That oil tank hidden underground in your yard could end up costing you tens if not hundreds of thousands of dollars.
While the EPA has been encouraging the removal of underground storage tanks for years, there are still more than half a million subdermal tanks in the U.S. These hazards threaten to contaminate groundwater and soil, which could lead to expensive remediation for homeowners.
Roughly 60% of all underground storage tanks have experienced at least one leak, according to the American Economic Institution. Oil spills from leaking underground tanks at homes and gas stations are the “largest single threat to groundwater quality in the United States today,” according to the office of the NY Attorney General.
At TankOne, we can help you safely and affordably remove these tanks before you end up in one of the disastrous scenarios below. If you’re a homebuyer, we can do a tank sweep NJ of the yard to identify a potential threat, which could have located the tank before a leak or pushed the costs for remediation onto the seller.
$30,000 and a ripped up driveway
When homeowners in Rutherford, New Jersey had their underground oil tank removed, they made a startling discovery: the tank had been leaking into the soil all around their home.
What would have been an easy removal turned into a multi-month ordeal that ended up costing them $30,000 after a remediation company ripped up their driveway and removed a large chunk of dirt in their yard?
“They dug and they dug and they dug,” recalled Mark Viggiano, a mechanic, in a northjersey.com article. “You would think they had dropped a bomb.”
As these homeowners learned, a leak can persist undetected for years.
$60,000 over 2.5 years
When homebuyers in Waldwick, NJ were buying a beautiful new brick home, their real estate agent encouraged them to remove the underground tank hidden underneath their front yard.
While they thought the process was going to be quick and painless, it ended up turning into a $60,000 ordeal that lasted two-and-a-half years because of tank corrosion that had been leaking contaminants into the ground.
Oil leak in the Poconos
After floodwaters receded from a storm, residents in the Poconos reported a lingering smell of oil. It turns out the underground oil tank at Swiftwater Elementary had leaked into the groundwater. Local residents reported respiratory issues, dizziness and headaches.
$120,000 in remediation in British Columbia
After a homeowner paid $30,000 to investigate where oil around her house was coming from, the current and past homeowners of a neighbouring property were ordered to split payment of up to $120,000 in remediation costs. The neighbour who investigated the leak, whose yard was not involved, was ultimately refunded for her efforts.
The new homeowner is on the hook for cleanup 11 years after the spill
Not long after buying a new home near Boston, a homeowner was informed by the government that she was responsible for remediation efforts caused by an underground oil tank leak that happened on her property 11 years ago.
She received estimates that the cost of just testing the soil would start around $14,000 and that major work on the property could increase the tab to six figures.
Don’t end up like these people – get a quote today!
At TankOne, we can help you identify whether you have a tank without digging up your yard.
Get an oil tank sweep NJ quote from TankOne today to avoid one of these disaster oil tank scenarios.
Originally published at kangblogger.com
