Indoor Air, Tanks, Hazmat, Soil, and VOC Air Testing

Each section below can stand on its own. Tell us the town, what prompted the call, and who needs the report.

• Indoor air quality in New York and all of Vermont, including odor, dust and particle identification, and fire and soot residue
• Fuel oil tanks in New York and Vermont
• Hazmat and PCB surveys in New York and Vermont
• Phase I Environmental Site Assessments in New York and Vermont
• Soil sampling in New York and Vermont
• VOC air testing in New York and Vermont

Indoor air quality

An indoor air quality investigation starts from a complaint about the building: a musty, chemical, or sewer-like odor, dust that keeps returning, or residue after a fire or smoke event. ClearVU does this testing in New York and all of Vermont, and the written report stays independent of any contractor doing the work. See indoor air quality and odors for what an investigation includes.

Fuel oil tanks

We test fuel oil tanks that are already known or already suspected: a fill pipe, a seller’s disclosure, a prior report, or a stain and odor that point to a tank. The work is testing and a written report of condition and, where it fits the question, samples.

If we find a petroleum release in New York, we call the NYS DEC Spill Hotline ourselves at 1-800-457-7362.

In New York, the tank owner is strictly liable for a petroleum release under Navigation Law §181. Many on-premises heating oil tanks under 1,100 gallons sit outside DEC’s petroleum bulk storage registration under 6 NYCRR 613-1.3, and liability for a leak can still apply. The Property Condition Disclosure Statement asks about current and past fuel tanks.

Buyers, sellers, agents, and lenders use the report.

Hazmat and PCB surveys

Before a renovation or demolition, a hazardous-materials survey inventories more than asbestos. The survey can cover asbestos, lead paint, PCB caulk, paint, and light ballasts, and mercury and refrigerant equipment in New York and Vermont. It is an inventory and a testing report. Lead paint on this survey uses the lead credentials on the lead page. Asbestos sampling follows the survey rules. Bulk samples analyzed by independent, accredited labs.

Phase I Environmental Site Assessments

A Phase I Environmental Site Assessment reviews the history and the current use of a property and records recognized conditions for a buyer, a lender, or an owner. Mention the address, the transaction, and the deadline when you call or email.

Tell us the address, the transaction, and who will read the report, and we will describe what the assessment covers.

Soil sampling

Soil samples answer a specific question, often after a tank or a known petroleum release, or when a buyer or a lender asks whether petroleum is present. Samples are analyzed by independent, accredited labs. The usual reason for the sample is a tank, a disclosure, or a lender’s request.

VOC air testing

VOC air testing looks for chemical vapors in indoor air: after a heating-oil release, after spray foam or new finishes when an odor remains, or when a buyer asks about vapors near a known spill. It is one laboratory test. An indoor air quality investigation is the broader service, and MVOC testing is on the mold page.

Where new materials are a suspect, formaldehyde air sampling is part of that testing. Formaldehyde can come from composite wood products and some building materials. Samples are lab-analyzed, and the report explains the result in context rather than as a pass or fail.

There is no single residential legal limit for total VOCs.

Indoor air quality, fuel oil tank testing, hazmat and PCB surveys, Phase I assessments, soil sampling, and VOC air testing cover New York and Vermont.