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A lot of excavation and construction workers and large scale project plumbers are often shocked by the discovery of an underground storage tank that holds hazardous substances. New property owners too experience the same. Many new property owners tend to be unaware of a storage tank buried somewhere and would only realized after finding oil or chemical leaks. Such ignorance will endanger their lives and health.

There are unscrupulous individuals who would sell their property without revealing the existence of underground fuel storage tanks. They won’t even declare them on property documents. Refusing to pay for underground tank removal, they will leave the issue to new property owners. Their deceit and a lack of concern could put new property owners in peril.

Underground tank removal and installation is a complex and potentially dangerous job that should only be done by licensed, insured professionals. Many states regulate the use of storage tanks, and hold training programs on how to install and remove them. Storage tank removals should be removed only by trained underground tank removal specialists.

Underground fuel storage tanks can hold many hazardous substances, including chemicals, oil, petroleum, propane, diesel, gasoline and other compounds. Even if the tank itself no longer holds large volumes of hazardous liquids, the law still requires that they be removed by licensed professionals. All of these substances are potentially hazardous to both workers and the surrounding environment.

Many underground tanks are made from inferior steel and are buried for many years. The tanks will corrode and leak, contaminating water sources and the soil. Tanks of low quality steel should not be used to store liquids like gasoline, diesel, heating oil and other harmful substances.

Some tanks are best buried underground than keep above ground. Cases may vary. It is dangerous to store substances in containers kept above ground because they could be damaged by human intervention, accidents and or weather elements. Make sure you use tanks made from durable steel. When burying them, make sure you have the proper permits and that the tank is buried properly to protect them from bad weather and keep everyone safe and sound.

If you want to remove a leaking or unwanted storage tank buried in your property, contact your local fire department and environmental protection agency. They will survey the tank and check the soil and groundwater for contamination.

The officials will never let you remove the tank on your own. They will recommend that you hire tank removal specialists. For that, they will issue you the necessary permits for tank removal.

You will next need to find a reliable underground tank removal contractor. The local officials can assist you on that. Check out the contractors as well as oil companies (if they perform tank removals) and obtain written cost estimates from them. If possible, call them to visit your property so they can see your tank and determine any obstacles in excavating it. Check out the contractors for safety violations and ask references from previous clients. These all you should do before allowing any licensed tank removal contractor to start removing your underground storage tank.

Never attempt to remove the tank by yourself. You will end up causing great damage, costing you more than a few dollars. Do not skip procedures too. You will only harm the environment, pay fines or face jail time for your stubbornness. One mistake when dealing with the removal of an underground storage tank could be very costly and life-threatening.