December and January are the busiest time of year for heating oil deliveries and, not surprisingly, the time of year for the most home heating oil spills. As a public service, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) has published a handy Fact Sheet (Tips for Residential Tank Owners) with somewhat easy Self-Inspection Checklists for basement and backyard above-ground heating oil tanks, as well as underground tanks. This publication provides information to help individuals deal with a heating oil release and any subsequent cleanup.
In this article, you will learn how to….
- Prevent Fire, Explosion and Exposure
- Stop or Contain the Release
- Report the Release
- Clean Up the Release
- Environmental Cleanup
- Help is Available
Take the time to inspect your tank and associated piping and fittings. Not comfortable with that? Have your heating oil delivery company do it. If you see minor drips, or corrosion of the tank legs, don’t put it off for later. It is important to catch tank issues before they become expensive problems. We know, because we have assisted homeowners with oil tank spills and they’re usually not covered by Homeowner’s Insurance.
View this helpful video from the PADEP
Utilize the Underground Heating Oil Tank Cleanup Reimbursement Program offered by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. “The Underground Heating Oil Tank Cleanup Reimbursement Program provides funds to help with environmental cleanup costs due to releases of heating oil from underground tanks. This program is available to owners of underground heating oil tanks with a capacity of 3,000 gallons or less, used for heating onsite. In order to qualify for the program, the heating oil release must have occurred after January 30, 1998.”
So, inspect your tank – and have a happy, warm, and spill-free holiday season.
For more information, please contact us
marketing@brickhouse-environmental.com
(610) 692-5770
Links: From the DEP
Underground Heating Oil Tank Cleanup Reimbursement Program