The Town of Clinton has been ordered by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) to remove old fuel oil tanks at the old Morgan School, the Pierson School, and The Joel School. The Pierson and Joel School tanks have already expired, while the tank in the Old Morgan school expires in July. The schools will have to request a waiver from DEEP to keep the schools in session until the tanks can be removed.

Public Works Director Peter Neff briefed the Board of Selectmen at its Dec. 6 meeting.

“[DEEP] said the buildings aren’t even supposed to be occupied,” Neff said, noting that a DEEP official told him an exception was made. “If they weren’t a school, they’d shut us down immediately.”

DEEP spokesman Chris Collibee confirmed that the Joel and Pierson school tanks expired in November 2017, and that the town was notified shortly thereafter.

“I was noticed on Nov. 9, 2017 that the tanks had expired on Nov. 1, 2017,” said Superintendent of Schools Maryann O’Donnell. “I was told that DEEP records showed that the tanks were installed in 1987 and that they are required to be removed prior to the 30-year expiration. I was given a notice of violation on Nov. 9 and it indicated the tanks needed to be removed within 30 days or if that was not possible, we needed to provide a timeline for removal to demonstrate compliance with the law. I had not been provided any information or prior notification from DEEP related to the tanks.

“Upon notification, I worked with the director of public works, who assisted in developing a plan for emptying and removing the tanks at Joel and Pierson, and discussed the situation and violation with our first selectman,” O’Donnell continued.

At press time, O’Donnell had not yet responded to a Harbor News query regarding the schools’ policy for monitoring expired tanks and whether that policy was being properly followed.

Neff said that the department is currently assessing other tanks in town that may require removal. Neff recommended that the tank at the library also be removed. Neff noted that the library had switched to using natural gas and no longer used its the tank.

First Selectman Christine Goupil said the town would provide a timeline for removal to DEEP.

The cost to remove all four tanks is $230,000. Neff suggested that the money left over from this years’ bonding package be reassigned to fund the project. The reassignment of that money would have to be approved by the Board of Selectmen and the Board of Finance.

Selectman Phil Sengle asked if the tanks could be filled with an inert material like sand or concrete, but Neff said that practice is no longer allowed. Neff said that the tanks typically have a lifespan of 25 to 30 years.

“The tanks should have been out of the ground already,” Neff said.