Underground Storage Tanks

Underground Storage Tanks which were abandoned in place are a common source of aggravation during real estate transactions. Any property which was once used as a gas station is automatically suspected of housing abandoned tanks, and potentially incurs a host of environmental regulatory issues and costs. It is always in the best interests of a potential buyer to know of any UST’s on a property, and sellers should know of their presence as soon as possible and take steps to minimize their liability.

Ground penetrating radar is the best technology available to search for UST’s, and Ground Penetrating Radar Systems has used this technology on hundreds of sites to locate storage tanks or certify that none are present. In February 2008, GPRS was hired by Land America Commercial Service to scan the bottom floor of the parking garage for an apartment complex in Evanston, IL, which was believed to contain two small heating oil tanks which were last used in the 1960’s. The entire 15,000 square foot area was scanned in a grid with three-foot spacing, and two 550-gallon storage tanks were quickly located. With this information, the owners can now take the proper action to ensure safety and compliance with environmental regulations, and clear the way for a potential sale of the property.

In January 2008, Ground Penetrating Radar Systems was called by Testing Services Corporation to scan the parking lot of a restaurant in Park Ridge, IL. This parking lot was the site of a gas station as recently as the 1980’s, and there was no indication whether the fuel storage tanks had been removed or abandoned in place. GPRS scanned this parking lot and the surrounding areas in a three-foot grid, searching for any signs of UST’s or associated piping. The area was found not to contain any UST’s, but we were able to identify an area resembling a possible tank pit, giving an even higher level of confidence the tanks were removed when the property was converted, but the records had been lost over the course of two decades and several ownership changes. GPRS was able to provide the current owners with the knowledge that their property does not have this potential liability, and their future plans for this lot can proceed.

Performing Ground Penetrating Radar investigations to determine the presence and location of Underground Storage Tanks (UST’s) is a very common service provided by GPRS. We work with many environmental engineering companies and testing labs to scan for UST’s on a national basis.

Nathan Machel runs GPRS operations in Chicago. He can be reached at 847-514-2277 or by email at nathan.machel@gp-radar.com.