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I just recently sold my house in Bergen County with an underground oil tank. I researched through the town ordinance and found that the quick solution was to have the tank emptied, not taken out. The excavaition alone would've cost us thousands. Instead, we had it emptied for a fraction of the cost and the buyers were satisfied with the end result. The tank was refilled with silicone or something like that. You might want to investigate.
I just recently sold my house in Bergen County with an underground oil tank. I researched through the town ordinance and found that the quick solution was to have the tank emptied, not taken out. The excavaition alone would've cost us thousands. Instead, we had it emptied for a fraction of the cost and the buyers were satisfied with the end result. The tank was refilled with silicone or something like that. You might want to investigate.
...and when those people go to sell and the next buyer forces them to take the tank out and find that it was actually leaking... be prepared to get a letter from an attorney putting you on notice that you are responsible for the cost to clean it up! Very bad recommendation Jose! I'm working on a very similiar case at the moment... tank was "abandoned-in-place" by a previous owner..two owners prior and they are going after him for the monies!
...and when those people go to sell and the next buyer forces them to take the tank out and find that it was actually leaking... be prepared to get a letter from an attorney putting you on notice that you are responsible for the cost to clean it up! Very bad recommendation Jose! I'm working on a very similiar case at the moment... tank was "abandoned-in-place" by a previous owner..two owners prior and they are going after him for the monies!
Wiley, And they should. That should not be passed on to anyone.
...and when those people go to sell and the next buyer forces them to take the tank out and find that it was actually leaking... be prepared to get a letter from an attorney putting you on notice that you are responsible for the cost to clean it up! Very bad recommendation Jose! I'm working on a very similiar case at the moment... tank was "abandoned-in-place" by a previous owner..two owners prior and they are going after him for the monies!
Sorry dude! I was just sharing what worked for me. To my knowledge, the tank only becomes an issue if it is full of oil. I may be wrong, it worked for me nonetheless. Legally, I might add.
[SIZE=2]It does not matter if the tank has fuel in it or has been filled in place with an acceptable material if the soil around or under the tank exceeds limits for petroleum in the soil the tank and soil must be removed. This can be a costly clean-up. We test soil on approximately 3000 tanks a year just in NJ. Many of these tanks have been closed in place with the proper paper work and are found to have contaminated soil. The problem is people think they are saving money by not removing the tank and fail to have the soil evaluated because that cost would have made it more beneficial to remove the tank. In some cases people close the tank in place to hide the fact the tank was leaking.
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[SIZE=2]It does not matter if the tank has fuel in it or has been filled in place with an acceptable material if the soil around or under the tank exceeds limits for petroleum in the soil the tank and soil must be removed. This can be a costly clean-up. We test soil on approximately 3000 tanks a year just in NJ. Many of these tanks have been closed in place with the proper paper work and are found to have contaminated soil. The problem is people think they are saving money by not removing the tank and fail to have the soil evaluated because that cost would have made it more beneficial to remove the tank. In some cases people close the tank in place to hide the fact the tank was leaking.[/SIZE]
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Ok cool point, but let me ask you this, if soil is contaminated, how long does it stay contaminated after it has been emptied and refilled with an accepted material? For example, if a new homeowner buys a home with contaminated soil and decides to sell after say, 10 years, is the soil still contaminated??
Sorry dude! I was just sharing what worked for me. To my knowledge, the tank only becomes an issue if it is full of oil. I may be wrong, it worked for me nonetheless. Legally, I might add.
Not a dude
What actank stated is correct... regarding your question as to how long it takes for natural attenuation or biodegradation - there are too many factors to consider in order to answer that question - i.e. Soil type (clay, sand), how much and/or how bad was the contamination at the time the tank was decommissioned, etc. Plus NJDEP standards are constantly changes... exceptable levels seem to drop to even lower numbers every year or so. If it worked for you initially, great! Just don't stop looking over your shoulder as this can come back to haunt you down the road!
A decommisioned tank should only be left in the ground and filled in place if removal will create a problem because of its location. As stated by Not a Dude it could take more years than you count to have the contamination reach an acceptabvle level. If you plan to stop using your underground tank only hire companies that have NJ licenses. The State of NJ now requires any one testing or removing/closing in place an underground tank to be licensed. Demand to see the license.
A decommisioned tank should only be left in the ground and filled in place if removal will create a problem because of its location. As stated by Not a Dude it could take more years than you count to have the contamination reach an acceptabvle level. If you plan to stop using your underground tank only hire companies that have NJ licenses. The State of NJ now requires any one testing or removing/closing in place an underground tank to be licensed.Demand to see the license.
Or look for the company's name/lic. no. on the NJDEP website
Wileynj is correct you can verify that the company is licensed on the NJDEP web site. If you hire a company in NJ to evaluate and test a home owner's underground tank a company like the one I work for will send a NJ licensed technician to do the testing. This technician's license cannot be found on the NJDEP web site, therefor it is important to ask the technician for proof that he is licensed to do testing in NJ. The following states do not require a license to test home owners tanks NY(under 1100 gallons), PA, CT,DE, MD.
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Underground tanks by actank
