Learn how a proposed semiquantitative age-dating procedure may be used in cases regarding No. 2 heating oil releases, a serious threat to groundwater resources throughout much of the world. Because of the significant remediation costs for these types of heating oil spills, insurance carriers and associated law firms often request information on release timeframes. This proposed age-dating procedure incorporates factors such as site history, petroleum composition and weathering, environmental conditions, extent of contamination, and the condition of the underground tank. The procedure uses principles of petroleum chemistry and compares them to known site-specific environmental conditions vs. using a universal approach, such as a mathematical equation, that cannot incorporate all the needed parameters.

1 CEP