Why are double-walled and secondary containment home heating oil tanks necessary?
The Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) responds, on average, to more than one spill a day from home heating oil tanks, and that is just at single family residences! Such spills contaminate wells, pollute the air in your home, and often cause considerable damage to the house. Corrosion is the single largest cause of leaks from home heating oil tanks. Double-walled tanks and secondary containment vessels will help minimize the number of spills by preventing corrosion and catching any oil leaking from the inner tank. To help prevent these spills and to protect public drinking water supplies, Maine’s legislature enacted 38 MRSA § 1391 et seq. “An Act to Prevent Contamination of Drinking Water Supplies”. This law was signed into law on April 7, 2008. Who do I call for more information? Contact Peter Moulton or David McCaskill at the DEP’s Bureau of Remediation and Waste Management at 287-2651. Find a licensed oil technician at http://pfr.informe.org/almsonline/almsquery/welc
