When Rutherford homeowners Sandy and Mark Viggiano had their underground oil tank removed last June, they discovered it had been leaking into the soil around their home. That began an ordeal that has lasted for months and cost more than $30,000, as a remediation company ripped up their driveway and hoisted out tons of dirt.
“They dug and they dug and they dug,” recalled Mark Viggiano, 54, a mechanic. The hole was so deep that “you would think they had dropped a bomb.”
As the Viggianos discovered, underground oil tanks are a hidden hazard. A leak can go undetected for years, but lead to tens of thousands of dollars in damage. For that reason, most home buyers will not accept a home with an underground tank — even one that is no longer in use — and sellers are usually advised to deal with them before they put their properties on the market.