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Arsenic in the Soil from Pressure Treated Wood

allen griggs
Twenty years ago my Mom had a house built. There were some leftover scraps of pressure treated wood and they were burned out in the yard.

In 2004 I learned that the PT wood of the old days contained arsenic.
So, now the house is up for sale, we had the spot tested where that wood got burned, and it is toxic for arsenic. After 20 years it is still toxic.

The size of this fire was maybe 8 feet across.

Can the dirt just be dug up and taken to a landfill?
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  • allen griggs
    I didn't explain it fully. Ten years ago, my Mom told me she was going to plant tomatoes in that spot where the wood was burned.
    See, it is a heavily wooded lot, lots of oak trees. The fire was made in the only little clearing, where the wood could be burned and not scorch a tree, or damage the house.

    So that little clearing was ideal for the garden.
    Except, I suspected that there was toxic arsenic in the dirt there.
    So, ten years ago, my brother went to that spot, took a soil sample, and sent it in to a lab. Came back 3 times the toxic level for arsenic. Mom did not grow a garden.

    That is why the soil got tested. And yes vegetables will absorb arsenic from the ground.
    My brother and I saved my Mom from getting poisoned by arsenic.

    Now, my Mom is getting real old etc, six months ago she moved out of the house to the other end of the state and my sister is taking care of her.

    So the house has to go. So, my brother didn't want to sell the house to someone who might grow a vegetable garden on that same spot, it is still the only spot on the 3 acres to make a garden.

    So, 2 months ago, my brother took a soil sample from the same spot and sent it off to the lab. Came back 3 times the toxic amount of arsenic. Arsenic level didn't change in 10 years.

    And the neighbor is interested in buying the house.
    Problem is, lawyer brother told the neighbor about the arsenic.
    Neighbor says it doesn't bother him.

    Problem is, he gave us a ridiculous lowball offer about 40 percent below fair market value.

    " If someone other than the interested neighbor buys it now you can bet your ass at some point the neighbor will spill the beans to them and if even cleaned up the 2 of you will forever have a target pinned on yourselves."

    Junkballer you hit the nail on the head.
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  • allen griggs
    Junkballer you deleted your post. You shouldn't have done that your post was accurate.
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  • yoshmyster
    Full disclosure and tell the new owners to play dumb and get pissed after the neighbor "spills the beans".

    Arsenic being a heavy metal it's not going to go away on it's own. You just got to dig and haul it away. Or like it's been mentioned put a slab over it. Better yet a pit big enough to do a whole hog.
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