FREQUENTLY
ASKED QUESTIONS
- Why do I need to remove my oil tank?There is a good probability that the tank may be leaking, and if so, the possibility exists that the oil may infiltrate the basement walls, migrate to a neighbouring property, contaminate groundwater, or get into the city sewer system. All of these factors can increase liability and costs in the long run. In addition, if a tank is known to exist on a property, it must be removed before that property can be sold.
- How long can I expect a tank removal to take?It depends on the location and accessibility of the tank, and whether an excavator can be brought in. Typically, an easily accessible tank can be removed and disposed of in two to three days.
- What are the legal requirements regarding oil tanks?Section 4.10.3 of the Vancouver Fire By-law number 8191 and section 5.3 of the Vancouver Sewer and Watercourse By-law number 8093 spell out requirements for oil tank removals.
- What is open billing?Open billing reefers to our method of making sure that there is absolute transparency during the billing process. Instead of getting a surprise bill at the end of the project, the client gets an itemized invoice showing every expense incurred along the way, along with markups and labour costs.
- Why don't you provide a firm quote?We do have an option to provide a firm contract price for the removal and disposal of a tank. However, in the event that a tank has leaked into the ground and therefore contaminated the soil, a quote is extremely difficult to produce because of the many factors that are unknown until the remediation process has begun, such as extent and levels of contamination, amount of soil to be removed, and degree of difficulty of the excavation.
- What happens if a tank has leaked?Our environmental consultant assesses the contamination and oversees the remediation process. This involves removing contaminated soil, determining the proximity to groundwater, sampling and testing the soil, and interpreting results to determine if sufficient contamination has been removed according to provincial standards.
- What makes your company different?Our company has extensive expertise in all areas involved in tank removal projects. Having done numerous challenging construction projects, virtually no tank is inaccessible and the integrity of surrounding structures is not compromised. Additionally, in cases of leaking tanks, we do our own environmental consulting and on-site testing prior to lab testing, therefore saving considerable time and money.
