Leaky tank leads to renegotiations

A leak discovered in an underground oil storage tank at the building formerly occupied by Bassett-Walker lead to renegotiations between the county and the property owner, Sparta Leasing Company.

Sara Brown is listed as president of that company.

County Manager Don Adams said the deal to buy the building was renegotiated after the 10,000 gallon underground tank was found to have a leak of an undetermined proportion.

The tank currently contains about 2,000 gallons of oil, Adams said. According to state regulations administered through the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the tank must be removed and the spill area must be cleaned up, Adams said. Simply digging out the tank may be enough, but more work on the site may be necessary as well, Adams said.

"We just won't know the extent of it until we remove the tank," Adams said. Such cleanups can be costly to complete. However, the state has a trust fund for cleanup at areas with underground tanks used to contain heating oil, provided the property owner has kept the fees paid up to date. All fees are currently paid, Adams said, meaning that the majority of the cost of the cleanup should be paid by the state. In fact, the state should pay 80 percent or more of the cost of the work.

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