By Carson & Dunlops Associates
While environmental issues are typically beyond the scope of a standard home inspection, the issue of buried oil tanks has come to the forefront in recent months. According to the Fuels Safety Branch of the Technical Standards Division of the Ministry of Consumer and Commercial Relations, abandoned underground fuel tanks must be removed. The Fuel Oil Code states that an underground oil tank which has not been used for two years must have the product removed from the tank and the tank removed from the ground. The soil around the tank must then be tested for contamination. Any contaminated soil must be removed and the cavity filled to grade level with clean fill. All work must be done by a contractor who is registered under the Energy Act. In straight forward cases, soil testing and tank removal will likely cost a minimum of $3,000. If any contaminated soil is discovered, costs can skyrocket. Sometimes, the contaminated soil extends below the footings of the house and removal of the soil requires re-supporting of the structure.
During a recent home inspection, we discovered an abandoned buried oil tank in a crawl space below an addition. The tank was likely buried outdoors until the addition was built over it. In cases such as this, one can apply for a variance. If a variance is granted, the tank can be pumped out and filled with a concrete slurry (to prevent the tank from ultimately collapsing). This, of course, can only be done if the tank has not leaked and contaminated the soil. Buried residential oil tanks are not all that common in Southern Ontario, however, if you discover oil fill lines and you can’t find the tank or the location where the tank was removed from the basement, you may have just stumbled across a buried one. In some neighborhoods, oil was once supplied to houses from a central storage tank via underground piping. In these cases the tank is not on the property and consequently it is of no concern.
Carson & Dunlop Associates is a consulting engineering firm which has been devoted exclusively to building inspections since 1978. Their website is located www.carsondunlop.com and they can be reached at (416) 964-9415.
