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December 15, 2015

Frequently Asked Questions about Oil Tanks

If you are considering purchasing a residential property in Vancouver, BC, it is imperative to be aware of the potential existence of a disused oil tank buried underground. According to municipal law, it is the landowner’s responsibility to ensure that old oil tanks must be safely removed and disposed of.

Here are some of the more frequently asked questions asked by new Vancouver homeowners and potential buyers.

What are oil tanks?

Before gas heating became affordable and thus widespread across Vancouver, oil furnace heating was the most popular way of heating homes. This involved storing large amounts of oil in a tank, preferably buried underground so as not to cause an eyesore.

What is the danger of a disused oil tank if it is buried underground?

Many oil tanks were not thoroughly drained of their remaining oil, and due to corrosion over time, there is a high risk of buried oil tanks leaking toxic materials into the surrounding earth.

This could potentially cause a considerable amount of damage to your property, as well as your neighbours’ properties and surrounding areas.

The chance of a leak exponentially increases the longer a tank is left buried underground.

Will it be expensive to deal with a buried oil tank?

The longer you leave an old oil tank to decompose, the higher the chances are that you may soon have a dangerous leak to deal with. The answer is simple – make sure to locate and remove an oil tank from your property before the cost of the clean-up far outweighs the cost of dealing with your tank as early as possible.

I want to preform a check for an oil tank on my property. What are the next steps to take?

Look for visual hints and signs that there may be a buried oil tank on your property. The most popular signs are things such as

•    Bare patches of soil where grass does not grow may indicate the presence of oil

•    Depressions in the earth close to your home

•    Vent pipes in the ground

If you suspect that there may be a buried oil tank on your property, do not attempt to take any further action! Contact the professional team at West Coast Tank Recovery who can help you plan the next steps, involving the scanning and location of the oil tank, its environmentally safe removal and disposal, and the backfilling of any earth affected during the process.