possible old underground oil tank

[Silverfall]

Originally Posted by 399083453

I'm sure people remove tanks where you are without anyone knowing but the person who did it. You dont know about them because they dont tell anyone.

An owner of a house can legally decommission their own tank in Oregon. They just file the paperwork like a contractor would.

[Blondy]

Despite the fact that you could hire someone on the cheap to in effect DIY, I would not go that route. You will not have the acceptable paperwork to prove it was done according to required rules in your area when you go to sell.

And, contrary to what others have said testing and inspections are not necessarily involved. Here the companies that do it are certified by the powers that be, not sure if its county or state, to do it. They pull permits and give you a piece of paper when its done to say it was done legally. No one tests. No one inspects. The piece of paper is all that's needed when you go to sell.

The reality is that unless someone is pouring gallons of oil into a lake or its flowing into their neighbors property and bubbling up, the state/county has no interest in turning millions of homes into EPA cleanup sites. Of course, if you ask them to do it, they wont have much choice.

It's sort of a don't ask don't tell policy to get it done without bankrupting homeowners probably before they make it mandatory somewhere down the line.

That's why I think the best thing is find out what goes on in your area. Talk to neighbors, coworkers, family or companies that handle it.

[Austin023]

well thanks everyone for their input---I'll post later as to how it goes