# Best way to get rid of heating oil?



## Tommy2 (Nov 25, 2008)

I have an inground tank. Not leaking, but switched over to propane to avoid any future problems.

Well, the tank still has some oil in it. About 15-20" 's. No idea on the size of tank..but think its around 350 gallons.

Well, one heating company wanted $150 to remove it. Another wanted $85. 
But, Id like to get rid of it for free.. Or is it possible to even get paid for having it removed?

I'd like to just put an ad on Craigslist..but am afraid Ill get some moron to show up who has no idea how to remove it, or transport it. 


Also, to decommision the tank - I plan on putting a couple bags of quik-dry (oil spill stuff) in the tank..Then put some pea gravel in it to keep from filling with water in the future.
Is that good enough?


----------



## beenthere (Oct 11, 2008)

Not according to teh EPA it isn't.

Around here, they MUST be filled with slury, if you want to leave them in the ground.
And the one area, the inspector must be there, when its filled.

How important is it.
Well, it cost a whole lot more to remove the tank if you whiz them off.


----------



## pcampbell (Feb 7, 2008)

For getting rid of the oil, someone is going to need a pump. Theres no way they are going to get all of it. There will be a few gallons in the bottom. Here, it is like 1300 to have the tank removed. Ours has been decomissioned, but I still want to get rid of it.


----------



## yuri (Nov 29, 2008)

Best to get it done professionally and certified. Where I am you cannot sell any land (former gas station) without a whole lot of certification/removal of tanks. Real estate/land titles all want proof of no contamination or possibility of it happening. Wouldn't want to scr*w yourself up later when it comes time to sell.


----------



## 4just1don (Jun 13, 2008)

sounds doable IF you are willing and able to do some yourself. First off find some barrels enough to hold this all and someone with a pump. Might try one of those small drill pumps you chuck in drill and a chunk of old hose on each end of that. Take your time and pump it out. Then advertise it for sale on Craigs list. make sure your barrels are clean and dry and whatever was in there is compatible with heating oil. Take a shovel and dig around it,pick the tank out. After all there are no records saying there is a tank there,,,right? Remove all other traces too like pipe into house etc. Fill hole with good clean dirt IF there isnt alot of oily smelly soil underneath. you can remove that too and spread it out on a dirt driveway thinly,to aerate it to remove contams. Thats how the guys that charge lots of bucks do it!!


----------



## beenthere (Oct 11, 2008)

LOL...

You will be standing there a long time, using a drill pump.

You don't just pick, the tank out of the hole.
Its a lot bigger and heavier then a 55 gallon drum.

There is a record of the tank being buried there.

The oil company will have the records, and will turn them over to the EPA, DEP, and the Cost Guard.

But don't worry about it.
Worse that can happen, is about $100,000.00 worth of EPA, DEP, and Coast Guard fines and penalties.

If oil seps into a water stream, Fish and game, is allowed to issue fines for fish that were killed(in most states). And they don't even have to prove it killed any fish. They just estimate the number.

And, in most states, 20 years down the road. You are still responsible, if they find the ground is comtaiminated, and you didn't do a proper slury, or tank removal.

If you want to DIY.
Atleast Do It Right.


----------



## Tommy2 (Nov 25, 2008)

Every other house around here has an abondoned oil tank. 

Every person (including oil companies) did not make any deal out of it. They just said to remove the oil. WE have faily sandy soil around here, so a leaking tank isn't something that comes up.

Again..This is not a leaking tank. If I drain out the oil, put it in quick dry and gravel--- ?? What is there to worry about??

I'll remove the top stems. Cover it with soil.
Its gone. The end.

No sense paying someone $2000 to tear up my yard. As long as a tank is decommisioned properly, it can stay in the soil forever.

And regarding wild life, fish..Umm..I live in an open field in the middle of no where. I dont expect to get a phone call from the coast guard.


Im doing more than most homeowners..Most people just leave the tank there with oil in it forever. That's whats stupid in my opinion. Atleast have the oil removed.


----------



## AllanJ (Nov 24, 2007)

I would go ahead with a Craigslist or other want ad for someone to bring his own siphon or pump and buy (not take) any or all of the oil from you.

If the first buyer can't retrieve any oil without making a mess all over the place, you send him home empty handed (sorry no payment to you) and then you invite the next buyer.

Too bad you didn't advertise it this past summer when prices were high; people would be lining up outside your door.

The decommissioned tank will disintegrate sooner or later. Some oil will still be left behind. Better to have it dug up and removed.


----------



## 4just1don (Jun 13, 2008)

I am not arguing that my advice was right or wrong,,just ONE way of getting it done.

Personnally I would have used my 'high volume' transfer pump and had it outta there in less than a couple minutes,,no muss,no fuss.

Then I would use my skid loader and dig around the tank some. Stick a chain on it. and lift it out. Put it in my dump trailer and take it someplace proper for disposal(I have used these tanks for garage stoves before!!)(Unless pulling it out deforms it alot),,,drain the LAST of the oil out,,,punch proper holes in it,,,take it to the metal recycle place.

Bring back a bit of good clean dirt to fill in the hole,,,I have found IF I used gravel for same you get a brown lawn spot As I said take out ANY stinky oil soil below also,,,there is someplace to take that too. I KNOW alot of people that live in the country. Or ask where a tank disposal company dispoes it?? Specially IF there is ONLY 5 -10 gallons of dirt to treat,,,aerating in strong sunlight,defined summer time,takes bad stuff away,,,thats how the pros do it,just on a larger scale.

Now IF your still reading this longbanter,,,IF I knew this guy,he was my next door neighbor,or my cousins first brother in law 3 times removed,,,and he was in my area,,,I would bring my stuff,,,and be right over to "help" him!!!period.

I was merely pointing out how an average guy could "DO" it using average stuff in some peoples garage. As if worse things have NEVER been done by worse methods!! AN 5 or 10 years down the road,can sign a disclosure in good faith there are NO problems on site,,,and nobody can find any either!!


----------



## beenthere (Oct 11, 2008)

Tommy2 said:


> Every other house around here has an abondoned oil tank.


You don't have to do it the right way.
You can get lucky, and the tank not cause a problem while your alive.

Or, when your retired and live on a fixed income, you could get a big bill.


----------



## DUDE! (May 3, 2008)

I haven't found any trees that bare money, but anyway, having found a company that will take care of this problem for less then a hundred bucks, I make the call. I don't want to get on a list with my neighbors when they get sued for clean up costs. As a side note, I don't know anyone in business who will drive to your house for that money, never mind get out and do some work.


----------



## yuri (Nov 29, 2008)

Murphy's Law. If some strange sh*t can happen it usually happens to me and not the other guy. I would be the guy with the big bill and eating dog food. Don't tempt fate.


----------

