The London Evening Standard carried a story about BSE cattle waste processors in Kent, England allegedly disposing of liquid waste from slaughtered cattle down an old well on their premises. The newspaper linked this with the fact that one third of all CJD cases in Britain had occurred in the central Kent region. A Kent vet had stated on national radio within the last few months that he was worried that the practice of BSE slaughter houses of disposing of waste products to the land could result in prions entering the ground water. Local residents on a former council estate north west of Birmingham, England believe that they have identified a cancer cluster in the midst of their community. Water forming ponds in their recreational area has passed through a former landfill.
Elderly residents can remember lorries dumping many unidentified drums on the site.
Virtually all the information gained relates to the property itself, it gives little information regarding adjoining or neighbouring land. This high-lights the problems facing lawyers involved in purchasing real property in England. Even if local authorities have the ability to provide information regarding potentially contaminated land, which is very unusual at present, they will generally only give information regarding the actual property being purchased. Questions about properties within 400 metres are seldom answered. It requires a different, and novel, approach for local authorities to be able to deal with enquiries regarding a wider area, which is what is required.