Stories from customers who have received grants

Chris Winnie had put his home in Saddle Brook on the market and needed to upgrade an old underground oil tank to allay the worries of an interested buyer. “My oil company told me about the tank program so as soon as I had finished upgrading my tank, I filled out all of the forms and sent them in. It took a little time, but I thought it was simple enough, even the personal financial statement.”

Chris said the one problem he encountered was that he neglected to sign the Grant Requisition document and had to resubmit that form to the state. “There was a signature line on this form that was confusing. I thought it was for the vendor so I didn't sign it and the state sent it back to me. So my advice would be to make sure you sign and print your name on the Grant Requisition form so you can avoid any delay.”

Chris said he received the full amount he applied for—$3,000—within eight weeks from the time his application was reviewed and approved. “That’s a lot of money to get back, so I would recommend to anyone who is replacing their tank to definitely take advantage of this program.”

Contact your local oil dealer if you would like to share your own experience about the tank grant program.


Charles Coyle of Absecon had an old, 2,000-gallon, steel, underground storage tank that was buried beneath his property. He knew it would eventually become a headache if he waited too long to replace it.

"I always try to look ahead," says Charles. "When I found out about the tank grant program, I figured this was a great time to get rid of this tank and put in a new, aboveground tank. I now have a certificate of removal, my ground has been tested and certified as being clean and I have a 275-gallon tank outside my home. I know if I put my house up for sale, there won't be any concerns about my oil tank."

Charles said following the tank upgrade in November 2006, he completed and mailed his application and accompanying documents a few weeks later. In early February, he received a $3,000 check from the state of New Jersey.

"The total job cost me $4,000, but I did a lot of extra landscaping work after the underground tank was pulled. I think this is a great program that anyone with an underground tank should take advantage of. If you do your own income taxes, completing the personal financial forms shouldn't be a problem. It's very similar to what you have to declare on your income tax forms."