If you are planning to purchase a home in New Jersey or New York, be sure to check the property for evidence of a buried fuel (e.g. oil) storage tank. As property owner, you face several potential risks if nothing is known about the tank–type, condition, exact location. These include underground leaks, damage to the property and environment, water contamination, and expensive clean up costs. Consequently, it is important to have the tank tested before you buy the property. Installing a new oil tank can be rather expensive, because old tanks must undergo a particular procedure for disposal.
There are signs you can look for that indicate the presence of an oil tank on your property. First, inspect the area around the building for oil fill or vent pipes. Oil fillers can sometimes be placed quite a way from the house, and the oil vent pipe may not even be close to the filler pipe. Flat stones or old cans often mark the location of the filler or vent pipe. In the home itself, look for abandoned oil lines, marks of oil lines, or gauges or valves connected to an outdoor tank.
Because of the risks associated with underground storage tanks, NY and NJ oil tank removal and/or storage processes are closely monitored. For example, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation requires buried tanks storing more than 1,100 gallons of heated oil to be registered. A tank containing less than 1,100 gallons does not need to be registered, but if an oil leak is detected on any size of tank, it absolutely must be reported within two hours of its discovery.
By: Ryan Coisson
Tags: Cans, Exact Location, Fillers, Flat Stones, Leaks, New Oil, New York State, New York State Department, New York State Department Of Environmental Conservation, Oil Leak, Oil Lines, Oil Storage Tank, Oil Tank Removal, Old Tanks, Pipes, Property Owner, Tank Type, Underground Storage Tanks, Vent Pipe, Water Contamination