Oil Leaks

Oil storage tanks occasionally leak, and the risk of leakage increases as the oil tank ages.  If the oil storage tank is underground, a small oil leak may go undetected for a long period of time.

  When an oil leak occurs, it often contaminates the surrounding soil.  In an area such as Long Island, this contamination eventually gets into the underground aquifer that is the sole source of Long Island’s drinking water.  Therefore, oil spills in areas such as Long Island are considered very serious.  In other areas, oil spills are also serious, but may not contaminate the ground water to as great an extent.  Oil spill cleanup steps are mandated by regulatory agencies and can be very expensive.

If the house or building that you are considering purchasing has an older buried oil storage tank, that tank should be tested for leakage.  You should arrange with an appropriate oil tank testing specialist for this test.  Some people are concerned that testing may cause the oil tank to start leaking.  In fact, proper testing does not cause tanks to start leaking.  The test only reveals the fact that the tank (or its feeder line) has already been leaking.

For more information, visit the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) underground oil storage tank web site .  You can find out information about oil leaks at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Oil spill web site .  Note that there are state and other municipal regulations that affect underground oil storage tanks.  You should check with your local government offices for more information.

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