Before You Buy a Home, Check the Oil Tank

If you are planning to purchase a home in Newfrom the house, and the oil vent pipe may not even
Jersey or New York, be sure to check the propertybe close to the filler pipe. Flat stones or old cans
for evidence of a buried fuel (e.g. oil) storage tank.often mark the location of the filler or vent pipe. In
As property owner, you face several potential risks ifthe home itself, look for abandoned oil lines, marks of
nothing is known about the tank--type, condition,oil lines, or gauges or valves connected to an outdoor
exact location. These include underground leaks,tank.
damage to the property and environment, waterBecause of the risks associated with underground
contamination, and expensive clean up costs.storage tanks, NY and NJ oil tank removal and/or
Consequently, it is important to have the tank testedstorage processes are closely monitored. For
before you buy the property. Installing a new oil tankexample, the New York State Department of
can be rather expensive, because old tanks mustEnvironmental Conservation requires buried tanks
undergo a particular procedure for disposal.storing more than 1,100 gallons of heated oil to be
There are signs you can look for that indicate theregistered. A tank containing less than 1,100 gallons
presence of an oil tank on your property. First,does not need to be registered, but if an oil leak is
inspect the area around the building for oil fill or ventdetected on any size of tank, it absolutely must be
pipes. Oil fillers can sometimes be placed quite a wayreported within two hours of its discovery.