Willard Environmental Group, heating oil tank inspection, environmental

When it comes to successful home renovation projects, choosing the right contractor for the job is an important first step. Whether you're remodeling a bathroom, building a deck or removing an underground storage tank, slow down and do some research. If you don't choose the right contractor, you could end up disappointed in the work, feeling swindled and needing someone else to finish the job.

Get a referral from someone you know. People love updating their
homes so you should have no trouble coming up with a list of contractors.  Sometimes it's difficult to find a company that performs work on petroleum storage tanks.  We have a list of folks in our TESTIMONIAL section that are very satisfied with our services.

Hire a contractor who specializes in the type of work you need done. Someone you hire to install wood flooring or to build a deck should be a carpentry contractor, while someone you hire to remove an underground storage tank should specialize in tank work.  There are many different trade certifications, so be sure to check the title on your contractor's certification to make sure he or she is a specialist.

Check licenses and insurance.  Ask the contractor for copies of the following documents: Contractor's License and Certificates of Insurance.  A reputable contractor will have no problem providing copies of these documents.

Check with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to find out if complaints have ever been filed or are outstanding against the contractor.  Beware of companies who display the  BBB Logo on their information to make it appear they are members.  Our information can be found
HERE.

We have discovered a lot of companies in the Northern Virginia area performing tank removals without the proper licensing and insurance.  Don't be afraid to ask for proof of licensing and insurance.  We can make these documents available at your request.

Tips & Warnings

Hire a contractor who seems professional and knowledgeable.

Check with your county or city building department about whether a permit is required for the work to be done. If a permit is required, the liability is on the owner of the property to procure the permit or authorize the contractor to pull the permit.

Don't hire unlicensed contractors to do the job. If you do, you
will have no recourse should you be unhappy with the job or should you have code or permit violations cited by your county.

Oil Tank Leak Rates Reported in Real Estate Publications Real Estate Publications, while reluctant to scare home owners and buyers by aggressive reporting on leaky oil tanks (which can involve a very large cleanup expense), also cite the concern for leaking oil tanks.

"Statistics indicate as many as 25% of all Underground storage tanks (USTs) may now be leaking. These underground tanks may hold oil or gas but can most frequently be found at homes heated with oil. Over time, there is a tendency for these older tanks to corrode and leak their contents into the ground and possibly into the ground water. Because of the great expense involved in cleaning up the contamination caused by leaking tanks, it behooves those that have older underground tanks, to have them or the soil tested."

We know very little of the human health effects caused by fuel oils. Daily use of a kerosene stove for cooking should not cause any breathing problems for most people. People who use kerosene stoves to cook do not have more colds than people who have other types of stoves. Breathing moderate amounts of deodorized kerosene (fuel oil no. 1) has been shown to slightly affect the ability to smell and to cause a taste sensation. Numerous case-studies have reported accidental poisoning in children as the result of drinking kerosene. These accidents are probably much more frequent in areas where kerosene is commonly used for cooking and heating. Drinking kerosene may cause vomiting, diarrhea, swelling of the stomach, stomach cramps, coughing, drowsiness, restlessness, irritability, and unconsciousness; also, it may be difficult to breathe, and breathing may be painful. Coughing, pneumonia, and difficult or painful breathing after drinking kerosene suggest that kerosene has entered the lungs. In addition, drinking large amounts of kerosene can put you into a coma, cause convulsions, and may even cause death. When kerosene gets on your skin for short periods, it can make your skin itchy, red, and sore; sometimes blisters may occur and your skin may peel.

Breathing fuel oil no. 1 vapor for periods as short as 1 hour may make you feel nauseous, increase your blood pressure, be irritating to your eyes, or make your eyes bloodshot. Breathing kerosene or JP-5 vapors can also affect your nervous system. Some of the effects that have been noted in case studies include headache, light-headedness, anorexia (loss of appetite), poor coordination, and difficulty concentrating. Breathing diesel fuel vapors for a long time may damage your kidneys, increase your blood pressure, or lower your blood’s ability to clot. Constant skin contact (for example, washing) with diesel fuel may also
damage your kidneys.

It appears that repeated contact with fuel oils can cause skin cancer in mice and may cause liver cancer in mice. However, there is some conflicting information. Further, the fuel oils were tested only on mice. We do not know if fuel oils can cause cancer in humans. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has determined that residual (heavy) fuel oils and marine diesel fuel are possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B classification). In addition, IARC considers that there is not enough information (Group 3 classification) available to determine if distillate (light) fuel oils or distillate (light) diesel fuels cause cancer. They have also determined that occupational exposures to fuel oils during petroleum refining are probably carcinogenic to humans (Group 2A classification). We do not know if fuel oils can cause birth defects or if they affect reproduction. See Chapter 2 for more information on the health effects of fuel oils.

When we observe evidence that a buried fuel storage tank is located at a property and when no other information is known about the type, condition, or even exact location of the tank, underground tank leaks, environmental damage, local water or well contamination, and a costly cleanup are potential risks to the property owner. Because significant site cleanup costs can be involved if an oil tank has leaked at a property, unless there is reliable documentation that the tank has been tested quite recently, it would be prudent for a home buyer to have such testing performed before purchasing the property.

Installing a new oil storage tank will involve significant expense. There are also proper methods of "abandoning" old unused buried tanks.

Before completing purchase of a property that has or had a buried oil tank you need to have either had the tank removed, abandoned in place, or tested.