When to Call the NJ DEP Hotline About a Heating Oil Tank
Most oil tank problems are not emergencies. A confirmed discharge is different, and the state sets a short deadline for reporting it.
The number
The NJDEP’s hotline is 1-877-WARNDEP (1-877-927-6337). The department lists it as available 24 hours a day and toll free.
The deadline
According to the NJDEP’s homeowner FAQ, when a discharge is discovered, the department must be notified immediately, within 15 minutes, by reporting the discharge to the hotline. The homeowner or the contractor can make the report.
Who has to call
- Homeowners: the department says that after a discharge is discovered the tank owner is required to notify the DEP hotline and hire an environmental professional.
- Contractors: the state’s UST rules, N.J.A.C. 7:14B, require contractors certified for closure to call the hotline when they discover a discharge. If your contractor calls during a removal, that is why.
What counts as a discharge
The NJDEP says signs of a discharge include visual and odor observations, field screening, or lab analysis of soil or groundwater that shows contamination beneath or near the tank. Our guide to signs your heating oil tank may be leaking lists the warning signs that come before.
What if the tank has holes but no sign of a discharge?
The NJDEP points to guidance from the Department of Community Affairs on when to call the hotline in that case. If you are unsure, ask the certified contractor and the municipal inspector, and read the department’s FAQ.
What happens after you call
The call creates an incident number, which is a case number for your tank. Then the owner hires a certified subsurface evaluator, working for a firm certified for subsurface evaluation, or a Licensed Site Remediation Professional. The work follows the state’s heating oil tank rules, and when it is complete the department can issue a No Further Action letter. See What Is a No Further Action Letter?.
Before there is a problem
If you only suspect a tank, you are not at the hotline stage. You are at the finding stage. A sweep and an exploratory dig answer that question. Oil Tank Scan NJ: 732-673-1584.
