Serving the Portland Metro Area  
  Contact us: (503)236-6359      toll free: (800)200-1377      FAX: (206)706-3302       e-mail us  
    Our Products & Services   Click here if you live in Vancouver    
    Residential Heating Oil Tank    
    Tank Testing, Environmental Cleanups, Decommissionings, Replacements      
           
    Do I have an oil tank on my property?      
    Even if you are not currently using oil heat, you may have an oil tank on your property from oil heat being used in the past.      
    Visual Clues:
1.) Look for a vent pipe.  It is normally (not always) attached
to the side of the house.  It is typically 1.25 inches in diameter with a cap attached to the top. 
2.) Look for a fill pipe. It is usually (not always) located in
the ground, near the house.  It is typically 2 inches in diameter.  Ideally it is covered
by a metal plate labeled “Oil”.  
3.) Look for signs of oil lines. Look on the basement floor for concrete patches leading from the wall to a furnace.  Sometimes you will see cut lines sticking out of the floor or wall or patches where lines once were. 
Note: A Locate Service can also be provided to assist in a Tank search.. 		     
     
     
     
  Residential Heating Oil Tank    
  Download your
Guide to
Residential
Heating Oil Tanks
(click image to the right)		    
             
   

If a tank is discovered-Soil Sampling is the next step

   Oil Tank Decommissioning    
    Soil Sampling-why & how?
 To check a tank for leaks:  2 samples are taken from below the bottom of a tank on opposites ends of the tank using a hand auger or “Geo Probe”.  Samples are tested for Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPH).  Results can usually be obtained within 48 hours.
Sample Results:
50 ppm (parts per million) or greater of TPH-(Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons) must be reported to DEQ within 72 hours of detection. The cleanup company is required by law to report the leak.  Readings of 500 ppm or higher will require a cleanup action. (see “Cleanup Options”)..		   A tank decommissioning is a voluntary process in which an abandoned oil tank is properly taken out of service to protect the environment and human health and safety.  We perform Decommissions that meet DEQ qualifications for certifying.  This work includes soil sampling,  pumping & cleaning of the tanks and back-filling of the tank with an inert material.  Decommissionings can be in the form of a tank removal.  They are often done as part of a cleanup.  NOTE: If there is contamination, a cleanup must also be performed.    
  Decommissionings-Buyer Beware    
     
Download Soil Sample Request
If a leak is discovered-DON"T PANIC!
    Contact your oil company and cancel scheduled fill ups. 
Contact a licensed service provider, such as “Universal Applicators”, to have the remaining oil pumped out as soon as possible to prevent further leakage. A list of Licensed Service Providers is available at the DEQ.  Contact your home-owner’s insurance to check on available coverage.		      
     
     
     
Left Picture: When a tank is pumped out, some oil and most of the sludge is left behind to prevent pumps from being clogged.  The remaining sludge must be cleaned to ensure, that the decommissioned tank is truly no longer an environmental hazard.
Center Picture: Decommissioning purposely accelerates the rate a tank rusts away and deteriorates.  As decommissioned tanks rust away, they leave in the ground what was left inside the tank.  In the above case, our company was hired to "fix" the problem the previous contractor left behind. The tank was neither pumped out, cleaned or properly filled.
Right Picture: Shows a properly cleaned Tank.  Sludge is taken by chain of custody to a Certified Recycler for proper disposal. Tanks can be cleaned by hand or "Triple Rinsed" when Tank access is difficult.
Cleanup Options
Soil Matrix Cleanup is the only method that includes excavation and removal of contaminated soil from the property.  Final sampling is performed to prove the site is clean.  The excavation is back-filled with clean fill.  If a house presence restricts the excavation, other cleanup methods can be employed to complete the job.
    Generic Remedy and/or Risk Based Corrective Action (RBCA) are methods that leaves the contaminated soil in place.  Extensive sampling, is performed to confirm that remaining contamination is not an environmental or human health threat.  Costly air intrusion sampling may be required under these rules.  We recommend that this type of cleanup be used only when contamination is inaccessible or may present a threat to structures.       
   
     
       
    Note: Tank Decommissionings are always part of the cleanup process.   Tank Replacements    
           
    Free Estimates - Pay through Escrow
   
     
    Attention Real Estate Agents
    We provide FREE "mini seminars" at your office to help you and your clients  properly deal with "Heating Oil Tank" issues during a property transaction.   Choose from Above Ground 275 gallon, Cathodically Protected 500 gallon Underground Steel Tank, or 500 gallon Underground FiberglassTank.    
             
             
    Commercial Tank Services   Marine Fuel Tank Coating & Services    
             
    Cathodic Protection
Installation, Upgrades, Coatings,  Testing,  Inspections, Decommissioning
& Clean ups.		      
             
         
           
    Specialty Coatings    
       
   

Agricultural Coatings       Hard Service Coatings  Marine Coatings      FDA Approved Coatings     Secondary Containment   
Sports Courts & Tracks       Water Proofing  

    
             
    Professional Associations & Memberships     
    : Associated General Contractors of America  
Registered Service Provider		    
         
             
       
    Serving the Pacific Northwest since 1985    
    Oregon CCB # 65928    
    Contact us: (503)236-6359      toll free: (800)200-1377      FAX: (206)706-3302       e-mail us    
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