A Bit About Pikesville, MD
Pikesville, MD is located in Baltimore County, Maryland, just outside of Baltimore City. It has a population of just over 32,000 people and approximately 15,000 households (that’s a lot of potential oil tanks). Pikesville, or some people may say Baltimore, does indeed have a fair share of buried oil tanks. But also, plenty of aboveground oil tanks as well.
Pikesville was named for the American soldier and explorer Zebulon Pike. While there are places named for Pike in many other states, Pikesville, Maryland, is the only contemporary place named “Pikesville”. Pikesville (and more recently its neighboring communities to the north, Owings Mills and Reisterstown) have been considered the center of the Baltimore area’s Jewish community since the mid-1950’s. Many of the region’s largest and most established synagogues and Jewish schools are in or near Pikesville.
Pikesville and Their Oil Tanks
Since Pikesville is in Baltimore County, (you will know from reading my other blogs!). This county is unique in MD as has its own buried oil tank governmental department. They perform inspections of underground heating oil tanks during the removal or abandonment process. You will require a permit for an oil tank removal. On the other hand, you do not need a permit for a new aboveground tank installation.
For any underground tank that leaks in Maryland, the Maryland Dept. of the Environment has jurisdiction over the process. But in Baltimore County, the county inspector will be the one who oversees the remediation process (for MDE) since they are already onsite. As far as making the call for additional work or closing the case after the work is complete, that call still is the responsibility of the MDE.
GreenTRAX Tank Removal in Pikesville
When GreenTRAX removes an underground oil tank, we always hope it’s not leaking. Then we can get in and out of the job quickly for the customer. As the customer, you will not have any additional cost. And obviously the customer is happy by not having to pay for the remediation of contaminated soil as they would with a leaky tank.
But, we realize that’s not always the case. We have the equipment, crew, and know-how to be able to deal with everything onsite the same day we are there. We are the best in this business and have set the bar for residential heating oil tank removals. After thousands and thousands of tanks removed from Maryland homes, with plenty having taken place in Baltimore County.
One Day Tank Removal & Installation
This is what we do when handling your basic 1-day job from start to completion:
- Call Miss Utility & acquire permits before we arrive on site
- Schedule inspector for day of work
- Dig up buried tank and cut open
- Haul away sludge & waste
- Remove tank & check soil for contamination
- Take soil samples
- (if soil is clean) Backfill excavation with clean fill dirt
- Set new tank in place and set up the top of tank with appropriate tank accessories
- Transfer good oil to the new tank
- Connect new tank to the furnace & re-start the system
- Seed & straw the disturbed area
- Take soil samples to the laboratory
That is the process you will be looking at. Although, if we find the tank is leaking, there are a few other steps to add to the process. But at that point, the owner will be eligible for the reimbursement program. The state will pay for the cost of tank removal as well as the remediation and cleanup costs.
Oil Tank Abandonment in Pikesville, MD
But maybe you are thinking you don’t want your tank removed? Instead, you want it filled in-place. That can be done only in a few certain circumstances. Let’s look at the abandonment process.
First, it always must be approved by Baltimore County BEFORE the work is done. You will not qualify for an abandonment (closure) in-place UNLESS the tank:
- interferes with a structure
- is in an inaccessible place with equipment
- has a main gas or electric line over top of tank
Unfortunately, sidewalks, gardens, patios, landscaping, and driveways do NOT qualify. Which a good thing for you, because a tank abandonment in Baltimore County is more expensive than a tank removal; it normally has to be done in two phases.
The Tank Abandonment Process
For a tank abandonment we will dig by hand to the top of tank (yes, we still must dig up to the top of tank and get in and clean the tank out). So, if your tank is under a sidewalk, patio, or driveway, you will still have to have a hole saw-cut in the concrete, flagstone, brick or asphalt. Really if you are going that far, you might as well remove the tank (it is NOT legal to fill the tank through the fill pipe).
Day one will be digging, cleaning, and pumping the tank. The first day also has us checking the soil and taking soils samples. Then we must leave and come back a week or two later after we get samples from the lab and approval from inspector. Then the tank can be filled with sand, pea gravel or stone dust. And because of the two mobilizations to the job, the job is more expensive. You also need to know that if the tank is found to be leaking, if it can be removed it has to be removed. Then any contaminated soil will be remediated.
If you still have questions please call us, we are here to help.
Are you a realtor?
We want you to know the appropriate procedures, so call us. If you are selling the house, the UST will have to be dealt with, do not delay.
For your new tank install, the basic size is a 275-gallon tank although we do install various sizes. You can choose from 330-, 400-, 500- & 1000-gallon. And don’t forget the warranty options that start at 3 years and go up to 30 years. With many options in between.
Call us for your tank needs and we will take good care of you.
