Auto repair shop environmental due diligence: solvents, oil and lifts
Repair shops handle oil, solvents and antifreeze every day, and older shops often let them go down a floor drain.
Why auto repair shops and body shops carry this risk
Before the 1980s, waste oil tanks, solvent parts washers and floor drains to dry wells were standard in garages. Older hydraulic lifts were set in the ground and leaked fluid into the soil.
Body shops add paints and thinners. Even a small shop is often listed as a hazardous waste generator.
What usually turns up
Floor drains and dry wells
Often seriousA drain that empties to the ground instead of a sewer is a direct path for solvents into soil and groundwater.
In-ground hydraulic lifts
Worth checkingOlder lifts held hydraulic oil in buried cylinders. Removal often finds stained soil.
Waste oil and solvent storage
Worth checkingWaste oil tanks, above or below ground, and chlorinated degreasers are the usual sources of a finding.
Hazardous waste generator status
Usually minorFederal records show whether the shop reported generating hazardous waste and any violations.
What the pre-screen checks for a auto repair shop
- EPA hazardous waste (RCRA) records for the address and past operators.
- State tank lists for waste oil and fuel tanks.
- Historical aerials and directories for how long it has been a garage.
- Neighboring dry cleaners, stations and shops within a quarter mile.
Pre-screen a property before you spend on a Phase I
A desk review of one address: past uses from historical photos and maps, federal and state environmental records, and flood risk, ready usually within the hour. $100 for one report, or $100/month for 3.
Questions to ask the seller
- Where do the floor drains go?
- Are the lifts in-ground or above ground, and were any removed?
- Who hauls waste oil and solvents, and can you share manifests?
- Any underground tanks, active or abandoned?
When to order a full Phase I
Order a full Phase I for any shop that has operated more than a few years, and expect sampling if there are floor drains or in-ground lifts.