Partially Buried Oil Tank in Basement Question

[rhornung]

Don't see too many oil tanks any more, this one seems to be empty but I want to give my clients a more accurate risk assessment and let them know how they should proceed. Am I correct is saying that if it is completely empty it should be no problem to leave it as is? The home is in Wayne, MI.

[Roy D. Cooke, Sr]

No way.... how do you know it has not leaked .
I would say they need immediate further evaluation by a qualified person .
I do know you can spend up to $300,000;00 or more here to have this removed and cleaned up.
Cover your but big time write hard .

[Jeffrey R. Jonas]

An eval of the tank and the surrounding soil should be performed. An empty tank (today) does not mean the tank or piping was not leaking in the past. All costs for clean-up of any contaminated soil is borne by the homeowner, and could run into the tens/hundreds of thousands of dollars. Your client must be advised of the potential risk, or you may be paying the bill.

[KEVIN WOOD]

The other factor is even if there is no leak the tank still has oil in it.
All the oil must be removed by cutting open the top and filling it with sand. A "Environmental Assessment" must be done to insure no leak has occurred under the existing tank.
No Insurance company will allow you to leave the tank AS IS.

[Jamie R. Wilks]

It would be a good idea for your client to contact the AHJ regarding this matter.
Some localities require the tank to be removed and any necessary clean up performed. Other localities allow the tank to be emptied or pumped out and then filled with sand or similar materials. The important thing to let your clients know is once they own the home they own the tank and any oil in it (and they are responsible for the tank and its contents from now until the end of time). You don’t need to be an alarmist, just advise them to check with the local AHJ and inform them about the future responsibility issues. Of course if the tank is leaking it would be a problem (I don’t think I would quote fees for clean up, remediation or removal).

[David P. OKeefe]

This tank may not be completely empty. If it is, is it empty because it leaked out all the oil into the ground? I always tell my clients to have it further inspected, removed or properly decommissioned.

[Matt Berman, CMI]

tank should be removed,soil tested,and if contaminated should be removed and new clean soil in its place. could be high dollar.

[Matt Berman, CMI]

tank should be removed,soil tested,and if contaminated should be removed and new clean soil in its place. could be high dollar.go to michigan.gov/deq