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A site walkover may provide clues as to the presence of an abandoned UST. Heating oil tanks
<br /> usually exhibit spillage during filling, especially if the tank is old and has been filled repeatedly over
<br /> a number of years. Staining of the soil with or without the characteristic odor of fuel oil may be an
<br /> indicator of the presence of an abandoned fuel oil tank. If the soil appears to be undisturbed, check
<br /> for the presence of a fill pipe or a fill pipe that may have been cut off below ground level and
<br /> covered over.
<br /> Fuel oil tanks are generally buried near the foundation of the building. Check the basement of the
<br /> structure for the placement of the furnace and any piping to an outside wall that may remain. If-
<br /> the piping has been removed, look for a hole or patched hole in the wall in the general vicinity of the
<br /> furnace or the area where the furnace once resided. The fuel oil tank, if present,should be on the
<br /> other side of the wall, near the foundation. Fuel oil tanks of greater than 1,100 gallons capacity
<br /> should be registered by the tank owner with the MPCA. Contact the Tanks and Emergency
<br /> Response Section at (612) 297-8679 to see if there is any information that indicates the presence or
<br /> former presence of a tank at this site.
<br /> USTs are generally buried 36"-42" below ground. Metal detection devices such as those used by
<br /> NSP to locate metal gas lines and electrical wires may be capable of detecting the presence of an
<br /> UST if it isn't buried too deep.
<br /> Soil borings in an area of the site suspected to contain an UST can be conducted, but this can be a
<br /> costly option. If the soil is sandy or otherwise relatively porous, a metal rod may be driven into the
<br /> ground to a depth of 48" or so in areas suspected to contain a buried UST. Excavation may also be
<br /> an option,however, this is labor intensive, may be costly and will be disruptive of the integrity of
<br /> the site.
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<br /> The presence of unsealed wells is a concern in many older buildings. Any unsealed or improperly
<br /> sealed wells need to be identified and a licensed well contractor needs to.be contacted to properly
<br /> seal the well(s). The following information includes some clues on how you'might locate an
<br /> unsealed well and who to contact to learn more about them.
<br /> Locating unsealed wells is a combination of research and educated guesses. There are three areas
<br /> where records of old wells may be located:
<br /> ♦ Minnesota Geological Survey (612) 627-4784,water well records by section, township and
<br /> range,and sometimes by address,
<br /> ♦ Minnesota Department of Health Well Management Unit (612) 215-0311,Pre-1990 the wells are
<br /> classified by year and the contractor that drilled the well,
<br />
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