Underground oil storage tank abandonment services ?

Can't do what? It's well known that leaking home oil tanks are a big problem for homeowners and insurance companies throughout the US. If a tank is found to be leaking, the homeowner is responsible for whatever cleanup is involved. That typicall means the tank removal together with truck loads of contaminated soil and it can easily be tens of thousands of dollars. Many insurance companies will not cover the cost under a std homeowner's insurance policy either. What do you think would happpen? Just let it keep on leaking? Ignore it? Who do you think would wind up paying for the clean up?

Better do some more research on that Bill! Regulations vary by the state, typically residential underground tanks are not regulated, but many states they are. A simple Google search will bring up many state government web sits that do require removeal of an abandoned tank, especially if conaminated soil is found. This whole underground oil tank fiasco was hashed over about six months ago. Back then I did research on it and found numerous reports of people spending tens of thousands of dollars to clean up ungerground tanks. Besides possible government involvement, many lending instututions will not give a mortgage and insurance companies my not provide coverage if an underground tank exists! Greg

So, what's the point here? From what point of view are we looking at this problem? Are we the homeowner or are we the potential buyer?

It's a "tempest in a teapot". You pump all the liquid out of the old tank and forget it...there is nothing in it to leak out after that so what is the mortgage company so concerned about? I just don't understand.

So the moral of this story is...if you have any evidence of oil heat in your house...when it comes time to sell...you're screwed unless you pay a contractor like me to come and dig it up...and then dig up an extra 50 dump truck loads of dirt and haul them away to a hazardous petroleum contaminated soil disposal facility.

There ain't no gettin around it either...I was looking at a copy of my house's deed registration online the other day and it clearly describes the type of heat a house has...I feel sorry for you people who live in older homes that used oil heat years ago...you're just screwed when it comes time to sell.

Bill

What the big concern is about is there may have been a small leak in the tank for years. A small enough leak can go undetected and over time make one hell of a mess. Can you imagine a tank leaking a gallon a month for few years?? Nobody will miss a few gallons over time. Not much fuel in the ground, but it makes one hell of a clean up! If the tank has been removed and the soil tested, no problems. If it has not been removed, insurance and lending companies don't want to be stuck with the clean up! The problem it not abandoned tanks, the problem is potential polution from the tank from earlier use. Greg

It's not quite that bad, unless it actually is leaking. Normally, what's done is to have a company come in and do a pressure test to determine if it may be leaking. If it's not, then nothing needs to be done, but buyers may still be reluctant. If I was buying a property like that and it had an old tank, I'd want it replaced with a new fiberglass one or plan on switching to gas and have the old one emptied and filled with sand.

Having learned the hard way, I would never again consider buying a house with an oil tank in the ground. Before selling our present house, we had to have one removed at our expense including a lot of contaminated soil. The tank had been abandoned about 30 years ago before we bought the place and the contamination had not caused any known problems, but by law here in Ontario, it had to be "remedied."

so, do you think the previous owner had it pumped dry when it was abandoned? What was the remedy? How far out and down from the position of the tank was the "plume" of contaminated soil? How many dump truck loads of soil did you have to remove and replace with "clean soil"...that's an oxymoron isn't it?

Bill

You're right the government will not force you to clean up your property. Probably not even if you have radioactive material in your backyard. Provided no one else knows about it except you and you do enjoy your daily dose of radioactivity.

The question is, do you want to sell you house or not? If you plan to live and die in your house, have it remain the possession of your sons and daughters forever, it will not be a problem.

With the high flying real estate market, especially in NJ, well, do you want to sell your house or not, Bill?

I have no idea whether or not it was pumped dry, but was full of water that had leaked *in*. This had to be pumped out and hauled away for decontamination. The tank was then removed riddled with rust holes. They dug only about two feet below the bottom (about one truckload) and took samples to determine that the concentration was low enough without removing any more or using any enzyme treatment. Fortunately there are no wells here in the city or the standards would have been a lot stricter. Strangely enough the tank had been in use for only a few years before developing leaks.

If you have a friend who own a car that burns diesel fuel, let them use up the fuel.

When it's empty, cut it into a few reasonably sized pieces and cart if off to the dump, or some nearby apartment complex dumpster.

NOW READ MY LIPS:

IT IS NOT AGAINST THE LAW IN OHIO TO HAVE ABANDONED UST AS LONG AS IT IS NOT LEAKING!

THERE WERE RANGE WARS IN THE WILD WEST CAUSED BY WATER (RIPARIAN RIGHTS) STREAMS BEING DIVERTED. I am sure pollution disturbing the potability is looked upon almost the same in today's world.

DUE TO EDDY CURRENTS CAUSED BY PEBBLES, ROCK, STONES, ETC. RUBBING AGAINST THE STEEL TANK CAUSED BY UNDERGROUND HYDROSTATIC PRESSURES CAUSE A GALVANIC REACTION THUS CAUSE RUST HOLES IN THE TANK ORIGINALLY SOLD WITH A LIFETIME WARRANTY.

THE KEY WORDS ARE MIGRATION AND REMEDIATION!

DON'T WORRY THERE ARE PROCEDURES MANY DIFFERENT INTERESTED PARTIES CAN USE TO DETERMINE THE SOURCE AND DIRECTION OF MIGRATION.

AFTER MY HAVING SPENT MORE THAN $25,000 IN OHIO, THE OHIO EPA TAKES A VERY DIM VIEW ON POLLUTION OF ARTESIAN WELLS, GROUND WATER AND/OR UNDERGROUND POTABLE (Approved Drinking Water) WATER STREAMS!

IF HEATING OIL MIGRATES INTO A UNDERGROUND POTABLE WATER STREAM, YOUR STATE EPA AND YOUR IRATE & SUING NEIGHBORS THAT ARE SUPPLIED DRINKING WATER FROM THAT STREAM CAN FORCE YOU TO SPEND DOLLARS ON A REMEDIATION CLEANUP. In Ohio, you can be subject to Civil and Criminal Prosecution. This can be a stimulus to cooperate with the authorities.

AFTER YOU SPEND BUCKS ON THE REMEDIATION, THEN POSSIBLY COMES A PHASE I, II, OR III SITE INSPECTION. Trust me your's or the buyer's mortgage lender doesn't want to have a thing to do with Environmentals.

WHEN YOU SELL A PARCEL OF PROPERTY, YOUR STATE'S LEGAL SYSTEM UPON SALE MAY REQUIRE YOU TO SIGN A DOCUMENT WHETHER OR NOT YOU ARE KNOWINGLY CONVEYING TITLE AND DEED TO PROPERTY WITH A EXISTING ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE.

IF IN DOUBT, CONSULT YOUR FAMILY ATTORNEY or Consult a attorney specializing in Environmental Law.

This so called contamination we are talking about...it's all around you in your daily life...everyday! When you drop one drop of gasoline from the tip of the nozzle onto the ground after you get your gas at a gas station...and that gas washes across the pavement and on to the lawn at the gas station...most likely if a soil test was done they would call it contaminated soil. It's ridiculous! I think that Congress has pulled most of the EPA's teeth on this issue, no site is having to be cleaned up like the EPA wanted it cleaned up back in 1988 when they wrote the guidelines. What would you rather have as a country...perfectly virgin uncontaminated soil...and no money for necessities like food, water, electricity? There is no end to the depths of bullshit the EPA wanted to put people through regarding petroleum so called "contamination". We live with it everyday...gas and oil residue is on your feet every day of your life if you go out of your house...therefore the EPA should make you pull up your carpet and floor covering to have them hauled off to a decontamination site?

Thank God Congress defanged the wackos who where in charge at the EPA years ago.

Bill

"Bill" wrote

A-F*cking-MEN!!!!!

You were not saying anything we don't already know. But you did not answer the question. Do you or do you not want to sell your house? Try putting your house on the market if you have an leaking underground storage tank in your backyard.

Better not drive a Ford. They'll leak more oil in a year then a lot of underground tanks. Do you have to declare that you've had a Ford park in your driveway??

Really, never had any oil leak out of my 3 broncos or my f150 or f250.

They don't seem to last long for you.

Never underestimate the ability of government workers to compel you to spend your own money on things you don't think are necessary.

Shouting is not reccomended on this news group.