We were contracted by an environmental engineering company to extract a number of underground tanks situated beneath the sidewalks in Newark, NJ. These tanks had been identified using ground penetrating radar (GRP) during the sale of an apartment complex.
Upon securing the required permits from the building department, including sidewalk opening permits, and after establishing a bond with Newark’s engineering department, the project commenced.
We arrived at the location equipped with various heavy excavation machinery, essential for breaking and excavating the sidewalks to reach the tanks below.
Once the tanks were uncovered, an opening was made in the top of each one. Some of the tanks still held a significant amount of fuel, necessitating pumping using a specialized truck. The remaining sludge was cleaned out and placed into 55-gallon drums. These drums were collected and properly disposed of, each accompanied by a manifest to demonstrate appropriate disposal.
Subsequently, the tanks were lifted from the ground and set aside for inspection by the township’s fire official. This inspection entailed examining the tanks for signs of corrosion or holes, as well as inspecting the excavation site for indications of leaks or strong odors. A few tanks exhibited corrosion, leading to a failed inspection for those particular tanks. Soil samples were extracted from within the excavation of the failed tanks to ascertain whether soil contamination was present.
Following the inspections and any necessary soil sampling, the excavations were backfilled with certified clean backfill material and compacted to prepare for sidewalk restoration.
The adjacent sidewalks underwent drilling and reinforcement using a rebar grid. Subsequently, 4,000 psi concrete was poured to restore the sidewalks to their original state.
The tanks were transported to a metal recycling facility, where certificates were issued to validate their proper disposal.
