If you have an underground tank on your residential or commercial property, you may need to remove it. Storage tanks often are removed when a homeowner is updating their heating system, or a property owner is renovating a building site. Here, Care Environmental Remediation Services offers insight into tank removal in New Jersey and the UST closure report required by the state.
What is an Underground Storage Tank?
An underground storage tank (UST) is any tank system that is partially or fully located underground. USTs may hold substances such as heating oil, motor fuel, or waste oil. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) classifies USTs as regulated or unregulated — though the latter is a bit of a misnomer, as owners of both types must comply with NJDEP rules.
The difference is mostly regarding the capacity of the tank and its purpose. For example, heating oil USTs that are exclusively used to heat residential buildings are unregulated, as are USTs with a capacity of 2,000 gallons or less.
How Do You Prepare for Tank System Closure?
If you’re considering closing an underground tank system, you have two options: remove the tank system entirely or abandon it in place. Abandonment in place means all liquid and gas are removed from the tank, but the tank is left on site. Both options may require site remediation if any chemicals from the tank have seeped into the surrounding soil or groundwater.
If you intend to close a UST, you must notify NJDEP at least 14 calendar days beforehand. You also should notify your municipal and county health departments. A qualified environmental service professional can help you navigate NJDEP’s reporting system and assist with the required documentation.
Site Remediation and Reporting for Leaking USTs
When you close a UST, you’ll need to confirm that the tank has not leaked. It’s best to rely on a service provider that holds the proper accreditations to both close a tank system and perform site remediation. If the UST has leaked, the service provider will need to file a UST closure report with NJDEP. The site remediation process may include:
- Groundwater and soil sampling
- Lab analysis of samples
- In situ chemical treatment
- Offsite disposal of contaminated soil
- Site restoration
The site remediation professional will need to document all these steps and submit the report. They’ll also need to perform final testing to confirm that the remediation process was successful.
What is included in a UST Closure Report?
NJDEP has stipulated a mandatory timeline for site remediation and reporting. Your site remediation professional must complete a UST closure report within this timeframe. The reporting will include:
- Contact information for the site owner and operator
- Identification numbers for the tank or tanks being closed
- Site investigation information
You’ll also need to pay an administrative fee along with the report submission. Once all remediation is complete, the site remediation professional can issue a response action outcome that confirms that no further site cleanup is needed.
Get Assistance from Care Environmental Remediation Services
Care Environmental Remediation Services is well-versed in conducting permanent system closures for regulated and unregulated USTs throughout Northern NJ, including Somerset, Morris, Warren, and Sussex counties. We help our clients navigate both NJDEP regulations and local permitting processes while ensuring all work is completed in a timely and thorough manner. To learn more about UST closure reports or to schedule a free consultation, contact us today.
