Heating Oil Spill in Basement
CommTank received an emergency call at 2:44 AM that a 275-gallon basement heating oil tank had let go in Arlington, Massachusetts. There were 100-gallons of #2 fuel delivered on the previous day and the steel tank released all contents that night. The Arlington Fire Department reported the site to the MADEP as a 2-hour reportable condition because of a sudden release of oil greater than the reportable quantities (10-gallons).
CommTank technicians arrived on site and pumped the remaining oil from the leaking tank and floor. The customer had placed plywood on top of brick pavers to provide a raised floor and the oil collected underneath. In order to recover the oil the plywood and pavers were removed and the oil was vacuumed into storage totes. Oil absorbent clay was spread around the basement to recover additional oil and dry the cement floor. This clay was placed in drums and labeled for removal by a hazardous waste hauler.
This video provides an overview of the oil spill cleanup project
The customer then contacted his insurance company who assigned a professional geologist to manage the claim. CommTank’s project manager worked with the insurance adjuster to provide a remediation plan that included environmental drilling to define the extent and magnitude of the contamination, utilizing a vactor truck to remove contaminated basement soil, pumping oily water into a fractation tank, installing vapor barriers throughout the basement and using negative air machines to remove fuel vapor. A Licensed Site Professional (LSP) directed activities and prepared the Response Action Outcome in accordance with 310 CMR 40.1000.
Remediation site plane with groundwater flow data
Restored basement floor after oil spill cleanup and remediation is complete
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.