Abandonment Removal Services

Unknown and Deteriorating Hazardous Materials

Abandoned facilities often contain unlabeled drums, deteriorating chemical containers, and unknown materials requiring specialized handling. Over years of abandonment, container labels fade or fall off eliminating waste identification, drums corrode and leak creating soil contamination, reactive chemicals destabilize becoming explosive or toxic, and mixing incompatible materials creates hazardous reactions.

HAZWOPER-trained specialists perform field testing (pH, flammability, reactivity) and laboratory analysis to safely identify unknown materials before handling. All waste is properly characterized under EPA RCRA regulations, repacked into DOT-approved containers, manifested for transportation, and disposed at permitted facilities. Untrained contractors attempting cleanup risk worker injuries, environmental releases, and regulatory violations.

CERCLA Liability Remains with Property Owners

Under CERCLA (Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act), you are strictly liable for site contamination even if you didn't cause it and even if the facility was abandoned before you acquired the property. This liability includes EPA-ordered cleanup at your expense potentially costing millions, civil penalties that can be significant and may accrue daily depending on the statute, order, and inflation adjustments, third-party lawsuits from contamination impacts, and property liens preventing sale or refinancing.

Cleanup and regulatory closure documentation can reduce liability exposure and support applicable CERCLA defenses, depending on site history, due diligence, and program requirements. Banks and buyers require clean environmental assessments before financing or purchasing properties with abandonment histories.

Structural and Safety Hazards

Abandoned facilities deteriorate creating serious injury risks including collapsing buildings and roofs, failing tanks and vessels under pressure, open pits and excavations, exposed electrical systems, and hazardous atmospheres in confined spaces (oxygen deficiency, toxic gases, flammable vapors).

You face premises liability for injuries to trespassers, squatters, or unauthorized visitors. Professional abandonment contractors perform structural assessments before entry, use air monitoring and ventilation in confined spaces, implement fall protection and rescue systems, and follow OSHA safety standards preventing worker injuries and your liability.

Property Value Destruction

Abandoned contaminated properties sell at substantial discounts compared to clean comparable sites due to buyer concerns about unknown cleanup costs and future liability exposure. Lenders refuse financing until environmental assessments confirm no contamination.

Properties are often difficult to finance or sell until cleanup scope is defined and closure documentation is obtained. Professional abandonment removal with complete documentation restores property value by eliminating contamination, obtaining closure documentation from environmental agencies, providing clean Phase I/II environmental reports for buyers, and enabling property financing and development approvals.

Abandoned Industrial Facilities



Typical Challenges: Manufacturing plants, chemical processing facilities, warehouses left vacant after closures or bankruptcies; process chemicals, heavy equipment, contaminated structures, underground storage tanks; hazmat removal, tank closure, asbestos abatement, soil remediation required before demolition.

Abandoned Mines

Typical Challenges: Coal, metal, mineral extraction sites with residual equipment, tailings ponds, acid mine drainage; mine reclamation, equipment removal, tailings stabilization, water treatment systems, erosion control; federal/state mine reclamation programs may fund cleanup.

Abandoned Oil Fields and Refineries

Typical Challenges: Decommissioned wells, storage tanks, pipelines, processing equipment contaminated with petroleum products, drilling fluids, production waste; well plugging, tank removal, pipeline excavation, oily soil remediation, groundwater monitoring; state petroleum cleanup funds may reimburse eligible costs where available.

Abandoned Lagoons and Ponds

Typical Challenges: Industrial wastewater lagoons, settling basins, sludge ponds left unmanaged after facility closures; complete lagoon cleanout with dewatering and sludge removal, sludge solidification using polymer treatment, liner removal or replacement, final closure with soil cover; prevents groundwater contamination.

Abandoned Chemical Storage Sites

Typical Challenges: Drum yards, tank farms, chemical warehouses with deteriorating containers, unknown materials, soil contamination; cleanup performed under the applicable agency or court oversight; waste characterization and lab analysis, container overpacking and repackaging, soil excavation beneath drum storage areas; high-priority enforcement targets.

Foreclosed Industrial Properties

Typical Challenges: Bank-owned properties acquired through foreclosure with unknown contamination and liability risks; lenders require environmental assessments and cleanup before resale; Phase I/II environmental assessments, hazardous waste removal, UST closure, regulatory clearance documentation enabling property sale and financing.

Abandoned Agricultural Facilities

Typical Challenges: Closed farms with pesticide storage, fertilizer tanks, fuel storage, livestock waste lagoons; pesticide container disposal, ammonia tank decontamination, fuel tank removal, lagoon closure; state agricultural agency oversight.

Abandoned Gas Stations

Typical Challenges: Underground storage tanks, contaminated soil and groundwater from petroleum leaks, abandoned equipment, vapor intrusion risks; UST removal, petroleum soil excavation, groundwater monitoring, vapor mitigation systems; state petroleum fund reimbursement may be available where eligible.

Step 1: On-Site Assessment and Hazard Identification

Comprehensive site evaluation by OSHA HAZWOPER-certified specialists identifying structural integrity of buildings, tanks, and equipment, presence and condition of hazardous materials (chemicals, asbestos, PCBs, petroleum), deteriorating containers and unknown waste, soil and groundwater contamination indicators, regulatory compliance status and permit requirements, and access challenges and safety considerations.

Assessment includes visual inspection, limited sampling, historical records review, and regulatory database searches. Results guide remediation planning, cost estimation, and regulatory coordination.

Step 2: Waste Characterization and Removal

Identification and disposal of all hazardous and non-hazardous materials using field testing (pH, ignitability, reactivity) and laboratory analysis (TCLP for toxicity). Unknown materials are sampled, analyzed, and properly classified under EPA RCRA waste codes (40 CFR Parts 260-279). Deteriorating drums are overpacked into DOT-approved containers. All waste is manifested, transported by licensed carriers, and disposed at permitted TSDFs with certificates of disposal provided.



Work is performed under the oversight of the applicable authority (state agency, EPA, local jurisdiction, or court) when required.

Step 3: Tank Cleaning and Decommissioning

Confined space entry for cleaning and removal of abandoned aboveground and underground storage tanks. Services include:

Atmospheric testing, entry permitting, and rescue provisions per OSHA 29 CFR 1910.146 (with ventilation used as required by conditions)

• Residue removal using vacuum trucks
• Tank degassing to eliminate flammable vapors
• Cutting and dismantling for removal
• Soil sampling beneath USTs for contamination
• State regulatory closure approvals

Tank contents are properly characterized and disposed. Contaminated soil excavated and replaced if necessary. Complete closure documentation satisfies state environmental agencies.

Step 4: Soil and Groundwater Remediation

Cleanup of environmental contamination to meet state residential or commercial cleanup standards. Remediation includes soil sampling to define contamination extent, excavation and disposal of contaminated soil, groundwater monitoring wells if needed, confirmation sampling proving cleanup success, and regulatory closure reporting.



Soil is characterized and sent to an appropriate permitted facility (Subtitle D or Subtitle C) or treated on-site/off-site based on contaminant type and regulatory classification. Closure documentation may allow redevelopment; some sites require institutional controls or ongoing monitoring depending on residual conditions.

Step 5: Demolition and Debris Removal

Controlled demolition of unsafe structures after hazardous material removal. Demolition includes:

Asbestos abatement and required notifications prior to demolition under federal NESHAP and applicable state/local asbestos rules (40 CFR Part 61, Subpart M, where applicable)

Structural demolition using excavators or controlled explosives

Debris sorting for recycling (steel, concrete, copper)

Waste transportation to approved facilities

Site grading to drainage specifications

Salvageable equipment and scrap metal sales offset project costs. All demolition follows OSHA 29 CFR 1926 Subpart T (demolition safety standards).

Step 6: Site Restoration and Regulatory Clearance

Final site restoration and documentation for property transfer or redevelopment. Includes final grading and erosion control, vegetation establishment if required, utility capping, complete project documentation (waste manifests, disposal certificates, soil sampling results, photographs, regulatory correspondence).



State closure documentation (often an NFA/closure letter or equivalent) may confirm cleanup completion under that program; ongoing conditions or monitoring may still apply depending on the site and agency. Documentation supports property sales, financing, and development permits.

EPA enforcement orders, leaking drums, structural collapses, or property acquisition discoveries require immediate containment to prevent liability escalation. If you're facing urgent abandonment situations—drum leaks, chemical releases, EPA orders requiring immediate cleanup, fire hazards, or collapsed structures—our 24/7 HAZWOPER-trained emergency crews mobilize nationwide with specialized equipment for handling unknown materials.

24/7 Emergency Hotline: 800-727-9796 for immediate abandonment response.

Learn More: Emergency Services ➞

Service-Driven: HAZWOPER-Trained Specialists for Unknown Materials

All field personnel hold OSHA 40-hour HAZWOPER certification (29 CFR 1910.120) for hazardous waste site work. Teams safely handle unknown and deteriorating materials using field testing, lab analysis, proper PPE, confined space entry protocols, and emergency response procedures. Experience managing projects with over 1,000 unlabeled containers requiring characterization and disposal under regulatory supervision. Strong safety record supported by training, documented procedures, and incident prevention practices.

Client-Focused: Turnkey Project Management from Assessment to Closure

Second-generation family-owned business with 30+ years in industrial services. Single-vendor accountability for complete abandonment projects eliminates coordination burdens. Management includes on-site assessment and cost estimation, regulatory permits and agency coordination, hazardous waste removal and disposal, tank cleaning and demolition, soil remediation and sampling, and final closure documentation. Dedicated project managers provide regular updates and ensure work stays on schedule and budget. One contract, one vendor, complete cleanup. Real people answer phones 7 AM-5 PM weekdays—no automated systems.

Guaranteed Compliance: Complete Regulatory Documentation

Federal, state, and local environmental regulations navigated ensuring full compliance and liability protection. Documentation includes EPA RCRA hazardous waste manifests and disposal certificates (40 CFR Parts 260-279), state UST closure approvals, soil and groundwater sampling results, asbestos NESHAP notifications (40 CFR 61.145), and closure letters supporting liability defense and property transactions. Complete documentation supports property sales, financing approvals, and defense against third-party claims. Direct coordination with EPA and state environmental agencies. $21 million pollution liability insurance protects operations. Strong compliance history across thousands of projects.