On September 11, 2024, a tank sweep of 2216 3rd Ave, Toms River, NJ 08753 was performed by Lawes Environmental Services, LLC in which the technician's scanner alerted that there was a metal underground anomaly measuring approximately 4 foot wide by 6 foot long and most likely 2 feet or more under the surface. Images and video were taken on that day to show the area of concern outlined in the soil and painted with orange markout paint by the Lawes technician.
On September 24, 2024, I was alerted at approximately 3:45pm that an underground tank contractor was at the property to dig up and remove a tank. I arrived at the property near 4:30pm at which time there were several workers in and around the home. One of them, the lead technician and person driving the equipment was still near the dig site and was putting up cones. He explained that they dug in several areas but found no tank. According to the technician, at a depth of approximately 3.5 foot or more, they ran into, and broke, what appears to be the cast iron sewage drain pipe, likely responsible for carring sewage from the home to the street where it may connect to the township sewer main. It was clear upon looking at the dig site and areas of disturbed soil, that the work performed was not at all the area of concern. In fact, the area of concern was clearly still compacted and untouched by excavation equipment and had become an area for the workers to pile dirt from the areas they were digging. All of this can be seen in the images and video provided in this site. Additionally, while I was onsite, the technician performed a rod poke test similar to that of Lawes Environmental several weeks earlier. The new poke test appeared was horizontal, performed from inside the new hole just above the sewer pipe, at a depth of approximately 2 feet, and at an angle veering away from the area of concern and toward the front corner of the home nearest the dig site. Three additional vertical poke tests were performed by the technician while I was onsite provide. Two of the tests were in areas where he claimed to have dug earlier in the day and the rod went in the ground with little effort. The third test was located withing the area of concern and proved to be too difficult for the the technician to get more that approximately 1 foot into the ground. The Lawes technician had a similar result during the tank sweep. The technician eventually stated that they had not dug in the are of concern and would return the following day to dig that area.
According to the listing agent, as of approximately late afternoon today, September 25, 2024, no further work has been performed at the site with regard to the area of concern.