Residential Environmental Contracting Projects

One of the last thing you want in your home is an oil spill, no matter how big or small. We have the means and expertise to take care of these incidents when they occur in your home, and also provide underground and above-ground tank removal. Your home should be safe, and we'll make sure that's the case.

ACE is your environmental consultant for home heating oil spills, small and large. We have helped residential property owners in Maryland, PA, DC, and Northern VA, providing emergency clean-up activities related to oil spills in residential homes.

Named one of the Best Oil, Fuel & Water Tank Removal Companies by Home Advisor.

Residential Heating Oil Tank Removal

Upper Marlboro

Prince George's County, Maryland

ACE mobilized equipment to pump, clean and remove an underground heating oil tank. The home owner had stated that it was likely that the oil tank had leaked as vapors were present in the home. The UST was properly removed under the direction of an ACE-employed MDE certified technician. […]

Catonsville

Baltimore County, Maryland

ACE responded to a release of #2 heating oil due to an overfill during delivery to a home owner oil tank. The spill resulted in oil being released to the ground surface of the yard, sprayed onto the side of the residence structure, patio, driveway and adjacent vehicle. […]

Lothian

Anne Arundel County, MD

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4420 East Eager Street
Baltimore, MD 21205

EMAIL: info@aceenvironmental.net

PHONE: 410.354.8030

TOLL FREE: 866.750.4223

FAX: 410.354.8031

Residential Heating Oil Tank Removal

Upper Marlboro, Prince George's County, Maryland

ACE mobilized equipment to pump, clean and remove an underground heating oil tank. The home owner had stated that it was likely that the oil tank had leaked as vapors were present in the home.

The UST was properly removed under the direction of an ACE-employed MDE certified technician. During removal multiple perforations were observed in the UST and evidence of impacted soil was apparent. Impacted soils were stockpiled on site for proper disposal.

During excavation activities, a black drainage pipe was encountered and approximately seven gallons of oil were released into the excavation. Oil was removed with sorbent pads and the excavation continued but was limited by the reach of the machine and the close proximity of the building. A tee was placed on the drainage pipe and the pipe was extended (vent) above the surface so that the excavation could be backfilled.

This also allowed for the installation of the new aboveground oil tank and elimination of safety concerns regarding an overnight open excavation. During excavation activities, vapors in the home subsided, however once the excavation was closed vapors returned. The MDE directed that the stormwater drainage system needed to be flushed to remove residual LPH in the system.

A flush was conducted by accessing the vent pipe and recovering water/LPH from the drainage pipe. The flushing of the vent had a secondary effect to remove vapors. During the extraction process, vapors in the house subsided. Since impacts remained in place (likely below the level of the drain pipe), a vapor recovery system was placed on the vent to remove vapors from beneath the house and prevent vapor migration into the house.

Although soil sampling results (post excavation) exceeded the MDE standards, based on the engineering controls placed on the house (vapor removal system), soil was removed to the extent feasible, and the fact that the home was serviced by public water and sewer, the MDE closed the case.

ACE assisted the home owner with preparation of the MDE reimbursement application for cost recovery related to the discovered impacts.

Residential Oil Tank Spill

Catonsville, Baltimore County, Maryland

In addition to surficial clean-up activities, approximately 55 tons of impacted soil was excavated and removed.

Based on the continued presence of vapors in the home, indoor air sampling was conducted, a subsurface investigation was initiated and a vapor extraction system consisting of a one-horsepower (HP) blower was installed to remove vapors from the residence.

Further MDE directives resulted in a work plan to conduct a microbe injection, post-injection soil sampling, and sump water sampling. The results indicated the following:

Sump sampling activities indicate concentrations above residential MDE GNCS for TPH-DRO; however, TPH-DRO concentrations significantly declined between the two sampling events.
The post injection soil sampling indicated that concentrations are basically below MDE GNCS concentrations with the exception of one soil sample had a concentration of 235 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg) which is only slightly above the MDE GNCS for residential soil of 230 mg/kg.
Air samples from the vapor extraction system indicate that concentrations of TPH-DRO have continued to decline and have not been detected since September 2015.
Indoor air samples indicate one compound, naphthalene, exceeds applicable standards.

The vapor extraction system continues to operate.

Home Heating Oil Spills

Lothian, Anne Arundel County, MD

After a furnace maintenance visit, the home owner discovered a heating oil release to the basement. Approximately one-inch of standing oil was observed on the porous concrete/gravel basement floor and around the furnace. Vapors were noted in the basement and throughout the house. Observations during initial response activities indicated that most of the oil had soaked into the cracks in the concrete and alongside the brick retaining walls in the vicinity of the spill. The impacted area was approximately 20 feet by 20 feet.

ACE mobilized equipment to initiate spill clean-up activities, including scrubbing the concrete floor and brick walls with degreaser, removing previously place sorbent material, installing a vapor extraction fan to remove vapors from the affected area (and prevent migration into the house), and also conducted an application of microbes to assist with vapor issues. The MDE directed additional work to investigate soils beneath the concrete slab. Initially, soil cores were conducted through the concrete floor for the collection of field readings. The results of the field survey detected elevated readings as high as 900 parts per million by volume (ppm-v). Based on the elevated readings, soil excavation activities were planned.

Ace initiated soil excavation activities including breaking up the concrete and hand digging impacted soils beneath the foundation. A total of 8.8 tons of impacted soil was excavated and properly disposed. A total of five post-excavation samples were collected for analysis. Based on the analytical results, case closure was recommended and the case was closed.product and/or dissolved-phase recovery.