Heating Oil Underground & Above ground Oil Storage Tanks - Oil Storage Tank Abandonment Procedures & Oil Tank Leak or Oil Spill Cleanup Companies InspectAPedia®  -     Directory of Oil Tank Locating, Testing, & Tank Removal Companies (separate page) Oil tank removal or abandonment procedures - basics (this page) Oil tank removal or abandonment procedures - details (separate page) Oil Spill Cleanup Companies and Resources (this page)

This article discusses oil storage tank abandonment procedures and then lists storage tank leak or oil spill cleanup companies who handle abandonment or leak cleanup for buried oil tanks as well as for above ground oil storage tanks. This is a chapter of our "Heating Oil Underground & Above ground Oil Storage Tank Leaks, Testing, Problems & Solutions, Home Buyer's / Home Owner's Guide" which offers extensive free un-biased oil storage tank inspection and testing advice for property buyers and owners. An separate directory of companies specializing in locating, testing, and removing or abandoning above ground or buried oil storage tanks is at TESTING COs. Qualified service providers may be listed at this website at no fee.

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Oil Tank Removal or Abandonment Methods

There are also proper methods of "abandoning" old unused buried tanks without actually excavating and removing them (provided there is not evidence of leakage). If a tank is not to be used, can involve significant expense. A proper abandonment procedure involves pumping out remaining fuel, confirming that there has been no leakage, cleaning the tank, and filling the tank with an approved filler, or removing it entirely. These measures, if required, involve significant expense.

Buried tank removal is handled by environmental services companies. Usually the specialist arranges testing, excavation, and disposal. Or tanks can be abandoned in place.

Environmental Issues & Regulations for Oil Tanks

In the U.S. and many other countries state DEP/DEC/DNR (Departments of Environmental Conservation or similar agencies) have programs for registering buried tanks at any site storing (typically) more than 1100 gallons of heating oil. Requirements for gas (auto fuel), or other fuels may be different. Eventually this concern may spread to smaller residential tanks. The concern is for leaks which contaminate the environment. Tanks located where they may leak into a local waterway or into the water supply are a special environmental concerns. (C)trap DJ Friedman.

LEAK CLEANUP - Oil Leak/Spill Cleanup Companies Directory

A Separate Directory of Oil Tank Locating, Testing, & Oil Tank Removal Companies is at a (separate page)

The directory shown below lists companies specializing in the cleanup of oil leaks & spills, with focus on residential and light commercial properties, though some of these companies may also address large-scale above oil spills on land or at sea.

• Bioremediation resources on Internet
• Environmental and Information Resources, Inc. markets a low cost way of cleaning up petroleum hydrocarbon releases called bioremediation using naturally occurring soil microbes. EIR also performs biologically based cleanups of inorganic contamination such as heavy metals and radio nuclides using phytoremediation to uptake contamination from soil or groundwater.
• Government Contacts - Contact the DEC/DEP/DNR office in your state
• Listing submissions welcome, there is no listing fee. Contact Us.

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OIL TANKS INSPECT LEAK TEST ABANDON REGS
BURIED OIL TANK ADVICE
BURIED OIL TANKS, FINDING
FLOATING UP OIL STORAGE or SEPTIC TANKS
FUEL OIL TYPES & CHARACTERISTICS
HEATING OIL EXPOSURE HAZARDS, LIMITS
OIL TANK ABANDONING PROCEDURE
OIL TANK FAILURE CAUSES
OIL TANK FAILURE RATES
OIL TANK GAUGES
OIL TANK INSPECTION REPORTS
OIL TANK LEGAL ISSUES
OIL TANK LEAK ADVICE
  FREQUENCY of OIL TANK LEAKS
  OIL TANK LEAK ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
  OIL TANK LEAK IMPACTS
  WHAT IF AN OIL TANK IS LEAKING?
  HOME INSPECTOR SHOULD
  OIL TANK LEAK CAUSES
  OIL TANK LEAK CLEANUP GUIDE
  OIL TANK LEAK TESTING
  LEAKY OIL TANK FILL PIPES
  Leaky Oil Tank Reporting Regulations
OIL TANK LIFE
OIL TANK PIPING DEFECTS
OIL TANK PRESSURE
OIL TANK REGULATIONS
OIL TANK REMOVAL COs
OIL TANK REMOVAL FINANCIAL AID
OIL TANK SAFETY
OIL TANK SLUDGE
OIL TANK STANDARDS
OIL TANK TESTING
OIL TANK TESTING COs
OIL TANK WATER CONTAMINATION

• OIL TANK REGULATIONS U.S. State and Federal environmental regulations regarding oil leak reporting, oil and other storage tank registration, oil tank abandonment, tank removal, tank testing, and other storage tanks, U.S. state regulations, and regulations in other countries are discussed in detail at this link where we also give contact information for various federal and state agencies.
• Home buyers of a property with an oil tank should be sure to review HOME BUYERS GUIDE TO OIL TANKS as well as these detailed articles:
  • OIL TANK TESTING - Leaky Heating Oil Tanks - How Oil Tanks are Tested for Evidence Leaks, of Current or Previous Oil Spills
  • OIL TANK LEGAL ISSUES - Home Buyers and Home Owners Guide to Leaky Heating Oil Tanks - What to Do About & When to Report Oil Tank Leaks.
  • Leaky Heating Oil Tanks. OIL TANK ABANDONING PROCEDURE - Abandoning Commercial vs. Residential Underground Oil Storage Tanks (UST) - Procedures & Regulations for Home owners who have old oil tanks above ground or any age oil tank below ground
  • Septic Tanks A separate website for onsite waste disposal tank.
  • OIL TANK ABANDONING PROCEDURE - Abandoning Oil Tanks - provides a detailed discussion of Abandoning Commercial vs. Residential Underground Oil Storage Tanks (UST) - Procedures & Regulations

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Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair

• Our recommended books about building & mechanical systems design, inspection, problem diagnosis, and repair, and about indoor environment and IAQ testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the InspectAPedia Bookstore. Also see our Book Reviews - InspectAPedia.
• Oil Tanks - The Oil Storage Tank Information Website: Buried or Above Ground Oil Tank Inspection, Testing, Cleanup, Abandonment of Oil Tanks
• Abandon a Buried Oil Tank, How To - Abandoning Commercial Underground Tanks, Russ Brauksieck, ASHI Tech. Journal, Vol.3 No.1 Spring 1993, P. 40-41 [Reprint]
• Above Ground Oil Tanks: Visual Inspection of Oil Storage Tanks for evidence of leaks, damage, improper piping - photos and text
• Above Ground Oil Tanks Checklist, an Oil Company's advice
• Above Ground Tanks UL Standards, UL Tank Listing Standards, guidance for home owners, buyers, and inspectors
• Buried Oil Tanks - Finding How to Find Buried Oil Tanks and "Nearly Hidden" and Leaky Oil Tanks - photos and text.
• Buried Fuel tank - Advice - Buried FUEL Tank - GAS or OIL advice for home buyers, home owners, inspection report language for homes where a buried oil tank is or was installed
• Environmental Issues & Regulations for Oil Tanks, Registration, Abandonment, Leak Reporting
• Home Inspection Report Language Library: Buried Oil Tanks, Buried or aboveground oil tank advice for home buyers and home owners, where a buried oil tank is or was installed, also home inspection report language for oil tanks
• Home Inspection Report Language Library: Visible Defects in Oil Tank Installations, Tanks, and Heating Oil Piping
• Home Inspection Report Language Library: Gas Fuel Piping or Tank Faults Basic advice - home inspection report language suggestions
• Home Inspection Report Language Library: Oil Tanks text file list © Oil and Other Storage Tank Leaks, Testing, Abandonment, Inspection - UST home inspection report language files - Reference List
• Indoor Environment Website Indoor Building Environmental Hazard Detection, Testing, Repair, & Prevention - Main Web Page
• Leaky Heating Oil Tanks - Advice for Home Owners or Buyers: caused of leaks in oil tanks, oil tank testing alternatives, what to do about leaky tanks: D. J. Friedman, ASHI Tech. Journal, Vol.2 No.1, Winter, 1992 p. 42-43 Illus
• Leak or Failure Rates for Home Heating Oil Tanks
• Legal Issues Regarding Buried Oil Storage Tanks K. S. Rea, Attorney, summary from ASHI Chapter Seminar.
• Primer on Petroleum Bulk Storage Tanks & Petroleum Contamination of Property Paul H. Ciminello, ASHI Tech. Journal, Vol.3 No.1 Spring 1993, p 35-39
• Petroleum Bulk Storage J. Sibblies, NY State DEC, Advice to Home Owners and Home Inspectors about Oil Storage Tanks - summary from ASHI Chapter Seminar.
• Septic Tank inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair
• OIL TANK FAILURE CAUSES - Oil Tank Failure Causes - oil tank leaks are caused by corrosion, damage, soil conditions, other factors
• Tank Failure Rates - Oil Tank Failure Rates - Oil Tank Leak Probability as a Function of Tank Age, Location, Condition, Soil Conditions and Other Factors
• OIL TANK TESTING - - How Oil Tanks are Tested for Evidence Leaks, of Current or Previous Oil Spills
• "How do you choose the right tank testing method?", Cynthia Johnson, Fuel Oil & Oil Heat Magazine, November 1995
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• National Association of Oil Heat Service Managers, PO Box 380, Elmwood Park, NJ 07407
• "Homeowners Guide to Fuel Storage," Agway Energy Products, Verbank, NY, November 1990
• Web Link Exchange: Contact Us to list your website or contact information for oil tank testing, tank corrosion research, oil industry experts
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