By Christine Pearsall and Angela Marshall
Leaking oil tanks cost Nassau residents millions
Residents of Nassau County are singing their own version of Bob Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues" as they grapple with the latest environmental issue to hit suburbia -- buried oil tanks. These tanks, many of which are leaking, are increasingly raising environmental, economic, safety and legal concerns, not only for homeowners, but for prospective homebuyers as well.
"My neighborhood looked like a war zone," said a North Merrick resident, who asked to remain anonymous. Like an epidemic, leaks sprang up in her suburban neighborhood causing an army of government officials and contractors to swarm the area. "There were cranes and backhoes everywhere. The DEC required that we test the dirt surrounding the tank; we had scaffolding going more than15 feet feet deep in some areas. Because the tank was placed so close to the edge of the house, we were afraid the foundation would collapse."
The resident said that when she called to find out why her recently-filled tank was empty, her oil distributing company reported her right away. Within 24 hours she found herself in the midst of a nightmare. "Several of my neighbors were faced with the same problem."
None of the southern Nassau County residents contacted by the Herald wanted to give their names because they felt knowledge of their problem would decrease the values of their homes. "We're all cleaned up now, but there is a stigma that sticks with land that once had a spill."
Total cost of clean-up for the North Merrick leak -- more than $10,000 and that's just a drop in the bucket, according to some experts in the field. "The clean-up can cost $20,000 or much more," according to a Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) pamphlet.
And, according to the DEC, many insurance policies contain a "pollution exclusion" clause, which means the homeowner is stuck with the entire bill.
Traditionally, heating oil tanks were made of bare steel, with installation procedures and standards recommending that they be buried outside. This was not a problem as long as the homes and the tanks were relatively young. However, as both homes and tanks age (the life expectancy of a home heating oil tank is 10-25 years depending on the brand), corrosive elements such as water, in combination with oil by-products like sulfur, cause tank failure by rust penetration from inside the tank.
Leaking USTs (underground storage tanks) can cause a multitude of problems, all of which have potentially ruinous results. Environmentally, heating oil leaking into the soil causes contamination of both soil and water. Economically, the high cost and risk of testing tanks, tank removal or abandonment, site clean-up and litigation can be exorbitant. From a safety standpoint, old, decrepit tanks, if not abandoned and filled properly, can collapse, causing surrounding ground to do the same.
Oil leaks on neighboring properties could also mean big bucks to those who don't have tanks. The oil doesn't recognize property lines and there have been cases where residents had to pay to clean-up leaks that aren't theirs because it seeped onto their land.
Preventative maintenance is the surest, safest and least expensive way to deal with aging, but still intact oil tanks. Pressure testing can also effectively detect a leak, but it should not be done on tanks over ten years old, as the test itself could damage an already aging tank and cause more harm than good.
Another way a leak can be detected is through soil boring, but this method can be quite costly, especially if the tank is buried under a driveway, deck or patio.
It is often wiser to abandon or completely replace the tanks with above ground models, than it is to test them. Detailed testing information and a list of companies that perform them is available through the DEC by calling (518) 457-4351.
Testing, abandonment, removal -- none of these options are cheap. But, added together none come anywhere close to what it would cost to clean up a leak. Anyone who believes that they have a leak should call the DEC's spill hotline at 1-800-457-7362.
Targeting the toxics near you
Worried that you might be moving into a toxic danger zone? The Ithaca-based company Toxics Targeting provides computerized environmental reports to potential home owners for a fee.
According to the company's website, there are nearly 300,000 government-reported toxic sites in New York, which can reduce property values and impose costly clean-ups. However, the government is not required to alert residents or potential buyers of nearby toxic sites.
Residents can reach Toxics Targeting at their website, www.toxicstargeting.com, or by calling 1-800-2-TOXICS.
