GEOLOGIC, HYDROLOGIC AND PEDOLOGIC FACTORS IN DUE DILIGENCE FOR VIRGINIA RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY DISCLOSURE ACT, PROPOSED STORMWATER MANUAL REVISIONS AND LOCAL ZONING

Property transfers often require due diligence investigations, required notifications or disclosures which directly relate to geologic, hydrologic and pedologic factors as well as potential flooding and other factors. Factors include mapped geology, soils, wetlands, radon potential, flood prone or flood hazard areas. The Virginia Residential Property Disclosure Act “required disclosures for buyer to beware; buyer to exercise due diligence” specifically cites 1) conveyances of mineral rights, 2) resource protection areas (RPAs) of the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act, 3) dam break inundation zones, 4) special flood hazard zones, 5) deposits of marine clays (marumsco soils), 6) radon zones. Within the Richmond Regional Planning District 15, composed of the City of Richmond and seven surrounding counties, disclosures include knowledge of prior mining operations, abandoned mines, shafts or pits. Proposed revisions to the Virginia Stormwater Handbook include considerations of acid sulfate soils derived from marine clays. Fairfax County has guidance on the shrink swell characteristics of marine clays (marumsco clays) and excavation in potential asbestos containing greenstones. This presentation will highlight sources of publicly available information to assist in due diligence with emphasis on the Richmond region. Sources include Virginia Department of Energy Division of Mineral Mining and Division of Geology and Mineral Resources interactive on-line maps; Virginia State Sulfide Hazard Risk Map; Web Soil Survey, Chesapeake Bay RPA maps, historic publications and others. Attendees will gain an understanding of where to find and access this information for due diligence.