Buried Oil Tank Scans or Underground Storage Tank Sweeps, or UST Sweeps, cover a myriad of liabilities that could be living in your lawn. Generally referred to as “tank sweeps,” they most often refer to buried oil tanks in the Northeast.
Underground storage tanks were a major feature of the early to mid 20 the century, including in urban and suburban areas – that is to say, up to the 80’s – though in remote areas, the tanks are fairly common into the 90’s.
Newer houses, particularly houses built in developments which were originally farmland or one-off builds in older neighborhoods, are also potential candidates for a buried underground tank sweep, as there is often no record of these tanks being put in.
Though there are a laundry list of issues concerning buried underground storage tanks, the most common and most expensive is soil contamination. If your property is found to have soil contamination due to an underground oil tank, you are responsible for its removal and remediation, which often runs well into the tens of thousands of dollars.
The removal of the buried tank, the removal of the soil, its treatment, and the replacement of new soil are compounded by fines and fees from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
The chances are, if your home was built before 1990 it was probably heated by oil at some point. The best way to approach a potential oil tank situation is to start with a scan. As we talked about before, the chances are slim that the buried oil tank will be in the public record.