Tank FAQ's
Diagnosis
Leaks/Contamination
Removal & Abandonment
Regulation Standards
Remedies
Tax Incentives
Home Buyers/Sellers
Additional Resources (Links)
Diagnosis
What may indicate
a leaking tank system?
The primary symptoms of a leaking tank system include:
Unexplained increases in fuel consumption;
The boiler falters or fails;
· Oil stains on the interior walls of your foundation
· Visible discoloration of your home's well water supply or
· Presence of an odor, dying plants and shrubbery above and around
the tank area.
These may indicate a leak, but a leak can go undetected for years!
Who is at risk
for a leaking tank system?
Any poorly maintained or serviced heating system is at risk of a leaking
tank system. At higher risk are older homes with older tanks, especially
those residences in long-settled areas with older homes, are at the highest
risk for a leaking tank system. Statewide insurance authorities consider
a 20-year-old tank "at risk" for failure. As an oil tank ages,
it becomes at risk for leaks, overfilling, and corrosion. Homeowners,
businesses, and home buyers/sellers should
be fully aware of the state and federal regulations that apply to their
underground or above-ground oil storage tank. Fines, personal liability,
and property damage as a result of non-compliance can accrue with delays
in time.
Where do
I obtain more information about diagnosing my oil tank's condition?
Beyond the conditions mentioned above, it is recommend that you speak
with a qualified expert and schedule a tank inspection as soon as possible
to determine if your site is at risk.
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Leaks/Contamination
What causes an
oil tank system to leak?
The most frequent causes of oil tank leakage include:
· Oxidation (rust) and corrosion of the tank due to old age;
· Corrosion of the piping that leads from the tank into the furnace or pump;
· Corrosion from water or condensation inside the tank;
· Excess moisture in the soil surrounding the tank; and
· Broken oil lines from a shovel or fence
Why should buried
oil tanks be removed?
The vast majority of buried oil tanks that are either functioning or have
been abandoned are well past their life expectancy as most older tanks
were originally designed to last 20-25 years. It is important to replace
any tank at risk of leakage as even the smallest leak can cause extensive
damage and require expensive clean-up.
How is contamination
Dangerous?
Oil leaks can cause potentially disastrous results. A fuel leak runs the
risk of contaminating a well water supply or invading a sewer or stream;
drinking water may be contaminated and pose a risk and liability to your
family as well as any persons that drinks from these sources. At your
expense, state laws may require either relocation of the well, connection
to municipal water supply (if available), or installation of a specialized
filtering system between the well and the affected property.
What can contamination
do to the value and desirability property?
Today's real estate buyers are not willing to "own someone else's
problem". The need to remove and replace your underground tank system
is inevitable regardless of whether you decide to sell your property or
not. Many lenders, homeowners insurance companies, realtors, real estate
attorneys, engineers and home inspection experts recommend that potentially
hazardous oil tanks be removed before the transfer of title. It is widely
believed by industry leaders that safe is always better than sorry, and
that property owners should seriously consider addressing a possible leakage
situation before they are faced with the substantial costs that can come
with a leaking tank.
How do I remove
contamination?
It is recommended that you seek a professional removal
specialist to dispose of any contamination that is a result of your
underground oil tank. In doing so, it is important that you consider certain
remedies.
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Removal
& Abandonment
What does the removal
of an underground oil tank involve?
The process of removing an underground oil tank requires that licensed
professionals expose your underground storage tank so that it can be cut
open and cleaned of all remaining fuel and residue. After proper cleaning
is complete, the tank is then excavated and removed along with all associated
piping. The tank is then inspected for holes and the tank "grave"
is inspected for product release. By extracting soil from the base and
sidewalls of the tank grave, a trained tank specialist can detect soil
contamination. If no problems are evidenced, the tank is safely removed.
What does the abandonment
of an underground oil tank involve?
In order to abandon an underground storage tank, the tank is first uncovered,
rendered free of ignitable vapors and cut open. The tank is then entered
by a technician and cleaned of all remaining fuel and residue. The technician
visually inspects the tank for breaches. Soil may also be extracted from
the perimeter of the underground storage tank by means of cutting a hole
in the bottom of the underground storage tank and extracting soil samples
or by "geoprobing" around the tank from the surface. If there
is no sign of soil contamination, the tank is then filled with an inert
material i.e. sand, kcrete/slurry or foam and rough graded over.
What if there are
contaminants found from either removal or abandonment?
If any contaminated soil is detected or breaches in the tank are observed
during a removal or abandonment procedure, the tank must be removed from
the ground and the site remediated. If no problems are observed with regards
to the structural integrity of the tank, it may be filled with sand, concrete
slurry, or inert foam (based on local municipality regulations)on an abandonment.
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Regulation
Standards
What
is the EPA Petroleum Bulk Storage (PBS)?
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires that all underground
oil tanks with capacities of 1,100 gallons or greater, and which are used
for storing petroleum or certain hazardous substances, conform to EPA
regulations as of December 22, 1998. The EPA regulations require that
owners of underground storage tanks upgrade their sites in order to prevent,
detect and correct hazardous release problems.
What if I do not
upgrade my property to conform to EPA Petroleum Bulk Storage (PBS) requirements?
If owners and operators of PBS sites do not comply with EPA regulations,
significant penalties may apply- including fines and/or imprisonment.
In addition, applicable state and local municipality fines may also occur.
The longer you wait, the bigger the fine may be- up to $11,000 a day per
tank, plus interest.
What do I need
to do to make my tank PBS compliant?
To be in full compliance with WCDOH PBS regulations, oil tanks must be
upgraded with hardware that promotes spill protection and detects leakages
promptly. The following are some of the basic guidelines:
· Corrosion: fiberglass tanks, corrosion-proof tank linings or
an electrical current in the soil around the tank.
· Spills: catchment basins (bucket-like devices sealed around fill
pipes).
· Overfilling: automatic shutoff devices, overfill alarms or ball
float valves.
· Leaks: gauges that monitor vapor leaks, ground water quality,
tank tightness, line integrity or tank levels.
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Remedies
How and where do
I get help if oil leakages occur?
It is crucial to find a fully licensed contractor that can perform work
in accordance with applicable state and federal regulations in order to
ensure the health, safety, and welfare of you, your family, the general
public and the environment.
How can the tank
specialists at Advanced Environmental (AE) help?
Fully certified licensed and insured. AE's work is covered by comprehensive
liability insurance, including pollution liability, full automotive insurance,
equipment insurance, and worker's compensation.
Compliant with and regulated by several state and federal agencies. AE
is compliant with guidelines regulated by:
· Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
· NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC)
· Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
· County health departments
Upon project completion,
AE will provide its clients with tank abandonment certifications, tank
removal certification, DEC & PBS closure reports and site remediation
reports.
Work history. AE is a dependable, full-service company and has
no incident of accident or liability with any of its customers.
Testimonials. AE has developed a superior reputation in the industry.
Numerous customers have submitted testimonies that express their satisfaction
with the work performed and the high quality of services rendered.
Free estimates and competitive pricing. AE will provide a free property
evaluation and price estimate at absolutely no charge, and with no obligation,
to you.
Availability. AE is available 24 hours, 7 days a week to service you when
you need us most.
What is it that
AE does and what are the steps?
Please refer to our services section
for complete descriptions of what AE can do to solve your underground
oil tank problems.
What are AE's service
coverage areas?
AE is proud to provide service to customers in Westchester, Putnam, and
Rockland counties.
Does AE accept
credit cards?
AE accepts all major credit cards in order to provide you with convenient
payment methods.
What happens to
the contamination once it has left my property?
AE transports all waste to fully licensed disposal facilities. Liquids
are treated by means of separating petroleum products from water. The
petroleum is then recycled for industrial use. Soils are treated by burning
all volatile compounds leaving only clean fill as the end result.
Can AE certify
my property as free of contaminates at the conclusion of the site remediation?
AE can provide its clients with tank abandonment certifications, tank
removal and tank installation certificates, DEC & PBS (see Regulation
standards for definition) closure reports, site remediation reports
and all paperwork related to insurance claims.
Can AE provide
a guarantee on the work that is performed?
If there is work performed that does not satisfy the stated problem and
is the fault of AE, we will come back to provide corrective measures at
no additional cost to you. In addition, most new tank installations will
come with a manufacturer's warranty that will be serviced directly by
the manufacturer (terms and policies vary depending on the specific product
and its manufacturer).
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Tax
Incentives
How can
AE's work allow me to claim tax credits?
For the tax years beginning 2001 and 2002, taxpayers are allowed a tax
credit for the removal, permanent closure or installation of an underground
or above-ground residential fuel oil storage tank used to provide heating
fuel for single to four family residences located in New York.
The amount of the
credit is equal to the sum of:
The costs (up to $250) of removal during the taxable year of an existing
unprotected underground or above-ground residential fuel oil tank.
The costs (up to $250) of permanently closing during the taxable year
of an existing unprotected underground residential fuel oil storage tank;
AND
The purchase and installation costs (up to $250) of a new underground
or above-ground residential fuel oil storage stank, which is installed
during the taxable year and which is used in place of a formerly used
unprotected below-underground or above-ground residential fuel oil storage
tank; provided that unprotected tank was removed or permanently closed
or removed during the taxable year or immediately preceding taxable year.
(NY Tax Law 606(p-1)(p-2)).
The above mentioned
costs may be used only once in computing a residential fuel oil storage
tank credit with respect to a particular residence.
If the amount of the
credit exceeds the taxpayer's tax for any taxable year, the excess may
be carried over to the following year or years and may be deducted from
the taxpayer's tax for such year or years.
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Homebuyers
and Sellers
As a homebuyer
or seller, what should I be aware of with respect to my underground-heating
tank?
Caveat emptor: buyer's beware
a tank's age is the first question
a prospective home buyer should ask. Home heating oil tanks are just one
of the many things that should be looked at when inspecting a house. It
is advised that prospective buyers have oil tank systems thoroughly inspected.
Homeowners insurance companies and mortgage companies are avoiding houses
with buried oil tanks. It is our strong recommendation to have the seller
remove the buried tank prior to closing a real estate transaction.
It is recommended
to have the oil tank tested by a county-licensed expert. The testing procedure
usually takes about two hours.
At the time of a real-estate
transaction, have available a report stating the condition of your fuel
oil tanks; this will protect both the purchaser and seller in case of
any future oil leaks.
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Additional
Resources (Links):
Where can I find
more information about oil tank service, maintenance, and regulations?
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA)
http://www.epa.gov/swerust1/index.htm
http://www.epa.gov/swerust1/1998/index.htm
New York State Department
of Environmental Conservation (DEC)
http://www.dec.state.ny.us
Westchester County
Department of Health (DOH)
http://www.westchestergov.com/health/pbsamend.htm
Steel Tank Institute
http://www.steeltank.com
Highland Tanks
http://www.highlandtank.com
Better Business Bureau
of New York
http://www.bbbonline.com
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