Storage tanks, underground

1 Does facility have underground storage tank(s)  

3 If yes to 1.1, are nnderground storage tanks permitted with Connly Health Department  

4 Are storage tanks equipped with secondary containments  

5 If yes to 1.4, is secondaiy containment capable of containing more than the volume of each tank  

9 If yes to 1.6.d, describe number, depth, and groundwater/vadose zone monitoring of wells. 

Following the report of the U.S. General Accounting Office in 1984 that UST leaks had been reported in all 50 states, many states in 1985 claimed that USTs were the leading cause of underground contamination. As of 1984, there were an estimated 2.5 million USTs in the United States of which about 97% were used to store petroleum products. By 1986, the EPA identified 12,444 incidents of release that had occurred as of 1984. 

A comprehensive study was undertaken by the EPA in 1987 to gather additional facts about releases from USTs. This study resulted in the following findings  

The regulatory program must be based upon sound national standards that protect human health and the environment. 

The regulatory program must be designed to be implemented at a state and local level. 

The regulations must be kept simple and easily understood and implemented. 

Historically a Chicago service station documented the long life of RPs. A May 1963 installations remained leak tight and structurally sound 

Demand for this type of petroleum storage tank has grown rapidly as environmental regulations have become more stringent. Marina installation has taken advantage of these RP tanks. They permit for boat owners to purchase gasoline at the pier. Before they were installed, 

Standards require that today s underground tanks must last thirty or more years without undue maintenance. To meet these criteria, they must be able to maintain structural integrity and resist the corrosive effects of soil and gasoline, including gasoline that has been contaminated by moisture and soil. The tank just mentioned that was removed in 1991 met these requirements, but two steel tanks unearthed from the same site at that time failed to meet them. One was dusted with white metal oxide and the other showed signs of corrosion at the weld line. Rust had weakened this joint so much that it could be scraped away with a pocketknife. Tests and evaluations were conducted on the RP tank that had been in the ground for 25 years tests were also conducted on similarly constructed tanks unearthed at 51 and 71 years that showed the RP tanks could more than meet the service requirements. Table 6.3 provides factual, useful data from these tests. 

Prior to the development of the GFRP tanks, no standards were required for buried tanks such as loads or loading conditions, minimum depths of earth cover, or structural safety factors were available. At that 

The tank configuration is cylindrical, in order to provide the required design volumes within the established envelope of heights and widths. Length ranges are from 5.5 to 11 m (18 to 36 ft) they are well within practical truck shipment limits. A circular shape is required to support the substantial internal and external fluid and earth pressures with good structural efficiency. Other considerations in selection of an efficient configuration are used. 

---

Groundwater. Spkls of refined petroleum product on land, and leaking underground storage tanks, sometimes contaminate groundwater. Bioremediation is becoming an increasingly popular treatment for such situations. 

NFPA 326 Standard Procedures for the Safe Entry of Underground Storage Tanks, 1993 edition. National Fire Protection Association, Quincy, MA. 

Are any underground storage tanks on-site (Note number.) ... 

Tank installations with underground storage tanks and station piping should, if possible, be provided with conventional cathodic protection [3]. This is sometimes not possible because electrical separation cannot be achieved between the protected installation and other parts of the plant (see Section 11.4). The necessity for cathodic protection can be tested as in Ref. 13. In tank farms, a distinction should be made between coated, buried storage tanks and aboveground, flat-bottomed tanks in which the base contacts the soil. 

U.S. EPA. Underground Storage Tank Corrective Action Technologies, EPA/625/6-87/015, January, 1987. 

Brenoel, M. and R.A. Brown. Remediation of a Leaking Underground Storage Tank with Enhanced Bioreclamation. In Proc. 5th National Symposium and Exposition on Aquifer Restoration and Groundwater Monitoring, National Water Well Association, Worthington, Ohio, 1985. pp. 527. 

Figure 16. Shows severe pitting and corrosion on the wall of a steel underground storage tank.

The J 984 Federal Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments (HSWA, pronounced "hiss-wa") to RCRA requires phasing-out land disposal of hazardous waste. Some of the other mandates of this law include increased enforcement authority for EPA, more stringent hazardous waste management standards, and a comprehensive underground storage tank program. 

Founded as the National Asbestos Council, EIA is a resource for professionals in the management and control of health hazards to occupants of buildings, facilities, and industrial sites. It de >elops and disseminates information about asbestos, lead based paint hazards, underground storage tanks (USTs), indoor air quality, solid and hazardous waste. 

---