Oil Tank Spill in Home
This project started when we were called to an emergency spill of oil from a basement heating oil tank. There was just a pin hole leak, but 50-gallons had sprayed out from this small hole, all over the floor and storage boxes in this basement. CommTank brought equipment to vent the air from the basement, cleaned up the surface oil, and provided a temporary oil tank so the homeowners could stay in the home.
The next step was to find out how far the oil had gone. We took samples of the soil beneath the floor and found that the oil hadn't traveled very far. After removing the brick flooring below the tank and digging out the contaminated soil, we back-filled the area and cemented the floor. A pair of new polyethylene Roth Tanks were installed to replace the original steel tank. With the new double-wall technology and leak detection, this family is protected from a spill like this from occurring again.
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.