Inground Fuel Tank Storage

Among the many environmental issues that continue to beset property owners is fuel storage tanks. A property owner or prospective buyer may want to eliminate a future problem by having an in-ground tank removed prior to the tank beginning to leak. Doing this can avoid what could be an extremely costly decontamination project. For additional information on decontamination costs, see �Amnesty Program� below.

Fuel tanks, in most areas, can be either removed or abandoned. Guidelines applicable to in-ground Fuel Storage Tanks vary from town to town, and usually come under the jurisdiction of the local Fire Marshal�s office, as well as the State Department of Environmental Protection.

Tank Removal:

Before starting any actual work, the location of the tank must be staked out and the utility companies contacted to allow them to mark any buried cables or pipes, etc. The topsoil above the tank is removed and placed aside for re-use. Next, a special pump truck will pump out the tank (the contents of which will be disposed of in accordance with EPA regulations or transferred to the new tank). The tank is then opened and cleaned on-site, and along with associated piping is removed from the ground and disposed of. If contamination is discovered, it must be cleaned up. If there is no contamination, the hole is back-filled with gravel and then covered over with the original topsoil. If arranged for (at additional cost), the area can then be seeded and covered with hay, and driveway patching completed, as required.

Tank Abandonment:

The procedures for abandoning or leaving the tank in the ground are similar to tank removal; however, after the tank is cleaned, a hole is cut in the bottom of the tank and a soil sample is taken to determine if there is any contamination. If contamination is discovered, it must be cleaned up. If everything checks out O.K., the tank is filled with sand or cement if required, and then covered back over with the original topsoil. Any surface repairs are completed, if they are part of the contract. Over the past years, more and more restrictions are being placed on abandonment.

Soil Remediation:
In the case of contamination, the soil is excavated and removed until uncontaminated soil is reached. The contaminated soil is disposed of in accordance with existing EPA regulations. Clean fill and topsoil are then brought in, and the area is restored.

Amnesty Program:
In July of 1999, the Connecticut Legislature passed Public Act No. 99-269 which establishes an Amnesty Program for removal of Home Heating Oil Tanks. This legislation provides for the state to pay licensed contractors up to $50,000 in remediation costs for the clean-up of soil and ground water contamination from in-ground residential oil tanks that are removed by the contractor between July 1, 1999 and January 1, 2002, provided certain procedures are followed, and the homeowner has paid the first $500 of costs. The full act may be accessed on the web at: http://www.cga.state.ct.us/ps99/act/pa/pa269.htm.

Homeguard was licensed by the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection to operate under Public Act No. 99-269. The Program has ended.