By Matt Clevenger

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TROY — Construction crews have started removing six abandoned underground gas tanks located at Ducky’s Snowballs and Ice Cream, thanks to funding secured by the city of Troy through the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA) and the Ohio Department of Development.

The tanks, which have been buried under the parking lot since it was Dick’s SOHIO/BP, were last certified in 2008, Ducky’s owner Donald Butler said. Additional parking will be added in the space where the old gas pumps used to be.

“It will open up this whole area for parking,” Butler said. “It was very difficult to access the property because of the two islands with the gas pumps in the middle of them.”

Work to remove the six gas tanks started on Monday, Feb. 5, Butler said. Three tanks were removed on Tuesday, Feb. 6, and workers will begin removal of three other tanks sometime next week.

Funding for the tanks’ removal was secured by the city of Troy, through a $250,000 grant from the Department of Development’s Abandoned Gas Station grant program, Troy Community Development Manager Nikki Reese said. Additional funding for assessments was contributed by the OEPA.

The work was performed by crews from environmental contractor the Mannik & Smith Group.

“When we pulled the tanks, we didn’t see any holes that would have suggested there was leeching,” Reese said. “We will do soil sampling, to confirm that there was no leakage from the tanks.”

The city of Troy also helped secure funding for the removal of abandoned gas tanks located at another property on South Main Street recently.

“We need the cooperation of the owner to even apply on their behalf,” Reese said.

Ducky’s Snowballs and Ice Cream plans to open early this spring, Butler said, as soon as the gas tank removal work is completed.

“All of this will be open for springtime,” he said. “I usually open on April 1, but I’m trying to open up as soon as they’re done.”