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Most industries store their liquids using aboveground or underground tanks. To prevent corrosion and remove contaminant build-up, you need to empty and clean these tanks on a regular basis. At Hull’s Environmental Services, we offer storage tank cleaning and removal services for customers in Florida, Oklahoma, Georgia, Tennessee, and Texas.

Different Types of Underground and Aboveground Storage Tanks / Containers That We Clean

If your operations involve storing various types of industrial liquids on-site, periodic tank cleaning and waste removal should be a regular part of your maintenance and environmental practices. To help with this, Hull’s Environmental Services can perform safe and efficient storage tank cleaning and removal services for various types of storage containers, including:

  • Tanks storing crude oil
  • Manufacturing process and product tanks
  • Fuel oil tanks
  • Heat exchangers
  • Barges
  • Manhole and sump cleanouts
  • Cooling tower basins
  • Wastewater treatment vessels
  • Railcars
  • And more
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Storage Tank Cleaning and Removal

We employ advanced technologies in all our waste removal and tank cleaning services. Our vacuum trucks can handle many industrial liquid products, including caustic and hazardous materials. With our specially trained personnel and quality equipment, we can conduct our tank cleaning and removal services without significantly disrupting your facility’s operations.

When Should You Clean Your Underground or Aboveground Storage Tank?

There are three main instances when you need to clean your storage tank. These include:

  • Internal Inspection. To prepare your tank for inspection, it must be taken out of service and cleaned.
  • Changing Products. Complete tank cleanings are often necessary when storing a different product in your tank. For example, when switching from an unrefined product to a refined product, you must first remove all impurities and residue.
  • Tank Issues. In cases of mechanical failure, you may not be able to repair your tank while it’s holding its contents. Depending on the issue, you need to empty your tank, clean it, and remove all vapors before making the repairs.

The Underground Tank Removal Process

When removing an underground tank for cleaning, you must follow these steps:

  • Notify Local and State Governments. You must notify local and state governments at least 30 days prior to removing an underground tank. Depending on your location, you may also have to notify local municipalities.
  • Find a Licensed Contractor. Find a certified contractor who meets the required qualifications in your state.
  • Remove All Products From the Tank. All liquids and residual materials must be removed from the underground tank.
  • Inert the Tank. By displacing the oxygen in the tank with a non-explosive gas like carbon dioxide or nitrogen, you can mitigate the risk of an explosion.
  • Begin Excavation. Remove the soil around the tank to gain access to the tank and any of its dispensers or product lines.
  • Cleaning and Removing the Tank. There are requirements for cleaning and handling all the waste products. You must contain all the small spills from disconnections, handle any sludge properly, identify and stockpile any contaminated soil for proper disposal, and remove the tank system.
  • Prepare Tank for Disposal. This involves recognizing safety hazards, vapor mitigation, disposal of any products, and cleaning the entire system.
  • Management of Contaminated Soils. You must handle any soils contaminated in the process according to the state and federal guidelines.
  • Follow Sampling Protocol. According to state guidelines, you must collect soil samples beneath the tank, dispensers, and product delivery lines.
  • Closer Report. A typical report includes analytical information from the soil sample, disposal documentation, and a map to sample locations.

Contact Hull’s Environmental for your Storage Tank Cleaning and Removal Needs

Routine storage tank cleaning and removal is crucial in maintaining your tanks while protecting the surrounding environment. Due to the complexity of this process, it’s important to partner with an experienced environmental service provider to ensure success and compliance with local and federal guidelines.

Hull’s Environmental Services can provide quality residential or commercial storage tank cleaning and removal services for a wide range of container types. To learn more about our capabilities, contact us today.

Memberships & Certifications

ISN
Avetta
Veriforce
DISA
eVerifile Powered By Cisive
Axiom Medical

Frequently Asked Questions

What types of storage tanks does Hull's Environmental Services clean and remove?

Hull’s works on both aboveground and underground storage tanks, along with a range of related vessels and equipment, including tanks storing crude oil, fuel oil tanks, heat exchangers, barges, cooling tower basins, wastewater treatment vessels, and railcars. If your facility has a container that holds process fluids, product, or waste, it’s likely within scope.

How do I know when a storage tank needs to be cleaned?

Tanks need to be emptied and cleaned on a regular basis to prevent corrosion and remove contaminant build-up. Beyond routine maintenance, there are three common triggers: taking a tank out of service for an internal inspection, switching over to a different stored product, and tank issues or mechanical failures that prevent repairs from being made while the tank is full.

What's the difference between tank cleaning and tank removal?

Cleaning is what keeps a tank in service; it involves removing liquids, sludge, and residual product buildup so the tank can be inspected, repaired, or refilled with a new product. Removal is a full decommissioning process, most detailed for underground storage tanks, that takes the tank out of the ground entirely and closes it out with regulators. Both start with getting hazardous or caustic materials out of the tank safely, but removal carries additional steps around excavation, soil management, and closure documentation.

What does the underground storage tank removal process involve?

Hull’s follows a defined, multi-step process: notifying state and local government at least 30 days in advance, using licensed and state-qualified contractors, extracting all contents from the tank, inerting the tank with a non-explosive displacement gas such as carbon dioxide or nitrogen, excavating the surrounding soil, cleaning and extracting the tank system, preparing the tank for disposal, managing any contaminated soils per state and federal guidelines, sampling soil beneath the tank, dispensers, and delivery lines, and preparing closure documentation with analytical data and sample location maps.

How are tank contents, sludge, and contaminated soil handled?

All liquids and residual materials are removed from the tank before any other work begins, using vacuum truck services suited to caustic and hazardous materials. Sludge is handled properly rather than left in the tank or system, and any contaminated soil identified during excavation is stockpiled for proper disposal in accordance with state and federal guidelines.

What safety precautions are taken during a tank removal?

Tank removal requires careful planning and adherence to safety procedures based on the tank’s size, condition, location, and previous contents. Hull’s uses trained personnel and appropriate safety measures to identify and manage potential hazards, including residual materials, confined spaces, spills, and other site-specific risks. Hull’s also maintains recognized safety compliance credentials, including ISNetworld, Avetta, and Veriforce, that facility owners use to vet contractors for this type of work.

What regulatory steps are needed to officially close out a tank?

Tank closure requirements vary by state and can depend on the type of tank, its previous contents, and the site’s history. Depending on the applicable regulations, closure may require advance notification, soil sampling around the tank and associated equipment, analytical testing, and a closure report documenting the findings. Hull’s can help navigate the applicable state and local requirements to ensure the tank is properly assessed, documented, and closed out.

What areas does Hull's Environmental Services serve for tank cleaning and removal?

Hull’s provides storage tank cleaning and removal services across Florida, Oklahoma, Georgia, Tennessee, Texas, Kentucky, North Carolina and South Carolina.