January 18, 2016/in Environmental Services /by jeng
Older houses have many charms, such as wooden ceilings, detailed trim, and vintage light fixtures. Unfortunately, they can also include some not-so-charming attractions. One of the worst is a leaking underground storage tank. While some people prefer to live by the motto “Out of sight, out of mind,” underground tanks are one of those things that will get worse the longer they are ignored. In this case, it is better to face the problem head on—especially if you have the help of an environmental professional, such as the team at Applied Resource Management.
What is an underground tank?
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, an underground storage tank (UST) is defined as any tank with ancillary piping that has at least 10% of its combined volume submerged underneath the ground. While these tanks can be used to store gasoline, diesel fuel, kerosene, and heating oil, they do not age well. This means that older USTs present a contamination risk, one that can harm your property’s soil and groundwater, putting both the land and our drinking water in danger. Buried storage tanks can also pose a financial liability to the owner if they are neglected, which is something you definitely want to avoid!
According to the Groundwater Protection Council, many people are not being proactive and taking care of their underground tanks. In fact, there are currently more than 640,000 federally regulated buried tanks that store fuels and other hazardous substances. Of these, about 465,000 have leaked, requiring extensive and expensive clean up.
How can I protect my property and myself?
If it sounds like you might be headed for a similar situation, we have good news. Applied Resource Management is fully equipped to handle this risk and remove your underground storage tank so you can protect yourself and your property.
It does not matter if you are a home buyer with your eye on a fixer upper, a current homeowner ready to cross this task off your list, or an owner getting ready to sell your place. An underground storage tank can and should be removed by environmental professionals. When you hire Applied Resource Management to take care of this issue, we follow a few steps to make sure the job is completed in a thorough and timely manner. First, we complete a site assessment to see if any chemicals have been released from the tank and whether additional testing and remediation will be required. Next, ARM’s experienced staff of Geologists and Environmental Technicians will coordinate the tank’s removal, along with any remediation of the site. Finally, we will file post-closure reports with the State, securing No Further Action status and seeing if you are eligible for any reimbursement from the State Trust Fund. While these steps may seem confusing or complicated, they are all in a day’s work at ARM. It’s what we do, and we are happy to do it for you.
I’m ready to have my tank removed!
If you have an underground tank that needs to be removed, contact Applied Resource Management today. We will ensure that your soil and water remain protected, so you are free to rest easy and enjoy your property. You can also like us on Facebook for the latest in environmental news and company updates.
