Abandoning your oil tank is a specific process. It doesn’t mean you simply walk away and forget about the tank. More and more homeowners are switching from buried tanks to aboveground tank installation Westchester County NY. This is due to the environmental risk of unknown oil leaks happening underground where they won’t be detected as quickly. Once that occurs, the expense of cleaning up the leak skyrockets.
If you’ve decided to replace your underground tank with an above-ground one, you have two options. You can either completely remove the tank or abandon it in place. Removing a tank can be tricky, depending on where the tank is located on your property. Here are some pros and cons of leaving it where it is.
Abandonment Process
The process of abandonment is much easier than removing a tank completely. When removing a tank, you have to be extremely careful that the oil does not spill out. With abandonment, the top of the tank is uncovered and then cut open. A professional goes in and removes the oil from inside the tank and cleans the interior. Then the tank is filled with sand and recovered. This process is also less destructive to your property.
Environmental Impact
Even after a tank has been cleaned and filled with sand, there is still a possibility that residue will make its way into the ground. When a tank is removed, the soil around it is tested for contaminants. No soil testing is done when the tank is abandoned. Therefore, there is still the possibility of some negative effects on the environment if you choose to abandon the tank instead of removing it.
Property Value
Your property value will go up whether you abandon or remove an underground oil tank. Insurance companies sometimes won’t insure a home when the tank is buried, so relocating it above ground will always pay off. If you do choose abandonment, then get a certificate verifying that it was done properly. This paperwork will be important if you put your house on the market.
