The Hazard File

Guides

What buried tanks and leak records actually mean — for buyers, owners, and neighbors.

• How to find out if a property has an underground storage tank — for free
  Four free ways to find out if a property has an underground storage tank: EPA records, fire marshal files, physical clues, and a 60-second map screening.
• Buying a house with a buried oil tank — what to check before you sign
  Buried heating-oil tanks can turn into six-figure cleanups. What to demand from the seller, what testing costs, and how NJ, NY, and CT handle old oil tanks.
• Leaking underground storage tank next door: what it means for your property
  A LUST case near your property: how plumes move, what 'No Further Action' means, vapor intrusion, disclosure duties, and what to do about property value.
• What is a LUST site? The half-million leaks under American streets
  LUST means leaking underground storage tank. Where the half-million US cases came from, how cleanups work, what the statuses mean, and how to check near you.
• Phase I environmental site assessment: what it costs and what's in it
  Phase I Environmental Site Assessments cost $1,500-$4,000 in 2026. What the report contains, when lenders require it, and the free screening to run first.
• Underground oil tank removal cost in 2026
  Removing a residential underground oil tank costs $1,500-$3,500 when clean - and far more if it leaked. 2026 price breakdown, process, and state programs.
• UST records lookup by state — all 50 program offices
  Every state underground storage tank program office, linked. Where to pull tank registrations, leak case files, and closure reports - plus DC and Puerto Rico.
• How far should a house be from a gas station?
  Research and setback rules on living near gas stations: benzene, vapor, and leak-plume distances, what 300 ft vs 500 ft means, and how to screen an address.