Eagle Times Staff
Widespread flooding in Vermont has caused many basements to fill with water and, in some cases, released oil from heating oil tanks into basements. The Department of Environmental Conservation is offering guidance for basement cleanup.
Before pumping, report any oil or petroleum found floating on the water in a basement to the Environmental Conservation at 800-641-5005 at any time or 802-828-1138 during the workday.
Environmental cleanup contractors will respond to areas with significant flooding and will be directed to homes to assist with the pump out. They will pump out the basement from the top of the liquid surface to recover any floating oil first. Pumping liquid out from the floor level or below the liquid surface will likely cause floating oil to coat everything in the basement making for a more significant cleanup.
If there is no evidence of oil in the water such as an oil sheen — nothing floating on the water or no oil odor — the basement may be pumped out from the ground.
For more information on flood recovery resources from the Agency of Natural Resources, Department of Environmental Conservation, Fish and Wildlife Department, or the Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation visit https://ANR.Vermont.gov/Flood.
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