Call for a free analysis and estimate
914.761.8020
info@thetankspecialists.com
 
 




 

copyright ©2009, advanced environmental.
all rights reserved.

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.

Back to the Top


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.

Back to the Top


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.

Back to the Top


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.

Back to the Top


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).

Back to the Top


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.

Back to the Top


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.

Back to the Top


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

Back to the Top