AUGUSTA — With the record amount of snow that Maine has seen this year, the state Department of Environmental Protection cautions about possible damage to outside heating oil tanks from snow and ice.

The fuel filter attached to the bottom fitting of a residential oil storage tank is a weak component and makes a good target for falling and settling snow to shear off that connection. If this happens, most of the contents of the tank will be released before repairs can be made.

These spills can contaminate drinking water wells and surface waters, degrade indoor air quality and require expensive repair or replacement of the tank, not to mention the cost of purchasing replacement fuel.

Falling snow and ice is the second most common cause of releases from home heating oil tanks - with internal corrosion number one. To help prevent this kind of a serious, harmful and potentially expensive accident from happening, the DEP suggests having a licensed oil technician install a steel filter protector, regularly and carefully clear snow from over and around the tank, remove snow and ice from the roof above to prevent slides and when doing so, be mindful of the tank below.

If a spill does occur, call your local fire department to begin the cleanup process and also report the spill immediately to Maine DEP's 24-hour oil spill emergency response hotline at 1-800-482-0777. The DEP and municipal agencies work together to mitigate spills such as these.

For more information from the DEP about keeping home heating oil tanks safe, visit http://www.maine.gov/dep/spills