Department of Community Services

Underground Fuel Storage Tank Services

Some Yukoners are experiencing difficulties in obtaining home insurance, or in buying or selling a home, due to recent policy decisions of the insurance industry regarding underground fuel storage tanks.

Homeowners with underground fuel tanks that they want to abandon or remove may contact the Fire Marshal's Office for free permit, monitoring and inspection services. Once the tank has been properly removed or decommissioned, the homeowner will receive a letter verifying for realtors and insurance companies that the tank was removed or abandoned in accordance with all applicable fire and environmental standards.

Tanks that are abandoned in place must have all product removed and then be filled with an inert material such as sand or concrete. To fill with sand, a hole is cut close to the center of the tank to ensure that the tank is totally full. Where access is difficult, a concrete slurry may be pumped into the tank through the fill pipe ensuring the tank is completely filled. Underground tanks can be removed entirely and disposed of after purging. These tanks cannot be reused.

Yukon Housing Corporation considers removal or abandonment of a buried fuel tank, in an approved manner, and replacement with whatever option a homeowner selects, as an eligible repair item under its low-interest Home Repair Program.

Technical advisors at Yukon Housing Corporation can help homeowners decide whether to replace their old fuel tank with a new, approved buried system, an above-ground external tank, or a basement/crawlspace tank. The final decision rests with the homeowner.