How do I check a property for underground storage tanks?
Search your state's underground storage tank database and EPA's UST Finder for the address and its neighbors. Registered tanks, removals and leaks show up there. Heating oil tanks and tanks closed before the 1980s often don't, so also check old fire insurance maps and aerial photos, and ask the seller for tank removal records.
What the records show
Federal rules since the 1980s require most commercial petroleum tanks to be registered with the state. The state file shows tank age, size, contents, closure, and any leak case and its status.
A closed leak case usually means the state accepted the cleanup, sometimes with limits on how the land can be used. Read the closure letter.
Next door matters too
A leak on a neighboring lot can reach yours through groundwater. Phase I consultants look at tanks within set search distances, and so does our screen.
Check a property’s flood zone free
Type the address. See the FEMA flood zone and map, free. Add your email to see which buildings sit in the flood area.
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Sources (checked 2026-11-10)