Information for Buyers, Sellers & Realtors
Schedule a Site Inspection.
During a site inspection of a property of interest, Cedar Rock will attempt to locate any tanks located on the property and determine whether they have leaked. Cedar Rock will then advise you on the regulatory requirements that apply in your situation and the possible courses of action. Cedar Rock can provide you with the services required to satisfy regulatory requirements and obtain a Final Notice of No Further Action letter from the State.
Call us at (336) 684-2734 or use our online contact form to schedule a site inspection now.
Below is a checklist of issues concerning leaking residential fuel tanks you should be aware of when buying, selling, or listing a property. In general, the points below apply to typical petroleum releases on a residential property, whether heating oil, diesel or gasoline. This list is not exhaustive.
Regulatory Issues
- Oil or gasoline tanks defined as residential tanks by North Carolina regulations are not regulated. The concern is whether the soil and/or groundwater has been contaminated by leakage from a storage tank.
- Leakage from oil, diesel or gasoline tanks must be reported to the State. See § 143-215.85. Required notice.
- Soil cleanup and environmental assessment is not required in most cases when the leakage is from an underground tank.
- Assessment and cleanup work is required for aboveground tank releases.
- Assessment of contaminated soil and any remediation work must be performed by a NC Licensed Geologist or Engineer.
- A corporation offering geological services in North Carolina must be licensed in North Carolina.
- A property with soil and/or groundwater contamination exceeding applicable standards requires a Notice of Residual Petroleum to be filed with the county Register of Deeds prior to conveyance of the property. See NCGS 143B-279.11 (d).
Selling & Buying Properties
- For homes built in or before the 1960s, assume the past use of oil heat.
- Even if an oil or gasoline tank has been removed, you should assume that there is soil contamination present unless there is proper documentation confirming that there was no release, or that it was cleaned up to the required standards.
- A Final Notice of No Further Action letter from the State is usually required by buyers and banks prior to the sale of a property with soil contamination.
- Do not rely on a home inspection to address oil tank concerns.
- Do not assume that undocumented or poorly documented tank abandonment or removal work adequately addressed oil tank concerns.
- Property owners are often unaware of the presence of an underground storage tank on their property.
- Both aboveground and underground tanks present potential environmental, health and financial liabilities.
- Water supply wells on the property or nearby usually indicate that soil cleanup and/or environmental assessment will be required. Relocation of water supply wells, proper abandonment of wells, and connection to a city water supply may also be required.
- A leaking aboveground tank beneath a residential structure usually requires expensive soil cleanup and environmental assessment. Vapor from a tank leaking under a house poses a significant health risk.
- Request a site inspection to check for possible soil contamination as soon as possible to allow enough time to complete any necessary work prior to closing.
- Cedar Rock usually recommends abandonment of underground tanks, whether or not they have leaked, to prevent future problems.
- You may not be concerned about soil contamination when you buy a property, but a future potential buyer may require you to complete the work necessary to satisfy State regulatory requirements.
Site inspections are Essential.
Always schedule a site inspection of any property of interest that may have, or may have had, a heating oil or gasoline storage tank.
Call us at (336) 684-2734 or use our online contact form to schedule a site inspection now.