Maintaining your fuel tank

• Have your fuel tank installed by a certified contractor
• When installing a new tank choose a double walled tank with secondary containment
• Have your tank installed away from any floor drains or other openings in the floor to prevent spills from escaping
• Have your tank inspected annually by an oil burner technician as legally required under Technical
  Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) and Canadian Standards Association (CSA) code
• Ensure that your basement tank is easily accessible for inspection
• If your fuel tank is installed in a garage, provide proper distance and protection from vehicles
• Install an overfill protection device on your tank
• Install drip trays under the tank and oil supply lines
• Empty all unused tanks; if you have an abandoned underground tank (underground tanks are
  prohibited) you are legally required to remove it and remove any contaminated soil

Handling Spills & Leaks

Take the following steps as soon as you find out that your fuel tank has leaked or spilled oil:

• Eliminate all sources of ignition
• Contact your fuel supplier or registered contractor
• Contain the spill using whatever materials are available (pails, rags, newspapers, peat moss,
  kitty litter, absorbent pads, plastic sheeting).
• Do not flush any oil or contaminated material down sewers or floor drains
• Notify the Spills Action Centre immediately
• Place spilled oil and any contaminated soil or materials into garbage bags or plastic pails. For
  larger spills, you may need the services of a professional cleanup contractor
• Properly dispose of any recovered oil, contaminated soil and/or materials. Your
  municipality or the Ministry of the Environment can provide information on proper waste management practices 
• Contact your insurance company

Home heating oil contains many compounds that have the potential to contaminate drinking water supplies.
Home heating oil contains BTEX, an acronym for benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, and xylene. BTEX compounds have been associated with serious health conditions such as leukemia and Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, as well as birth defects. BTEX compounds dissolve easily in water and can travel long distances in ground and surface water.

Heating oil also contains petroleum hydrocarbons (PHC), compounds that originally come from crude oil. PHC’s are associated with harmful effects to the reproductive, respiratory, immune, and nervous systems. PHC’s can also harm the kidneys, liver, skin, eyes and blood.

Proper care of your fuel tank is in everyone’s best interest. Not only can your health be compromised, but the costs for clean up or repairs from an oil spill can be very expensive. Oil spills can cause significant environmental damage and may not be fully covered by your home insurance policy.