InspectAPedia ^TM

Abandoning Commercial vs. Residential Underground Oil Storage Tanks (UST) - Procedures & Regulations
OilTankAPedia ^©

	Enter your search terms Submit search form
	Search This Website - InspectAPedia.com

• How to abandon a buried oil tank in place

This document explains how to properly "abandon" or close an underground petroleum storage tank in place, that is, without having to excavate and remove it. This procedure is permitted if tests show that the tank has not leaked, and it can save a significant amount of the cost of oil tank removal and site repair to fill in the hole left behind. Proper oil storage tank abandonment requires the use of good engineering practices, including consideration of the future condition of the tank. While the original of this article focused on commercial oil storage tanks, the concerns and steps should be examined by those abandoning residential oil tanks as well. Readers of this page should see The Oil Storage Tank Website. © Copyright 2008 Daniel Friedman, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use the links at page left to navigate this document or to go to Other Website Topics. Green links at left show where you are in our document & website.

ABANDONMENT REGULATIONS - Oil Tank Regulations: for Underground Oil Storage Tanks and Aboveground Tanks

In Brief:: oil storage tanks which have not leaked can be abandoned by removal or by filling in-place. Oil tank leaks must be reported to the proper authorities. In New York this means contacting the NYS DEC within two hours of leak discovery. Oil leaks require special cleaning and testing. Significant costs can be involved. Buyers of buildings with buried tanks should either obtain good documentation regarding tank abandonment (and any leak tests performed) or if no documentation is available, testing for leaks is very strongly advised.

Due to the corrosive properties of the soil environment, any steel tank left in the ground will eventually corrode and collapse. For this reason, storage tanks which are no longer to be used must be properly "abandoned" or "discontinued." Abandonment does not itself require that a tank be removed. If a tank has not leaked, thus is there is not a soil contamination issued, it can be opened, cleaned, inspected, and filled in-place. Actual removal of a buried tank involves the additional expense of excavation to remove the tank and then having to fill-in the hole.

Home inspectors in states where oil-fired heating equipment is used may often find indications that an old tank has been "abandoned" at the property either because of a switch to an alternative fuel or because an old leaking tank was supplanted by a new one. Safety and environmental concerns mean that an improperly abandoned tank may become a significant future cost to the homeowner. Portions of this article are from the first half of a New York DEC article printed in the NYSBOC Building Log newsletter in 1992. While most of the present tank regulations exclude the mere presence of residential heating oil storage tanks under 1100 gallons from having to be reported, inspectors should watch for changes: increasing public concern is leading to increased regulation of residential tanks. Original author - Russ Brauksieck. Edits/additions: D J Friedman.

Many localities across the country are allowing underground petroleum tanks to be filled with water if the tank is to be closed in-place. This is not a good engineering practice because the water will accelerate the ultimate corrosion of the tank. Subsequently, the water, now contaminated by the residues in the tank, will escape to the soil and eventually contaminate the ground water.

Note: Long Island NY requires that residential heating oil tanks be registered with the State Department of Environmental Conservation. (C)Trap DJ Friedman

In addition, the tank, now empty, is likely to cave-in along with the ground around it. The need to require that good engineering practices be used in underground storage tanks has prompted the development of much legislation across the country. Abandoned buried storage tank cave-in prevention is discussed in the next section of this article.

Note: Regulations for proper closure of underground petroleum storage tanks in New York State [and almost certainly in other oil-using states as well] have been promulgated by the NYS Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code (UFPBC), the U.S. EPA, the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). and NFPA 31, section 2-8 which provides "If a tank and its related piping is abandoned for whatever reason, the tank and all piping connected to it, including the outside fill and vent piping and any piping connected to the appliance, shall be emptied of all contents, cleaned, removed from the premises or property, and disposed of in accordance with all applicable local, state, and federal rules and regulations."

Other New York oil storage tank regulations include the following:

• New York State Fire Code: 3404.2.13.1 (old NY CRR 1164.5) requires that an oil tank which is no longer going to be used (a discontinued oil storage tank) shall be opened, cleaned, and abandoned (filled in-place or removed) within ninety days of the day on which it is no longer used. Piping is also removed (Avoid accidental filling of empty abandoned tanks or leaks from pipes no longer connected to tanks!).
• 1164.5 of the UFPBC, in section 40
• CFR part 280.7 of the federal Underground Storage Tank (UST) regulations
• subdivision 6 NYCRR Part 613.9 (b) of the DEC's Petroleum Bulk Storage (PBS) regulations.
• Other states using significant amounts of oil for residential heating may have similar regulations. See TANK REGULATIONS.

More Reading:
Regulations addressing reporting of oil tank leaks and oil tank abandonment of oil tanks written various state and federal authorities are discussed in more detail at TANK REGULATIONS - "Buried Tank and Above Ground Oil Tank Leak Reporting & Tank Abandonment Regulations"

AVOIDING CAVE-INs When Abandoning Oil Tanks

In order to avoid cave-ins, all of these regulations require that tanks either be removed or filled in-place with a solid, inert material, using good engineering practices. Such fill material is also required to prevent the tank from surfacing after closure, should the ground water table rise, and to completely seal the tank and associated piping from future use as a tank system. Acceptable solid, inert materials for closing a tank include sand, concrete slurry, and even some foams. When the tank eventually corrodes and collapses, this solid material inside the tank will keep the ground from caving in.

Removing old fuel from underground oil tanks

The UFPBC also requires that underground petroleum tanks to be closed in-place shall be made safe by removing flammable or combustible liquids from the tank and connecting lines; disconnecting the suction inlet, gauge and vent lines; and capping the remaining piping. All storage tanks removed from their location must also have flammable or combustible liquids removed, have the same lines disconnected; have sections of connecting lines not to be used further removed, and have inlets, outlets, and any leaks capped or plugged. The basic procedures for meeting these requirements are defined in the State and federal regulatory programs.

In addition to requiring the same basic procedures as the State regulations, the federal UST regulations require that a site assessment be performed by the owner/operator when a tank is closed. (Heating oil tanks, and farm and residential tanks storing less than 1,100 gallons of motor fuel are exempt from these regulations.)

For a detailed description of the steps required for proper tank abandonment or for more information on site assessments and permanent tank closure, contact your state department of environmental conservation. In New York inspectors can contact the author or the Bulk-Storage help-line 800-242-3451.

Technical & Peer Reviewers for the original publication in the ASHI Technical Journal

Stephen Gladstone, Stonehollow Inspections, CT.,
Paul Ciminello, Ecosystems Strategies, Poughkeepsie, NY
Daniel Friedman, ASHI Technical Journal Editor/Publisher, Poughkeepsie, NY

Russ Brauksieck is an Environmental Engineer with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

[Periodic edits and content additions to the original text by DJ Friedman]

More Information On:Buried and Above Ground Oil Storage Tanks & Oil Tank References

• 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, inspection report language
• Environmental Issues & Regulations for Oil Tanks, Registration, Abandonment, Leak Reporting
• Home Inspection Report Language Library: Buried Oil Tanks, Basic home buyer advice - home inspection report language suggestions
• 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
• TANK FAILURE CAUSES - Oil Tank Failure Causes - oil tank leaks are caused by corrosion, damage, soil conditions, other factors
• TANK TESTING - - How Oil Tanks are Tested for Evidence Leaks, of Current or Previous Oil Spills
• TANK FAILURE RATES - Oil Tank Failure Rates - Oil Tank Leak Probability as a Function of Tank Age, Location, Condition, Soil Conditions and Other Factors
• Web Link Exchange: Contact Us to list your website or contact information for oil tank testing, tank corrosion research, oil industry experts

InspectAPedia ^TM Home & Site Map - Building Inspection, Diagnosis, & Repair, Environmental Inspection & Testing - Research Website

Contact Daniel Friedman for website content suggestions or for fee-paid consulting

	Enter your search termsSubmit search form
	Search This Website - InspectAPedia.com