Underground Oil Tank Removal
What must be done.
Most residential heating oil tanks are not regulated by the State of NC, so underground oil tank removal, cleanup of contaminated soils, and environmental assessment work is usually not required for residential sites. Soil contamination from petroleum leakage must be reported to the NC Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ), and before the property can be legally conveyed, a Notice of Residual Petroleum (NRP) must be filed for the property. This Notice must be filed before the NCDEQ will issue a Notice of No Further Action (NFA) for the release. Obtaining a NFA is commonly a minimum requirement for banks and buyers before a property is sold. However, if a property owner or prospective buyer wishes to avoid filing a NRP then removal of the leaking oil tank and excavation of the contaminated soils will be required. Additionally, prospective buyers, or financial institutions, or insurers, may require the removal of an oil tank, whether it has leaked or not.
High risk situations.
Certain site conditions will generally be considered as emergency or high risk factors by the NCDEQ. These include:
- The presence of a water supply wells, whether in use or not, within 150 feet of a leaking heating oil tank.
- The presence of oil or oil vapors in the crawlspace or basement areas of a residence.
- A surface spill or overflow from an oil tank.
In these cases, removal of the oil tank and excavation of contaminated soils will usually be required. Depending on other site factors, further environmental assessment may be required.
High risk situation. Underground oil tank (UST) fill and vent pipes are visible in front of the replacement aboveground oil tank (AST). This is an almost certain sign that the underground tank has leaked. The water supply well makes this a high risk property, whether the well is in use , or not. The State will probably require removal of the oil tank, and the well will have to be abandoned unless the soil contamination is removed.
Underground oil tank exposed under new foundation trench. This required removal of the oil tank as it would not have the strength to support the extension foundation.
Severely corroded 1,000-gallon UST being removed from beside a house.
Oil tank site inspections essential.
During a site inspection, Cedar Rock assesses any site conditions that may cause the State to require tank removal and/or other environmental cleanup and assessment work, and will provide advice and recommendations for your situation. Underground tank removal disturbs the landscape much more than tank abandonment, so where possible, Cedar Rock normally recommends the proper abandonment of an underground tank, which ensures that the tank will not cause any new problems, or worsen existing issues. But when necessary, Cedar Rock will remove leaking oil tanks and contaminated soils with as little damage to the landscaping as possible.
Tank removal procedure.
Underground oil tank removal typically involves access to the oil tank location with a backhoe. The tank is exposed and then cut open to allow removal of fluids and cleaning of the tank. If required, contaminated soils are excavated and transported to a disposal facility. An average size excavation pit is about a 10 foot cube. The pit is backfilled and tamped to grade, and the impacted yard is regraded, reseeded, and strawed. This process requires about one day to complete.
What to do next.
Your first step should be to have your property of interest inspected for the presence of underground oil tanks, and to determine whether they have leaked. Cedar Rock will then be able to advise you on the possible courses of action and the factors to be considered in deciding what must be done about the oil tanks. Cedar Rock provides services to remove underground oil tanks and to satisfy requirements of the NCDEQ so that a NFA can be issued.
Schedule a site inspection today to check for the presence of an underground oil tank and/or soil contamination on your property of interest. Call us at 336 684-2734 or use our online contact form.