Tank Abandonment In-place By Slurry

The Code of Federal Regulations (40 CFR 280.71) require all Underground Storage Tanks (UST) to be removed or abandoned in place by slurry . RDO has been providing these services to our customers for over 20 years.

NDEP – UST Permanent Closure  Requirements & Guidelines

There is no way to know if your tank is truly leaking unless a site assessment of the site is done. Since there is no Federal or State requirement to conduct an assessment of the material surrounding the tank the decision to find out is up to the property owner. Reference

In some cases lending institutions may require that some form of documentation be available to prove that the tank has caused no environmental contamination before a loan for a property transaction can be approved. This requirement varies depending on the lending agency and is not a State or Federal regulatory mandate. Insurance companies are also starting to look at heating oil tanks as a potential liability for a policy.

While our first recommendation will always be tank removal, we do perform tank abandonment in place by slurry. We do recommend a tank tightness test be performed before you slurry a tank just as a “peace of mind” measure. If you do decide to have your tank slurry filled please be aware that this will bar you from accessing the Nevada State Petroleum Fund for reimbursement of cleanup costs, if you ever encounter and are required to clean up petroleum contaminated soil that was released from the heating oil tank you have previously slurry filled.

Excerpt from NDEP Site: Source
“In-place abandonment (i.e.- filling the tank with an inert substance) or removal of a tank prior to assessing the area for contamination would preclude your property from receiving State Fund reimbursement should a problem be discovered at a later date. By State law, if contamination exists, it may be required to be cleaned up. However, since the tank may have been previously filled, or removed, the tank would not be eligible for reimbursement from the State Petroleum Fund. The total clean up cost would be the responsibility of the owner for any situation in which closure is initiated without a site assessment. If you have any further questions contact us at (775) 687-9368.”

It is always in your best interest as a property owner to leave no stone unturned that may come up later on down the road to be a thorn in your side financially.

For further information regarding tank abandonment by slurry or tank removal please contact our Environmental Department. Contact Us