these rules are not mandated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency...why did New York think they should create such laws for "home owner's heating oil tanks"? What was the problem they were trying to solve? Home owner's tanks have nothing to do with the pollution caused by gas stations leaking gasoline into the ground.
Bill
The problem was probably - leaking tanks. They contaminate the groundwater. Which can work its way into wells and streams. When i walk in the ravine near me, I can smell the oil in the water where the storm drains flow down a steep section of pipe and gets well aerated before entering the creek.
Bob
Drain it, dig down to the top, cut off the top, fill the first 3-6" or so with cheap kitty litter to absorb whatever residue is left, fill with sand/gravel/your mother-in-law/whatever, backfill with soil, reseed, what tank? It may not be the best way to do it - but it's better than nothing and a lot cheaper than having some environmental company come in and do it. It's not like the NYSDEC has a master file of every underground tank for every house built decades ago, nor is the oil tank police out patrolling looking for people decommissioning tanks themselves. Highly unlikely your neighbors are gonna turn you in for a backyard project.
I could be wrong but I have heard that in some juristictions oil suppliers are being forced to give the authorities a list of all their past and present customers and many of those lists go back many years. Other posters have almost made comments about not being able to sell the property and walk away from your liability, the new owners can come after you if they find the buried tank and it really doesn't matter if you knew about it or not. The law may seem unfair but doesn't the little guy always get it in the ear?
I think this is one of those situations where it's best to do it right now and not have to worry about getting caught up in a sticky situation years down the road. As I said in my earlier post my son is an insurance adjuster who has seen clean up bills iin excess of $800,000 from the leaking of a small residential oil tank and that's not an urban legend.
Years ago some home insurance policies would cover you for this type of situation but apparently most new policies exclude this type of coverage.
Jimbo
"I think this is one of those situations where it's best to do it right now and not have to worry about getting caught up in a sticky situation years down the road. "
That's correct. If John listens to guys like Mark, with his advice to just fill it with sand, he's likely looking for big trouble. When it's time to sell the property, any buyer with common sense is going to be alerted to issues of existing underground tanks by the likes of realtors and home inspectors and it's very likely going to be a condition in the contract that the seller stipulates they either never had an underground tank or to prove it was properly handled.
Companies that do this professionally test the existing tank first, to verify that it was not leaking. Then, they pump it out, cut it open to remove sludge, and then either fill it or remove it. At the end of this, you have certification that it was dealt with properly and there is no contamination issue. And I would carefully evaluate the cost to have it removed versus filled. If it can be removed for not a whole lot more, I'd go with that, as it's going to be even more attractive to a future buyer.
The existence of an underground tank can only work against you. Make it go away, and you'll sleep better for it.
I agree 100%. Think of it as getting X dollars less when selling your home than you thought you would.
yep, you said the magic words..."make it go away"...the problem that is! Being in the construction industry, specifically building fuel storage and dispensing systems I get calls all the time from Real Estate Agents who looked beside someones house or looked behind the bushes and saw the telltale signs of an underground tank...the vent pipe or the filler pipe protruding above the surface of the ground...I wonder how many "resourceful" McGiver like homeowners anticipate this occurance before the Real Estate Agent starts snooping around their property?
Bill
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