Blog

December 8, 2014

Responsibility of an Owner of Contaminated Site

A contaminated site is a property which has above the permissible limit of contaminants in its soil. Such a property is not only dangerous to the property inhabitants but also poses threat to the safety and health of the neighboring area. Hence, it is the responsibility of the owner of a contaminated site to ensure removal of an existing oil tank on the property and carry out land remediation work.

For Exceptional Cases

There are certain cases where the removal of the oil tank is not feasible. Its removal may damage the structural integrity of the house or the nearby constructions. In such cases, the owner of the contaminated site is responsible to get the remaining oil pumped out at their own expense. It is also required that they ensure that the tank is filled with sand and all the piping of the tank are capped properly. Moreover, the contaminated soil needs to be replaced with clean soil.

Responsibility for Oil Tank Removal

The property owner of the contaminated site is responsible for the removal of any underground storage tank as well as the remediation of the any contamination on the property. If the contamination has spread to the nearby properties, then it is again the responsibility of the same owner to rectify the damage.

The cost of removal of an underground oil tank is high however, ignoring the presence of such an oil tank on the property can result in severe consequences along with exponential rise in the overall cost of handling the problem at a later stage and remediation.

Contamination

If it is proven that the site is a contaminated site, i.e. the amount of contaminants exceeds the permissible level as per the BC Fire Code and municipal by-law standards, the property owner needs to ensure proper removal of the contaminated soil from their property as well as the neighbor property if the contamination has spread. The expense is solely on the shoulders of the property owner of a contaminated site.

Selling a property with an UST

If your property has an underground storage tank (UST), it becomes mandatory to ensure prompt and complete removal of the oil tank and land remediation. The seller needs to provide the Property Disclosure Statement to the prospective buyer disclosing the presence of any underground oil tank or any defects resulting from it. Any false claims in the disclosure can be treated as an illegal misstatement on the part of the seller in future.

Hiring an Authorized Oil Tank Removal Company

A professional oil tank removal company ensures that you have a safe and complete removal of oil tank from your property. They also make every possible effort that you need to pay the least amount possible for such procedure. Every risk, danger, requirement and consequences are discussed in length and due assistance is provided to the property owner during the process. Proper land remediation, oil tank disposal and refill are the tasks undertaken by an oil tank detection and removal company in Vancouver.