As reported in the Saanich News, a Councillor from the Town of View Royal in British Columbia is pushing for provincial legislation to enhance safety and security issues for fuel oil tanks. Councillor John Rogers wants to lessens the risk of environmental contamination from leaking heating fuel tanks.
Last month, Rogers’ motion to the Union of B.C. Municipalities’ annual meeting, calling on the province to legislate changes to enhance oil tanks’ safety and security, was tabled for later discussion. The motion called on the province to legislate mandatory registration and tagging of home heating oil tanks as being in good condition, and prohibit the filling of untagged tanks.
Under the proposed legislation, a mandatory inspection system would be established that included authorized inspector access. Such a regulation would place liability on fuel delivery companies for spills from tanks they fill and require those companies to carry related insurance.
Under this proposal, the cost for the public clean up costs associated to leakage from properties where the owner has self-identified as having a heating oil tank would be covered by insurance. To offset the additional costs for fuel delivery companies, owners of fuel oil tanks would have a surcharge added to their bill.
The proposal would have also required proper decommissioning of tanks that no longer meet certification or are unused for a prescribed time.
“The regulations are the province’s purview, and if the province were to take this on, every municipality would receive the benefit,” Councillor John Rogers said.
Currently in British Columbia, homeowners are responsible for ensuring that their home heating oil tanks are safe, secure, and in good operating condition. Insurance companies in B.C. have required homeowners to move oil tanks outdoors as well as ensuring their tank meets B.C. fire and building code standards for construction and maximum age.
Leaks from Domestic Heating Fuel Storage Tanks
It is estimated that more than 40% of all oil spills in Canada are from domestic oil tanks used to heat homes.
According to the Insurance Bureau of Canada, the cost for clean-up of a leaking fuel oil tank averages between $250,000 and $500,000.
Since 2012, in the community of Saanich, B.C., a district municipality on Vancouver Island, there has been environmental response crews have had to respond to reports of six buried oil tanks that failed, four copper lines leaking (running from the tank to the furnace) and 12 above ground tanks leaking.
“We do know that there can be severe problems when tanks have been unknowingly left in the ground,” Saanich Mayor Fred Haynes said in an interview with Saanich News. “For new homeowners, it has caused severe hardship and environmental damage. Buried tanks are a continuing concern in Saanich we seem to have a fairly robust approach to that.”
Rogers plans to provide the UBCM executive with further details around his motion in hopes that it may make it onto next year’s recommended list.
