Oil spill cleanup – A DIY excercise by homeowner in Ohio

This is a call similar to 911 call for fumes as the home owner who returned from his vacation on 4th July could not live because of strong fumes emanating from the house that was locked. He moved his family with his parents so that the infants are not affected by the fumes. Next he called us for shipment of VaporRemed by next day air and he received the shipment on 6th July and he began his Do-It-Yourself exercise which led him to a major cleanup project. Detailed photo feature of the project is attached. The home was restored and the odor from the heating oil fumes was completely eliminated.

Soil contaminated with heating oil outside of the house

The owner had received the certificate from the EPA that the spill of heating oil was cleaned up and so when he dug up the outside of his home he was surprised to see so much of contaminated soil.

The cleanup

The first gallon of VaporRemed showed that the product worked to reduce the fumes, but did not eliminate them completely. Following his sense of smell he realized that the smell was coming from below the basement. He cut the basement and saw a puddle of oil.

Extended excavation

The observation of oil beneath the stairwell indicated the problem more wide spread than what he thought in the beginning of the project. He saw black oil and soil and began to remove using hand as there was no space to use any mechanical implements.

Installation of footer drain system

The EPA had closed the old drain system so that the oil would not get into the storm water drain and that resulted in the accumulation of underlying oil that caused all the problem. The home owner now had to replace the old system and install a new system after treating the soil with more VaporRemed.

Cleanup of a residential oil spill in Ohio

A home owner who moved into his new acquired home was surprised to find the house filled with noxious odor of heating oil and he moved his family to parents home and called us on 4th July, 2005. The photograph shows the interior of home and the area above the tank.