The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk old fuel disposal?

I pulled the sending unit and found about 2 inches of something resembling fuel. It has set in a field at least 5 years and corroded so bad the float has rotted away and fell off.

My question what is the safe and LEGAL way to make the residue go away. Who should I call or go see to stay out ot trouble with the EPA and local authorties?
There are some pictures of the sending unit in the INSIDE CAB album.

http://s320.photobucket.com/albums/nn343/brsdb3381/inside%20cab/

Thanks
Brad

You might be able to find a place that you can take the tank and all it's contents to that will clean it and safely despose of the waste for you.
If it's not too old I sometimes mix it with fresh gas and run it in the lawn mower,but it sound's like yours is to old to do that.

I woukld dump the contents in a 5 gallon metal bucket, add some fresh gas to it and burn it off ...I dont see how that would offend ..and it is beter than dumpin it in the dirt.

Old gas is almost impossible to dispose of, I have a friend that work in a bus barn in my area that allowed me to dump a couple of gallons of bad gas in his 50 gallon drum that was going to a special waist disposal location. Other than that I couldn't find anybody that would take it. I have set some small amount outside in a small container and let is evaporate in the sun, you just need to be carfull not to knock it over and make a big mess.
Good luck

Ed

You asked about a "legal" solution which I don't have. However the solution to disposing of the 20 year old "gas" that was in Sweetie was to kill the weeds growing in my drive. I won't do that again because my whole property smelled like the devil's armpit for weeks afterward.

The city dump should have a hazardous waste disposal area for home owners...old paint cans, old chemicals, etc. Try that.

20 years ago when I was 17, I pulled 5 gallons out of a '56 Chevy that had been sitting forever. It stunk, its consistency was thicker than gas, and it burned the skin. I put it in a metal gas can in my parents' garage, and it's still there! I expect to get an angry call one day that the thing finally rusted through.

I'm going up there this year for a wedding, and am thinking about taking it back and using it to start my annual bonfire. I suspect it will be less volatile than gasoline at this point.

But to answer your question, burn it off (standing WELL away from it...gas vapor is what burns/explodes), or take it to the city dump.

-Brad

Brad 54

I called the city like you suggested, but it is not the dump that handles it, here at least.

After calling the dump, refered to fire dpt, refered to health dep I got an answer from th HEALTH AND SANATION DPT.

I could store it until Nov when the City of Ft Worth comes around on a contracted run twice a year for old paints, oils gas etc... or they would give me a voucher to drive to their Ft Worth collection point. Either way it's free for me to dispose of the stuff.

Brad, Glad that you found a way. Good work.
Glenn

Brad:

I am down in Houston. Most cities have a local drop site that you can take hazardous material to. I started to get the same run around down here. The young lady (Isabel) that answered the phone at the city office said that there was no drop site to dump gas in the city of Houston. I found that quite hard to believe. Then I asked her to double check that. After being on hold from what seemed like forever, she came back and said that she was correct "No Approved drop sites".

Here is the solution-----I said okay, Isabel, since you said there is no approved place. I will just go and pour it down the drain. If anybody stops me, I will just say "Isabel with City of Houston said this is okay." She about jumped through the phone. Within in 30 seconds, she gave me the address, phone #, website, etc., of the city location to take it too.

It is quite sad that we try and do the right thing and it is hard to find someone to provide just an ounce of help.

My local garbage company has "amnesty days" every 6 months where you can bring in hazardous stuff and they dispose of it for free. You have to prove that you are a resident, but the idea is that if they take it for free once in a while then you won't dump it in your trashcan or down the storm drain.

I used my "old" gas as a parts cleaner, then dumped that in a 1 gallon plastic jug that i stuffed all my used paper towels into. Then I used a quart on the Yellow Jacket nest that i stirred up...

I throw it on a brush pile as starter fluid,
Scott

send it the guy with ground hog problem. ron

Know anyone with a waste oil furnace?
That's the easiest way to get rid of it.

It works real well down here in the mesquite country to kill mesquites. By the way, a "spill" only has to be reported to the Texas Environmental Commission if it exceeds 25 gallons.

That's what I did with mine-The guy just blended it in with all the waste oil he had stored.