If you are planning to sell your home, you should do everything possible to find out if your property has an abandoned underground oil tank before putting your home on the market. If your home was built before natural gas services became the standard heating fuel source in the Lower Mainland (prior to 1970 approximately), you may have a tank. If the previous owners did not leave you information regarding the removal or decommissioning of a tank, then call TankFinders to have your property scanned.
The scan usually takes less than an hour and we offer a set fee of $150/scan (+GST) in the Lower Mainland using an industrial metal detector. We can usually offer service within 24 hours or sooner, Monday to Friday.
No Oil Tank Found?
If there is no oil tank, TankFinders will provide you with a TankFinders' Tank Search Report stating that there was a search performed and no oil tank was found. Where possible, TankFinders will also review municipal records to determine if a tank or removal of a tank was registered on file and include this information in the report. It is important to note that even with a scan, no organization can confirm with 100% certainty that no underground tank exists. However, our reports can be used for insurance or mortgage purposes as part of your due diligence.
TankFinders Found an Oil Tank?
If there is an oil tank, TankFinders will still provide you with a TankFinder's Tank Search Report. However, there is a bit more work involved after this.
After seeing the site, TankFinders can provide you with a TankFinders' Tank Removal Proposal to remove the tank. We recommend removing underground tanks prior to listing your home for sale to avoid any chance of future liability. At the very least, you must disclose this finding on your Property Disclosure Statement as a material latent defect, which can hinder the sale of your home. You also risk facing legal liability under various statues and bylaws if there is contamination.
What does TankFinders Do?
With one call to TankFinders, we can take the problem off your hands. We are professional tank removal Project Managers and with our trusted network of contractors, excavators, trucking services, landscapers, and laboratories, we will coordinate your entire tank removal project quickly and cost-effectively.
This is what an average project looks like:
1) Dig the Tank Out
If the TankFinders' scan turns up positive, and an underground tank is found on your property, we move on to the next phase of the project which is to dig the tank out. TankFinders partners with many reputable excavating companies, and as a result, we have the flexibility to complete the work quickly with a piece of equipment that is the right size for the job and property, or in situations where the tank is located close to your home, it can be dug out by hand.
2) Pump the Tank Out
Once the tank is uncovered, TankFinders has better access to have the tank pumped of any remaining contents. This step prevents any spillage when the tank is being removed from the ground.
3) Remove the Tank
Now that the contents are pumped out, the tank can be removed from the ground. This is usually done with an excavator.
4) Assess for Leakage
This is where our in-house certified Environmental Engineers come in. Once the tank is removed, TankFinders can begin to assess for leakage. Sometimes there are tiny pin holes that develop in the tank over time, just due to natural corrosion when the tank is underground. These tiny holes allow ground water to seep into the tank, and seep out with any remaining petroleum.
5) Collect Soil Samples
We bring our certified Environmental Engineers in to take soil samples (a minimum of five), from regulated locations around the tank and tankbed. These samples are then taken to a certified lab and analyzed for contamination. Turn around time for analying the soil samples is about 5 business days, though this process can be expedited if necessary.
6) Remove Contamination
If contamination exists, it needs to be removed. This is done with further digging out of the contaminated soil. Our certified Environmental Engineers can tell contaminated soil vs. non contaminated soil, so that you are not over-charged for soil removal. You can trust TankFinders as we operate under a strict Code of Ethics and keep your and the environment's best interest at heart.
7) Back-Fill the Hole & Tidy Up
Once the contaminated soil has been removed and our specialists have confirmed the remaining soil is clean, TankFinders would coordinate with a local backfill company to bring in more clean soil to back-fill the hole, ensuring here are no sink holes. We can also recommend excellent landscaping companies to assist in restoring your property to looking better than when we arrived.
8) Reporting
Probably one of the most important parts of this process, to you, the homeowner, is the report that TankFinders provides once the work has been completed. You will receive a report, and photos, from TankFinders, detailing:
- The removal process,
- What was pumped out of the tank,
- A receipt from the facility where the tank was taken to and the amount of soil brought in.
The report will confirm that the tank was removed in accordance with all applicable statues, bylaws and the BC Fire Code, and if there was contamination, that the soil and groundwater have been remediated in accordance with the standards prescribed in the Environmental Management Act and further testing is not necessary. This report can also be provided to prospective buyers in the future as evidence that the tank has been dealt with.
Basically, once your tank is removed and your property is deemed 'clean', you will receive a TankFinders' Decommissioning Certificate and the above reports which can be used for property insurance or mortgage purposes.