MWRA Underground Storage Tank Removal
The underground storage tank (UST) removal project that CommTank performed for the Massachusetts Water Resource Authority (MWRA) took place in June of 2011 at their Weston facility. The project included the dismantling of a gas dispenser and the demolition of a one foot thick concrete cement pad that covered the UST.
The underground storage tank was located in a cement vault that was backfilled with sand. A jack hammer mounted on the front of an excavator was used to break up the vault cover. The concrete thickness and the amount of rebar in the concrete really slowed the removal process. Each section of rebar that was exposed had to be cut so that more concrete could be exposed. Once the UST sump was uncovered, the access manway was unbolted so that the UST could be entered and cleaned.
Soil samples were taken from underneath the gas dispenser to verify the soil was free of contamination. CommTank technicians dug around the fiberglass tank using shovels after the excavator exposed the tank top. This is important because the steel excavator blade could damage the fiberglass tank shell and the tank still contained sludge.
After the UST was cleaned, the excavator removed the UST from the vault using a chain connected to the lift hooks. The tank was then loaded on a flatbed trailer and taken to a disposal yard. The vault floor was checked for fuel stains and holes were drilled into the concrete floor in order to sample the soil below. The vault was then backfilled with clean fill and crushed stone.
For more information about underground storage tank removals please check our Underground Storage Tank (UST) Removal service page or call us at 1-800-628-8260.
Dan Hoag has worked in the environmental and tank storage industry for 16 years. Dan’s range of expertise includes designing systems for oil spill clean-ups, treating soil contamination through "in situ" oxidation and testing, and inspecting underground storage tank systems. As head of Marketing and Information Technologies at CommTank, Dan draws from field experience to write about fuel, water and chemical storage technologies, and the regulations that affect them. He has developed training courses in home inspection, underground storage tank operator, ultrasonic thickness and tank tightness testing. Over the past decade, Dan has published over 60 articles about industry trends and has documented commercial, residential, and environmental projects through illustration, videos, and photography. When Dan unplugs from technology, he spends his time backyard farming, hiking, and kayaking, while masquerading as a hockey player during the wee hours of the morning.