Underground storage tank removal or abandonment permit
Until the 1960s most Vancouver home furnaces were heated by oil in underground storage tanks (UST) typically buried in yards near furnaces.
Today, all heating oil storage tanks that haven't been used for two years must be removed to:
- Properly manage the flammable and combustible contents
- Minimize the risk of subsurface contamination
Also, any contaminated soil must be removed and replaced with clean soil.
Find out the benefits of removing a UST, how to detect one on your property, and how to get a permit to remove it or safely abandon it in place.
Benefits of removing a tank from your property
Removing a tank:
- Improves your property's environmental conditions
- Satisfies lenders, buyers, and insurance agents
- Removes high-risk conditions
- Reduces your environmental liability and subsequent effects to your property value
Detect a tank on your property
Check our records first
The City may have records for UST removals, abandonments, and installations.
Homeowners, agents, and their representatives can request detailed information through a Fire and Rescue Services file search request.
Hire a contractor to confirm
As a property owner, it's your responsibility to confirm if there's a UST by hiring a contractor to search the property. The contractor will use equipment like ground-penetrating radar to search for a UST.
If a tank exists, retain the contractor as soon as possible to either:
- Remove the tank
- Abandon the tank in place if the City agrees that removing it isn't practical
Ask several contractors for quotes and look them up with the Better Business Bureau.
