Blog

April 25, 2014

Is Your Property Free of Environmental Hazards?

A property owner soon learns that when something goes wrong, the buck stops with them. And trouble may be lurking right beneath your feet. Many commercial and residential buildings constructed before the 1970s were heated using underground oil tanks. Later with the availability of natural gas, these tanks became obsolete and in a lot of cases were abandoned. Forgotten, more than a thousand of these tanks remain buried in areas of West and North Vancouver; accidents waiting to happen.

Oil tank removal in Vancouver is a regulated field, overseen by environmental watchdogs. The fact is that if you own the property where a tank is buried then you’re responsible by law for any resulting contamination. A leaking oil tank on your land will cause you difficulties if you ever decide to sell the property. It may also restrict or affect your insurance coverage. Many insurance policies do not cover this kind of environmental leak.

It may be that you’ve no knowledge of such a tank. Maybe you weren’t around when it was installed, all those years ago. Maybe you’ve only recently purchased the property. Establishing whether a tank is buried on your property can be difficult. You may be able to contact the regional Fire and Rescue Department and check if they have any registered notices or complaints on their records. There are environmental consultants who specialize in oil-tank removal in Vancouver. See if you can get a free survey of your property.

If a tank is found, a permit will have to be obtained in order to remove the tank. After the removal, your consultant will do tests in order to rule out soil-contamination. You’re obliged to supply documentation of the tank removal and inform the regional Fire and Rescue so that they can issue a Closure Report. Oil tank removal in Vancouver is nothing to be afraid of. It’s a necessary procedure and one of your many responsibilities as a homeowner.