If you’ve found your furnace leaking, spilling heating oil into your home, you’ll need to act fast for the safety and health of your family and the livability of your home. Below are the people to contact first in New England, what to expect, and how a hazardous waste expert like NEDT can help you clean up the aftermath of a home furnace oil spill and other contaminated products as quickly and efficiently as possible—including getting coverage from your insurance.
What to Do Immediately After a Spill
After you’ve discovered a furnace oil spill (also known as a heating oil release), limit your and your family’s exposure to the oil and vapors. Provide good ventilation to anywhere you can smell odors, and open windows and deploy fans if necessary and possible. While you’re doing that, do the following:
- Contact the Fire Department: Contact your local fire department by dialing 911 and speaking to an operator. They will assess the spill, provide medical assistance, and contact further agencies.
- Contact MassDEP: You’ll also need to contact the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) or your New England state equivalent to report the spill. You can use the 24-hour DEP release reporting line (1-888-304-1133).
- Contact Your Oil Company: The company that provides your heating oil may have service technicians who can come over to turn off valves to help shut off oil leakage.
MassDEP has a dedicated page for Site Cleanup for Homeowners, including a full section and a Homeowner Oil Spill Cleanup Guide.
Getting Home Oil Spills Cleaned Up
After the initial crisis has passed, it’s time to think about cleanup. An oil spill of any size will need to be handled by a specialized contractor. Your insurance company will also need to be contacted. A typical cleanup project from NEDT for a New England resident would look like this:
- Initial Assessment: Our immediate response team will arrive and assess the situation, working with other organizations for a complete picture. We’ll offer cleanup options, including heating and air quality protection barriers, so you can stay in your home during the project.
- Oil Cleanup: We’ll clean up the immediate spill, including sealing the area and using air-moving equipment for fumes and smells. This will include removal and disposal of any damaged property.
- Home Remediation: Depending on the extent of the spill, additional remediation may need to be completed, including contaminated soil removal. We’ll advise a course of action to make sure the environment and your property value aren’t affected.
We’ll also contact your insurance directly to determine coverage and, if necessary, refer you to a specialty lawyer who can provide legal advice on residential oil spills to maximize potential coverage.
If you’ve just been affected by a home furnace oil spill in New England and need assistance, call us at 1 (866) 769-1621. We’ve got experienced technicians and a fleet of vehicles to help with residential (and commercial) oil spills of all sizes and complexities. We can also help with other types of chemical spills, and our collection centers can help with all sorts of household hazardous waste. Contact us today to learn more.
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