Underground Storage Tanks
Tanks, A Lot!
How To Handle A Below Ground Hazard
Ground-water quality is a constant concern of Vermont homeowners. In particular, concern arises most often in regard to the condition of buried or basement-located home heating oil tanks, a serious potential hazard that also has a major impact on a property.
These potential risks can be handled quickly and economically, says civil engineer John Diego of Leggette, Brashears & Graham, Inc. (LBG), a Williston-based environmental engineering firm.
“Normal residential tanks hold 275 gallons of oil,” says Diego, a ground-water specialist, “but the oil scare of the 1970s forced a substantial rethinking based on the potential availability of home heating fuel.”
Many homes of that era were built with 500- or 1,000- or even 2,000-gallon tanks. Most of these, unlike the more common 275-gallon tanks, were installed below ground for aesthetic reasons and because of the fear that oil stored above ground would gel in extreme cold.
Underground Installations Now Taboo
The long-term result has been that below-ground oil storage is no longer acceptable, and this in turn can lead to a potential problem for a homeowner whose property has a below-ground tank. In simple terms, the options are to prove that the underground tank is safe and is not leaking or to remove the tank altogether.
Insurance companies are reluctant to cover properties that have buried tanks. That means that the owner.s best or only option is to remove it. In real terms, notes Diego, that means paying between $1,800 and $3,200, depending on how accessible the buried tank is for removal. For instance, a tank buried beside a garage and in a clear space can be removed quite simply. On the other hand, a tank buried where a deck has subsequently been installed over it will be more difficult to take out.
“On top of that,” adds Diego, “we also have to consider the volume of waste sludge remaining in the tank we are removing.”
State Assistance Is Available
The State of Vermont.s Petroleum Cleanup Fund (PCF) offers up to $150,000 a year, Diego indicates, and homeowners are entitled to grants of up to $1,000 if an underground tank is removed or an above-ground tank is improved. For more information, go to http://www.anr.state.vt.us/dec/wastediv/ust/ustgrantapplication.htm or call 802-241-3888.
“The major problems we find,” Diego says, “concern the quality of the steel of which the tank is made, as well as ground-water runoff, soil conditions, and substandard pipes.in particular pipe connections that are not securely tightened. Homeowners dealing with these situations should be aware that recently upgraded standards for Vermont demand that the pipes for oil tanks must be at least 1.25 inch in diameter for both the fill and vent pipes, and that each of these must be at least 18 inches above ground.”
The availability of fiberglass tanks is a more recent concern, notes Diego. They are brittle in comparison to the steel versions, and are more risky in situations where new excavations take place.such as for the installation of electric dog fences or when heavy septic-tank trucks must drive over the tank location.
“We also have to be constantly alert to the possibility of liquid or vapor releases,” says Diego. “If we detect any leakage or vapors, the owner is required to notify the state. Once that happens, a state review of the situation determines whether that property becomes a listed hazardous waste site. If that.s the case, more environmental testing is required. Even so, mechanisms are in place to help look after releases of waste materials and property clean-ups.”
Here again, assistance is available through the state's PCF.
“This second program is distinct from the homeowners' grant program,” Diego points out. “If a property owner - not necessarily a homeowner - has no insurance, he or she may qualify for reimbursement of environmental cleanup costs, less a $250 deductible.”
It is obvious, Diego adds, that Vermont is both positive and serious in regard to the quality of ground-water statewide.
More Than 60 Years of Experience
LBG, established in New York in 1944, now serves 14 states. It helps homeowners and real estate professionals through the complex process from identifying properties at risk, to seeking state assistance, to final removal of tanks, at minimal cost.
Don Manders is an adjunct professor of English at Vermont Technical College
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