Remediating Heating Oil Contaminated Soil: Excavation, Charcoal, and Legal Responsibility

Best Fix: Excavate and Replace

Contaminated soil should be removed and replaced. If the oil company documented the spill 25 years ago, they may still be liable for cleanup.

If excavation isn’t feasible, till the area spring and fall to aerate, and incorporate activated charcoal to adsorb hydrocarbons.

Check with local legislators for state cleanup funds. Contamination must be addressed before property sale.

Soil Issues: Diagnosing Bare Spots in Lawn: Sunlight, Compaction, pH, Drainage, and Fungus; Neutralizing Cayenne Pepper in Garden Soil: Organic Matter, Charcoal, and Flooding; Planting in Shallow Soil Over Concrete: Options for Zone 6; White Mold Under Mobile Home: Treatment and Prevention; Best Soil Amendment for NW Florida Clay/Sand; Creating Planting Beds: Why Newspaper Layers Fail and Better Methods; Moss on Soil Under Pines: Compaction Indicator, Not a Killer; Plants That Thrive in Wet Soil to Dry Out a Soggy Area; Designing a Butterfly-Friendly Perennial Garden in Northern South Carolina Clay Soil; Why Arborvitae Won't Fill Out in Clay Soil and Part Shade

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