Oil Tank Removal

During a large part of the 20th century fuel oil was considered to be one of the most viable options for heating a home. At one point in time, it even outstripped wood stoves when it came to popularity for heating a home in a rural location. Today it has fallen out of favor, as municipal sources have become far more available, and modern technology has ushered in far more efficient home heating options.

Yet the specter of fuel oil’s history still looms large throughout much of New Jersey and the surrounding areas. A large number of tanks still live in the form of underground and aboveground storage tanks. Some have gone completely unused for decades, many with residual fuel oil or other fluids still inside. A significant percentage of them haven’t been properly closed off!

This is a growing threat not only to the tank and the surrounding soil. Things like soil acidity, water invasion, corrosion, and seasonal weather changes can gradually cause these tanks to leak. As time goes on a compromised tank becomes increasingly likely to contaminate the soil, and the surrounding plants, and even pollute the groundwater. Not only is this a health hazard to the people living there, but the environmental aspects can also lead to very costly liability issues.

If you own a home with an existing underground or above-ground oil tank, the wisest option is to have it professionally inspected and removed as soon as possible. The longer you wait the more likely it is to fail, releasing fuel oil, sludge, or other contaminants into the soil and possibly the groundwater supply.

Hydroscience Group’s team of experienced highly trained tank specialists have decades of experience removing underground and above-ground heating oil tanks, for proper disposal.

If you are thinking about buying or making a bid on a home with an existing oil tank, you need to be suspicious of its status. Some of these tanks were not professionally sealed of or abandoned properly. This can be especially troublesome for underground oil tanks. If there is an oil tank on the property and it is not fully documented as being compliant, you should strongly consider requesting it is inspected. Also, bear in mind that traditional home inspectors aren’t always well-versed in oil tank regulations and inspection techniques. Fortunately, Hydroscience Group has a team of professional inspectors with the experience and expertise to handle the inspection and any necessary removal procedures.

To address all of these salient issues, the NJDEP directly recommends that all out-of-service underground storage tanks be removed, even if they were professionally sealed in the past.

When Hydroscience Group removes a tank for professional disposal, we pay strict attention to making sure that all permits, inspections, and processes are compliant with regulations. This ensures that the NJDEP will issue a No Further Action or NFA letter which frees you from any future liability issues.

Underground fuel oil tanks tend to be far more complicated to remove than above-ground storage tanks. That being said, there are several crucial steps in the process. At each one, our technicians take a meticulous, detail-oriented approach to minimize complications and liability, as well as maintain compliance with the vast array of State and Federal regulations.

Hydroscience Group’s technicians will visit your property to perform a thorough site inspection. This is an important role in assessing the state of the tank, as well as any other areas that may have been impacted or contaminated.

We attain all of the necessary permits for removal and proper disposal of the underground fuel oil tank.

Once everything is ready, we use professional equipment and techniques to dig out the underground storage tank. When necessary the oil tank is cut open, contents are then carefully cleaned out. At that point, the storage tank will be carefully eased out of the ground.

Most townships and other municipal government bodies have inspection requirements that must be followed to the letter, to regain compliance. This is usually a township code officer who will inspect the tank and other aspects of the excavated site for signs of leaks, damage, and other potential environmental impacts.

If any other remediation issues need to be addressed as a result of the inspection, our specialists can help you understand those measures.

If there is a hole or there has been some type of past leak event in the underground storage tank or oil contamination has occurred in the soil, Hydroscience Group’s specialists can help guide you through the compliance process with all pertinent regulations. We have extensive experience helping our clients become compliant with regulations set by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Agency (NDEP), as well as assisting clients with financing options.

Once the inspector has been satisfied Hydroscience Group will then fill in the excavation with a certified clean fill material.

Hydroscience Group’s specialists will complete the underground tank removal service by closing out the township permit, which includes a letter as well as supporting documentation stating that your site is compliant with all pertinent codes and regulations.

Many homes and commercial properties, especially those in rural locations have an above-ground or underground storage tank that is used as a fuel oil tank. When selling these homes the seller and potential buyers often weigh the implications of abandoning the tank or having it professionally removed.

Most buyers in today’s modern real estate market will insist an old fuel oil tank be removed from the property in question. For many, even a tank that has been professionally closed off is still too much of a contamination threat. This is particularly concerning, as the past practice was to have the tank purged, cleaned, and sealed. Yet this still led to other long-term issues.

If the seller does not agree to these demands, the buyer might rescind their offer or alter it to reflect the potential removal and remediation costs. On a legal level, the NJDEP is only required to get involved with an oil tank abandonment if it has been determined that there is evidence of a leak. However, in the past, many seal-off attempts and companies performing them lacked thoroughness. This casts increased suspicion about the threat of an abandoned tank. Especially one without a professionally documented history.

This sometimes means that even with thorough paperwork and past soil testing documents a buyer’s insurance or mortgage company might not approve the risk. In the case of some homeowner’s insurance companies, a higher premium might be assessed.