Underground Storage Tank Removal

Underground Storage Tank Closure Assessment

We started the new year reading a book on Selling 101 (what every successful sales professional needs to know) written by Zig Ziglar. What stood out, from the first few pages, was that the customer is always right and is actually the boss of the seller.  Advice to those seeking to perform Phase I environmental site investigation: Place your order at least a month or two in advance of closing on the property. Delays do occur if environmental issues are reported and are contained in the federal, state and local government database (though rush turn around could be done for an additional fee). 

The first project of 2018 was conducted at a commercial property in Long Island City; It is actually a commercial real estate transaction.  The subject property also has no basement (which is a rare sight in New York City). The temperature outside was about 15 degrees Fahrenheit; the site visit did not reveal any recognized environmental conditions,  however historical and environmental data will be researched to determine if there are no environmental concerns associated with the property.

The photograph seen above shows a confined space entry procedure which was setup in order to clean the interior of a 4,000 gallon, diesel fuel, steel, underground storage tank (UST).  The field technician in the yellow tyvek suit is fitted with an oxygen mask prior to entry into the UST.  A tripod stand was also setup for ease of entry into the UST.  While the field technician is cleaning the interior of the UST, those above were to be vigilant, to ensure the safety of the field technician. The UST was successfully removed and disposed of at a metal recycling facility.

SUB-SLAB DEPRESSURIZATION SYSTEM PIPE LAYOUT AT AN E-DESIGNATED SITE

The view above shows the initial layout of four-inch diameter PVC pipes for a sub-slab depressurization system (SSDS) at an e-designated site in New York City. The pipes are laid beneath a proposed eight-story residential building. SSDS are recommended for sites with soil vapor issues. The system is intended to mitigate soil vapors that could emanate beneath a Site.

For this Site, an active SSDS was recommended due to elevated levels of perchloroethylene (PERC - Tetrachloroethylene) that was detected in post excavation soil vapor samples. The