illnesses have been reported among residents, but the uncertainty has altered daily routines.

NJ SUITS PUT FARMLAND DEVELOPMENT UNDER MICROSCOPE"

A tangle of New Jersey lawsuits raises issues about what restrictions
should be placed on builders seeking to develop farmland where
pesticides were formerly used. David Porter reports for the Associated
Press August 2, 2009.
 

Who, if anyone, was legally obligated to notify the homeowners is at the heart of the case, and the answer isn't readily apparent in existing state and federal environmental law.

New Jersey and other states have laws that require property owners to notify potential buyers if a property is near a former toxic waste site, for example, but those laws generally don't apply to farmland where pesticides were used.

Decontaminating soil isn't just about immediate food or crop production.  It also has long term land value implications, and risk management.  There are ways today to quickly decontaminate soils using new methods.  The solution is to decontaminate soil of toxic chemicals in a cost efficient way.  The value is immediate and long term.