Environmental Intelligence
Plain-English guides to federal environmental data — so you know what you're looking at before you sign anything.
All articles
A practical checklist for checking flood risk, air quality, drinking water, nearby industrial sites, and public environmental records before you make an offer.
Read →
The word 'Superfund' sounds alarming, but proximity doesn't automatically mean risk. Here's what the designation actually means, how to look one up, and what questions to ask.
Read →
Zone AE, Zone X, Special Flood Hazard Area — the federal flood map uses terminology designed for engineers, not families. This guide translates the common labels into plain English.
Read →
Public water records, private wells, lead service lines, and health-based violations all mean different things. Here's what to check before closing.
Read →
176 million Americans have drinking water that has tested positive for PFAS. Here's what the science says, what federal limits mean, and what to check before you buy.
Read →
AQI can change by season, wildfire smoke, ozone, highways, and local industry. Here's how relocators should read the signal before picking a neighborhood.
Read →
A home inspector checks the house. Public environmental records can reveal context around flood exposure, water systems, air quality, and nearby pollution.
Read →
Remote buyers need more than listing photos. This checklist covers environmental risk, flood zones, water quality, air quality, and local tradeoffs.
Read →
A human guide for separating real risk from understandable anxiety when flood, air, water, or pollution records show up near a home you like.
Read →
Confirmation bias, the endowment effect, and motivated reasoning all activate the moment you walk through a front door. Behavioral science explains why the environmental check has to come first.
Read →
Over 700 U.S. military installations have confirmed or suspected PFAS contamination from firefighting foam. Here's what to check if you're buying near a base — and what it means for wells and municipal water.
Read →
EPA's PFAS data lives in five different datasets and none are organized by street address. Here's how to actually check PFAS near a home — free first, then when the $19.99 address report is worth it.
Read →
Your lender says you need a Phase I ESA and nobody will tell you the price. Real cost ranges, what the money buys, Phase 1 vs Phase 2, and the questions to ask before signing with a consultant.
Read →
The national PFAS maps are real — and almost useless for your specific tap. Which maps to trust, why zip-code lookups mislead, and how to find what your actual water system reported.
Read →
Chipping paint in a pre-1978 house and a kid who touches everything? The calm triage sequence: the year-built rule, what $10 swab kits can and can't tell you, and when an XRF inspection is worth it.
Read →
Use the same federal databases these articles explain. Air quality, flood risk, drinking water, and Superfund sites — graded A–F, explained in plain English.
Get a Report