I saw the telltale signs the other day. It was an underground oil tank. Actually, this was a pretty easy find. Often there is way less to see than what I had to go on at this site. The photo below tells the story. You can see the fill tube and the vent or "breather" for an old and abandoned underground fuel storage tank. In this case the fuel was heating oil. One time, doing an inspection, it ended up that the underground fuel tank that I saw had been used to store gasoline. That was an expensive cleanup as it had leaked and the home was near a creek.
The general environmental guideline today -- at least in my community -- is that, except in unusual circumstances, storage tanks need to be removed and de-commissioning is discouraged or not allowed as it was in the past. That process had involved emptying a tank and filling it with a slurry of concrete or urethane. If you would like more detailed information on this matter, almost a year ago I wrote a longer article on underground storage tanks. In fact, I wrote two such articles and they link from one to another. You can get there from here. Steven L. Smith Bellingham WA Home Inspections
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Hi Steven,
Yikes, I've never had anything like this happen. A question for you, would one find a permit for something like this on file? Meaning is there any other evidence that something like this existed?
Its common in some areas. A few years back my investors were trying to acquire several retail strip centers in small towns. Turns our many of them were former gas stations with storage tanks that were never removed. The gas stations closed down, the buildings were remodeled and expanded into small strip centers without properly removing the tanks.
Fearing EPA fines and remediation, my investors backed off some great properties and deals that are now worth 10 times thier value then. I dont blame them for passing on the deals though. No telling what expense would be involved in remediation and clean up.
Living in an urban area I would never even think to look for potential underground tanks....Thanks for the eye opener.
We have been quite fortunate that our area rarely see abandoned storage tanks.
There are just SO many of those old oil tanks around. Some properties have more than one. I had one once where the fill and vent pipes were hidden by an above ground tank. Missing them can be very costly to a buyer----not to mention the seller:)
Lynda,
Unlikely that you would find a permit indicating they went into the ground. Sometimes, the county or fire marshall will have papers indicating that a tank has be de-commissioned or removed.
Michael,
Here in townk an investory bought an old service station. The top gas tank was okay. They dug that out andit ended up that there was another tank below. Clean up was more thant 250K.
Charlie Bee,
I disagree with everything you say but would die defending your right to say it. Had an old college prof who said that all the time and we thought he was kind of weird. We also thought he was overstating his commitment to free speech.
HHmmm, Interesting. I would be prone to take a lighterin order to look down the tube to see if the tank had anything in it.
Sean Allen
Sean,
From the smell, it probably had oil. Fact is, from an inspection standpoint it does not make much difference. The lenders often want them removed one way or the other. Sometimes the lenders want them removed AFTER they were decommissioned -- as in when they weigh about 5000 pounds. Actually, no real chance it was decommissioned or that piping would not be there. Also, sometimes the fact they drained MOST of the oil out but left a partially empty tank can be bad. Ends up filling with water, mixing water with the oil, rusts even more and then the tank really ruptures and the water mixed with oil is almost as bad as plain oil. I am not so bright I know all that. I had a long talk with a company, years back, that is licensed and approved to remove these things.