Oil Cleanup Information for Homeowners and Insurance Companies

Underground heating oil tanks: a homeowner’s guide

Dealing with oil spill on your property can be difficult and stressful. Home heating oil is usually stored in underground storage tanks (USTs) adjacent to a home, or in above-ground storage tanks (ASTs) in a basement, outside of the home, or garage. Heating oil tanks with a capacity less than 1,100 gallons are not regulated by the New York State’s Petroleum Bulk Storage (PBS) regulations. Most homes that uses fuel oil for heating of the home are usually below 1,100 gallons in capacity. However, the county that the home is located within, may have regulations that apply to home heating oil tanks. For instance counties such as Nassau, Suffolk or Westchester, may have regulations that apply to your home heating oil tank.

 

When an underground tank or pipe leaks, the oil may move through the ground and into the groundwater, spreading onto neighboring properties. If you use fuel oil to heat your home and observe your tank leaking, a spill or contamination, take action as soon as possible by calling us at American Environmental to contain the leak and cleanup the spill. After the spill is contained, additional work is usually needed to determine the extent of the problem and the amount of cleanup required. To determine the extent of the impact, soil sampling and /or groundwater sampling would be necessary.

Home Owner Oil Spill Cleanup Information