Home Heating Oil Tanks
Checklist for a healthy oil tank
As we all know, fuel oil is a safe and reliable source of heat for New Hampshire residents. Over 1/4 million customers in NH heat with oil. Most of these consumers store their oil in small (275 gallon tanks) in their basement or manufactured housing projects. When kerosene is used it is stored in 275 gallon tanks outside. It is important to check these tanks to be sure that the potential for releases is minimized.
It is important to prevent releases which can contaminate water, soil, property damage and degradation of indoor air quality.
Working in cooperation with the Department of Environmental Services and the State Fire Marshal's office, the Oil Heat Council of NH, Inc. and its member dealers have developed a simple check list which you can use to determine if your tank is installed and protected properly.
- Are the tank legs unstable, tilting or on an uneven foundation?
- Is the tank resting on or in contact with the ground or the basement floor?
- Are there visible signs of rust, weeps, wet spots or dents on the tank surface?
- Are there any drips or signs of releases around the oil filter or valve?
- Do the oil lines run underground or through the concrete floor without being encased in a protective non metallic sleeve?
- Is there a significant potential for snow, ice or tree limbs falling onto the outside oil tank, lines or filter?
- Are there any signs of the vent pipe being clogged with ice, snow or insect nests? (Screened vent openings available)
- Is the overfill vent whistle obstructed or silent when the tank is being filled? (It should whistle during a delivery)
- Are there any signs of releases around the fill pipe or from the area of the vent pipe?
- Is the tank site gauge missing, cracked, stuck or frozen.? Is there oil or staining around it or on other areas on the top of the tank?
If any of these items appear to need attention, call your local fuel oil dealer, who is a member of the Oil Heat Council of NH, to correct any defects you uncovered during the inspection. With the help of your local Oil Heat Council dealer "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure". Releases can be costly and you want to be sure your tank is in compliance with the National Fire Protection Association Code 3 1.
Oil Tank Upgrade Program
The NH Petroleum Reimbursement Fund, established by the Oil Fund Disbursement Board and administered by the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (DES), is a financial assistance program for owners of petroleum storage facilities, such as homeowners and business owners, who incur cleanup costs when a release (spill or leak) occurs. The owner is responsible for all aspects of investigative and remedial measures associated with the release. To qualify for fund coverage, the owner must ensure that the facility is in compliance with all applicable state and federal rules for facility operation and maintenance.
To prevent oil releases from substandard tanks, DES has begun the SAFETANK program which requires owners to bring their oil tank systems into compliance with National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Chapter 31 and DES “Best Management Practices” (BMPs) by January 1, 2005. Failure to achieve compliance by that date will prevent access to the New Hampshire petroleum reimbursement cleanup funds should an oil release occur. Please refer to DES Fact sheets WMD-OIL-10 and WMD-OIL-24 (the BMPs) for more information on the proper installation and upgrade requirements of OPUFs. New installations must meet the requirements of NFPA 31 and the BMPs.
In conjunction with this program, DES has made available to those owners who demonstrate financial need, the ability to apply for reimbursement of costs, up to $1,500 (as of Aug 14, 2005), in order to meet the compliance requirements.
To qualify for the program,:
the facility must be determined to be substandard (i.e. not meeting current standards and practices), defined environmental risk criteria must be met, and the total household income must meet the "low-income" definition of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
For a table of income limits and other information about the SAFETANK program, please visit the Department of Environmental Services, or call 271-3644. Applications are available through the Oil Heat Council of New Hampshire, its members and through DES.