New DEC Program Helps Homeowners Cover Heating Oil Spill Cleanup Costs

New DEC Program Helps Homeowners Cover Heating Oil Spill Cleanup Costs

• For immediate release:January 9, 2026
• Department Media Contact: Sam Dapcevich, 907-465-5009

Juneau, AK - The Department of Environmental Conservation Prevention, Preparedness, and Response Program (PPR) launched a new program last fall to help eligible homeowners cover the cost of responding to home heating oil spills and is now formally announcing the program statewide.

Home heating oil tanks are often located close to homes where families, children, and pets spend time, making quick and thorough cleanup especially important. Prompt response helps protect household safety and prevents fuel from spreading into soil, groundwater, or drinking water sources. To help homeowners act quickly, PPR is offering funding through a one-time state budget appropriation of $450,000 to support home heating oil spill cleanup. The goal is to help as many homeowners as possible complete cleanup without delays caused by the cost of response.

"Each year we receive about 50 reports of spills from home heating oil tanks or fuel lines. They range in size from a few cups to hundreds of gallons. Spills can be inconvenient and stressful for the homeowner and damaging to Alaska's environment; they can also be very expensive to clean up," said Graham Wood, PPR Program Manager. "Spill responders from the PPR Program have always been ready to provide technical assistance to homeowners responding to spills from their heating oil tanks and now we're excited to offer financial support."

Homeowners who discover a spill from their residential heating oil system on or after the program's launch date may be eligible for between $13,000 and $17,000 in department funding, depending on geographic location. Funding may also be available for older spills when the only remaining action needed to close the case is the transport and disposal of excavated contaminated soil.

Once a homeowner is approved, the PPR spill case manager can purchase specific items directly for the response. The funding can be used for response supplies such as sorbent pads and garbage bags, protective equipment like gloves, and to pay for the treatment, transport, and disposal of contaminated soil once it is excavated.

PPR has already begun putting the funding to work, using the first $13,000 to assist a property owner in Nikiski following a spill in November, helping move the cleanup toward completion and property restoration.

"Recently I had the unfortunate experience of an accidental heating oil spill on my property. The thought of the damage and expense associated with cleanup was daunting," said the Nikiski homeowner, who participated in the pilot program. "I notified DEC, and they acted immediately to help me tackle the problem. The project manager even found financial assistance to help ease the financial burden. I hope the grant program is more widely used to help encourage people to come forward sooner."

The program paid for the disposal of over 43 tons of contaminated soil and expects to be able to close the case soon with all necessary cleanup complete.

Learn more about the grant program, including access to the eligibility and application form, and general tools for home heating oil tank installation and maintenance, please visit HomeHeatingOilTanks.alaska.gov.

The Prevention, Preparedness, and Response program protects public health, safety, and the environment by preventing and mitigating the effects of oil and hazardous substance releases and ensuring their cleanup.