Non-Regulated Underground Storage Tanks (USTs) & Voluntary Cleanup
Non-regulated USTs and Voluntary Cleanup scenarios often occur during property transactions, redevelopment, internal corporate risk management, lender due diligence, or legacy environmental reviews where an agency closure pathway is not necessary, yet environmental liability and uncertainty remain.
AA GeoEnvironmental offers expert technical review and advisory services to assist clients in understanding subsurface conditions, contaminants behavior, and risk implications—without assuming the role of a remediation contractor or compliance authority.
UST releases often contain heating oil, petroleum hydrocarbons (e.g., BTEX, TPH, and PAHs), as well as additives or solvents depending on tank type. Understanding these releases depends on:
- Multiphase flow principles (LNAPL/DNAPL, dissolved phase, vapor phase).
- Soil–water–air partitioning and mass transfer.
- Natural attenuation mechanisms (biodegradation, dispersion, volatilization).
- Vadose zone and groundwater transport processes.
These principles guide AA GeoEnvironmental’s review of plume stability, exposure pathways, and long-term risk assessment.
AA GeoEnvironmental performs structured reviews of:
- Historical UST records and closure reports.
- Phase I / Phase II Environmental Site Assessments.
- Soil, groundwater, and soil gas data.
- Remedial actions already performed (e.g., tank removal, soil excavation).
Instead of prescribing cleanup actions, AA GeoEnvironmental offers:
- Risk characterization summaries.
- Identification of low-risk vs. higher-risk conditions.
- Evaluation of whether more investigation significantly reduces uncertainty.
- Support for internal decision-making.
This advisory role is particularly valuable for lenders, developers, and property owners.
When cleanup or mitigation is pursued voluntarily, AA GeoEnvironmental assists with:
- Evaluation of response options.
- Contractor’s scope reviews, assumptions, and performance.
- Post-action data interpretation and closure rationale.
The focus is on justification of the potential voluntary cleanup options.
This service is practical and widely needed in situations such as:
- Properties with legacy USTs closed decades ago.
- Sites where regulatory programs no longer apply.
- Redevelopment projects seeking to manage—not eliminate—environmental risk.
- Lender or investor due diligence requiring independent technical assurance.
- Owners seeking clarity without triggering regulatory involvement.
Clients engage AA GeoEnvironmental when they need clarity without escalation, science without pressure, and confidence without regulatory entanglement. In non-regulated UST and voluntary cleanup scenarios, independent technical judgment is often the most valuable asset.
What this Service Is
- Desktop review of due diligence and technical evaluation, not implementation.
- Focused on non-regulated, voluntary, or legacy UST scenarios.
- Risk-based, data-driven, and defensibility-oriented.
- Reviews that support property and redevelopment decisions.
What this Service Is Not
- A regulatory closure or enforcement pathways.
- A substitute for legal counsel or agency approval.
- A guarantee of “no liability” or regulatory immunity.
- No field equipment, excavation, or construction services.
Data collection, regulatory compliance, and implementation decisions are the clients’ responsibility.