Tuesday, January 24, 2006

Oil Tanks

So last Tuesday (1/17), our oil company, let's just call them Stuyvesant Fuel Service Corp.'s subcontracted oil deliverer Mystic Bulk Carriers, came to fill our tank. While this guy is in the basement, my parents are startled by him yelling. They go downstairs and there is oil coming out of the boiler vents. Long story short, this guy helps my parents clean up the spill. Apparently, there is suppose to be some whistle that goes off that signals when the tank is full. It didn't go off.

Anyway, fast forward a few hours. The heat isn't working. My dad calls a repair man to check it out. Ring ring. Hello? Fix it please!

So Thursday (1/19) rolls around and this repair man comes over. He check out the scene. He gives his findings:
There's no oil in the tank.

What? They just filled Tuesday.


Repair man calls oil company. Oil company man shows up. He tears down wall covering tank (along with the phone lines for everysingle phone upstairs).

His findings: There's no oil.

Oil company report it to the EPA. EPA shows up (still Thursday). So apparently the oil company over filled the tank and, on top of that, put too much pressure when he was filling it, causing it to rupture. The tank apparently was rusting on the bottom too. EPA calls our insurance company to reprimand themfor telling my dad they wouldn't cover any of the work that now needs to be done. When I say work, I mean digging. Lots of digging. For a few weeks or maybe even a month. Let's not even mention the Passive Remediation System that they may need to install and keep down there for like 6-12 months.

The inhabitants in the house are not in the best moods. It smells like gasoline. It smells like Vinegar too. Let's just hope the oil companies pay for all the work that now needs to be done. In the mean time, we have switched to a brand spanking new natural gas boiler.

The DEP showed up yesterday, and the insurance estimator shows up today. My only question is, can anyone recommend a good architect to fix up our basement once the EPA and DEP are done destroying it?

No comments: