Construction machine sale effected by high price

Commenting on the state of the market, Off-Highway Research said, "There had been some market corrections in previous years, but the record year-on-year fall of -37% in the first half represents real depression, and has put great pressure on the industry as whole."

The company added that the downturn has been due to credit tightening and other policies aimed at cutting inflation and curbing a boom in the real estate market.

"After the earlier, substantial fiscal stimulus had come to an end, the central government turned to tighten the money supply to control inflation which was one of the greatest threats to the economy. While the industry expected this would have run its course by the middle of 2011, fiscal tightening actually continued into the first half of 2012. The result was that it slowed down the CPI, but it also had a negative impact on the economy as a whole, and the construction equipment industry has been very badly affected," it said.

"Being a good corporate citizen has been a core value of our company since 1948 and we are committed to being a good neighbor to the residents of the Rosewood Community," Cannon said.

DHEC first began investigating pollution concerns at the site in the 1990s after a complaint about an asphalt spill, according to the agency. At the time, DHEC says it found petroleum compounds in soil samples and asked SEACO to test the area's groundwater.

After finding petroleum in the groundwater as well, DHEC made the company install monitoring wells and submit a petroleum cleanup plan. A storage tank and contaminated soil were removed, and officials say those contaminants had fallen to safe levels by 1997.

Off-Highway Research expects the market to return to growth in 2013, with a +10% rebound. However, subsequent years of moderate growth are forecast to see volumes reach 420,120 units by 2016 - still -14% below the peak seen in 2011.

Commending Templeton for her assertiveness in pursuing the lead and arsenic issues, Harpootlian said the repercussions of the lead discovery could be tragic if the contaminant is found in the Congaree River, which is a major recreational venue near Columbia.

"This is horrible," Harpootlian said. "If arsenic and lead got in that water, the mounting devastation would be huge."

The former oil fuel depot at the Rosyth naval base was sold off for redevelopment in the early 2000s to Scarborough Muir for redevelopment when the base was downsized after the end of the Cold War. Safedem was appointed as demolition contractor for the classier site and commenced the first phase of work, involving the removal of 32 37 m (122 ft) diameter steel storage tanks, which was completed in late 2005.