Oil Stain under Tank
Commtank was called to investigate a probable oil spill in Swampscott, Massachusetts. The two-family residential home used fuel oil for heat. According to the owner, the oil tank had recently been removed and oil stains were observed on the basement floor beneath the heating oil tank. The fuel oil stored in a 275-gallon aboveground storage tank (AST) may have been slowly leaking over time without being noticed by the residents. CommTank was contracted to excavate and dispose of the soil contaminated with heating oil. CommTank prepared a Limited Removal Action (site cleanup plan) for this residential property in Swampscott, Massachusetts.
Previous location of the oil tank and the stain beneath it
CommTank personnel collected one soil sample from the six to seven foot depth beneath the former AST in order to evaluate the extent of fuel oil impact to the soil in this area. The soil sample was submitted under proper chain of custody to ChemServe Environmental Analysts (ChemServe) of Milford, New Hampshire for laboratory analysis for MassDEP Extractable Petroleum Hydrocarbons (EPH) including target polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).
Based on the results of the soil sample screening and laboratory analytical results, CommTank estimated that approximately 15 tons of petroleum contaminated soil (PCS) would need to be excavated from the area beneath and around the former AST area. CommTank personnel conducted excavation activities to remove PCS from beneath the former leaking AST for approximately 9 days.
Backfilled area after contaminated soil removal
Following the completion of the PCS excavation, post-remedial soil samples were collected from the remaining soil in the excavated area and analyzed for EPH. No EPH fractions or PAH compounds were detected at concentrations exceeding laboratory method detection limits, RCs or MCP Method 1 Soil Standards.
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.