Just had a look through my shop -- seems I've been accumulating 5 gallon pails of used motor oil for some years now.

I know that in the "old days" lead contamination made this stuff fairly nasty to the environment. I also know that there are combustion byproducts like phenols that are far from benign. Hey, I grow food and drink groundwater, so I want to do my "due diligence."

Changing my own oil in yard equipment and cars/trucks has saved me a bundle. The local recycler will take it if I drop it off. But I wonder if I should be constructively lazy and keep a bunch around as emergency heating fuel etc.

Thoughts?