I'm not sure I understand all the details and I really don't want to
ask for clarification because my friends are reluctant to discuss it
further. I believe their insurance company covered most (but not all)
of their legal and restoration costs. However, shortly after the
initial restoration work was completed their policy was cancelled.
Now they can't obtain coverage elsewhere and they can't sell this home
because the Department of Environment won't sign off on the work (the
trace contamination might be from the church next door but how do you
prove that?). Any additional clean-up that is required will thus be
at their expense.

I do know a considerable amount of earth was removed and I believe
they drilled a number of wells and injected a water/fluid mix
containing some sort of microbe that was suppose to "eat" or breakdown
this oil. I don't believe it worked as well as they had hoped
(possibly due to colder ground temperatures?). I'm not sure if their
neighbours can resume using their wells at this point (several were
contaminated and rendered unfit for consumption).

In any event, through no fault of their own, they're left holding the
bag and it has caused them a tremendous amount of anguish.

Cheers,
Paul

On Sun, 06 Aug 2006 15:58:19 GMT, "Pete C."
wrote:

Unsaleable to the uninformed perhaps. To those who understand that
removing a few yards of soil and giving it to a construction company for
use under a road (where there is plenty of petroleum contamination
anyway) is pretty simple it should not affect saleability.

Too much uninformed and irrational hysteria in this country.

Pete C.