The Heating Oil Loan and Grant Program is experiencing longer than normal processing times due to a high volume of applications and ongoing projects. You may experience delays with your application or project progression, including email and/or phone responses. We appreciate your patience as we work through our processes.
The fall/winter Heating Oil Loan and Grant Application cycle will be open from November 2 to December 17, 2026. The application will be available online at that time.
You can find more information on the Heating Oil Loan and Grant Program in our Heating Oil Loan and Grant Program Guidance document.
About the Program
The 2020 Washington State Legislature authorized PLIA to implement a Heating Oil Loan and Grant Program.
PLIA’s Heating Oil Loan and Grant Program provides up to $75,000 for qualified heating oil tank owners to:
- Collect critical data about their site and supplement cleanup costs associated with a leak from their heating oil tank.
- Upgrade, replace or remove heating oil tank systems to prevent future releases.
- Replace existing heating oil tank system by installing new infrastructure.
How it Works
1. Apply to the program through PLIA’s Online Community once an application cycle opens. Application cycles open every spring and winter, and remain open for 45 days.
2. Accepted program participants may receive the following grant(s) if they are applicable for the site:
Preliminary Planning Assessment (PPA) Grant
The PPA provides up to $7,000 in funds to have a PLIA-contracted environmental consultant determine the following:
- Find the potential presence, nature, and extent of contamination (if any).
- Determine whether remedial actions are necessary or if completed actions have removed enough contamination that no more action is required.
- Provide a list and cost estimate for necessary cleanup actions, tank removal, and/or infrastructure upgrades.
Technical Assistance Program (TAP) Fee Grant (if applicable)
- The TAP Fee Grant covers the enrollment fee of $1,500 and is only applied if contamination is identified during the PPA above the Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA) cleanup levels.
- This grant may also be applied during the Cleanup/Construction Phase if contamination above the MTCA cleanup levels was not previously identified during the PPA.
- TAP works hand-in-hand with the Heating Oil Loan and Grant (HOLG) Program. If enrolled, a PLIA site manager will review environmental reports submitted to us (we call these submissions ‘Opinion Requests’) by the consultant who will perform the cleanup work, and provide opinion letters based on that review, and the requirements of the state cleanup regulations, Chapter 173-340 WAC (MTCA).
- For completed cleanups which meet the substantive requirements of MTCA, we issue a No Further Action opinion letter. A No Further Action letter may be helpful with future property transfers.
Cleanup Grant (if applicable)
Starting with the May 2025 application cycle, PLIA will provide grants to supplement your cleanup costs. The amount of this cleanup grant is up to $60,000 per applicant for a single heating oil tank.
Please note: Cleanup grants can only be applied to project cleanup costs and associated tank removal (if applicable). Infrastructure upgrades are not covered by this grant.
3. After the PPA is completed, PLIA works with the Department of Health to determine if the program participant qualifies for a loan to complete their project request. This step is only applicable for program participants seeking loan funding for infrastructure upgrades or cleanup costs above the amount offered by the cleanup grant.
- Having completed a PPA does not guarantee you will receive a loan or additional grant through the program.
4. If you qualify for a cleanup grant, or a loan and decide to accept PLIA’s loan agreement, you can then begin the Cleanup/Construction phase steps (outlined in more detail in our Guidance Document, or Program Flow Chart) to carry out your project request.
- Cleanup grant funds can only be used for cleanup costs and associated tank removal (if applicable).
- Your loan funds can only cover costs associated with cleanup, tank removal/decommissioning, and/or infrastructure upgrades.
- PLIA must pre-approve all work before it begins.
Eligibility
To be eligible for the program, applicants must:
- Submit a complete Heating Oil Loan and Grant application.
- Own the property where the heating oil tank is located.
Loan Repayment
Loan repayments begin thirty (30) days following the payment of the first invoice by PLIA.
To pay your loan invoice online by ACH payment from your checking or savings account, use the Make a Loan Payment button below.
You will be asked for your loan number (LG-XXXX-XXXX) to ensure correct application of the payment.