My Oil Tank Leaked, What Do I Do Now?

Do you have an oil tank that was removed?   Were you told that the tank leaked?   Were there no obvious sign of oil?  Were there small pin holes in the tank?   Were you told that the oil tank cleanup will cost $10,000.00 to $15,000.00.  If you answered yes to any of these questions, you need a professional second opinion about your leaking oil tank.  80% of the callers we get that answer yes to every question we have found do not need remediation.

The NJDEP allows a limited amount of oil to remain from a leaking tank if the
levels are within the specified range and can also pass two additional analysis.

The NJDEP allows EPH (Extractable Petroleum Hydrocarbon) levels above 1000 ppm but below 5100 ppm to remain in place if certain criteria and site specific factors are right.   Based on the EPH levels found in the tank excavation testing can be performed to present a case that although petroleum levels are present in soils, the petroleum compounds will not leach out from the soils.  

To Compliance Sample your former tank excavation, you must not have any EPH levels above 5100 ppm and you must obtain additional samples from the tank area to confirm that all EPH levels are below 5100 ppm.   In essence you are obtaining soil samples from the four sidewalls of the tank grave, as well as deeper samples to prove that the tank release was small and petroleum levels are within permissible concentrations. If these samples are within standard, then Curren Environmental  can submit a report to the NJDEP asking for closure. This is what is called an NJDEP UHOT (Unregulated Heating Oil Tank) submission and requires a $400.00 fee.   The property owner in return will receive a No Further Action (NFA) letter for the tank leak, which closes the tank leak out as an issue as it provides approval from the NJDEP that the site is in compliance with the applicable environmental regulations.

 Compliance sampling a removed tank is significantly less expensive than performing remediation (contaminated soil removal). 

 

Home heating oil tank leak