Many homes in Delaware have old underground storage tanks used for heating oil that typically date back to the 1950s and 60s.
Often when property owners switch from oil to gas, these tanks stay in the ground, causing damage to the environment and creating havoc like contaminating well water.
"As time’s gone on, a lot of folks have either switched over to above ground storage tanks or natural gas, and often they don’t do anything to properly close in place the existing underground tank, they sort of just stop using them," said hydrologist Amy Bryson, who works for DNREC.
"They’ll either have water get into them that will displace the oil and cause a surface release. Or we will see that perhaps they develop holes and people will notice odors in their homes," she continued.
The agency says it’s trying to take a proactive approach and help property owners remove those tanks at no charge, through an application process.
Right now the tanks removal program is in its infancy, and DNREC will receive $900,000 each year for the next two years from the Hazardous Substance Cleanup Act fund.
Governor Markell has lauded the program, saying that it will help eliminate a serious environmental threat.