Monday, November 12, 2012

Tanknology provides resources for operators impacted by SuperStorm Sandy


As owners and operators of gas stations and other fueling facilities on the Eastern Seaboard assess the impact to their sites from SuperStorm Sandy, they're trying to figure out what they need to do to get their facilities back into operation.

The answers vary dramatically, depending upon the type of damage they experienced.

Tanknology has set up a web page devoted to helping operators determine what to do based upon the type of impact on their site. The situations range from merely loss of power to minimal flooding, to running out of fuel, to severe flooding. The information on this dedicated page addresses each situation and the recommended practices by both Tanknology and the EPA to bring sites back into operation.

The Storm Recovery web page can be found here: Tanknology Services for Storm Recovery

Articles from the media can also be found at CSPnet.com and Convenience Store News.

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Tanknology VP Ignacio Allende's interview at Automechanika

Ignacio Allende, Vice President of Tanknology's International Division was recently interviewed at Automechanika, an international trade show held in Frankfurt, Germany. Ignacio spoke about how Tanknology's PetroScope remote video inspection system is being used around the globe for UST inspections.  He also talked about how Tanknology delivers its proven model for compliance testing and inspection services in 26 countries internationally through a network of international licensees, and what we look for in potential licensees in order to build successful long term partnerships.

Be sure to watch the video below, and feel free to leave us a comment!

Thursday, August 23, 2012

What about the fuel that wasn't recalled?

Earlier this week, a major US oil company announced that it had recalled approximately 50,000 barrels, or 2.1 million gallons of both regular and premium grade gasoline due to contamination. CSP reported that the contaminated gas has caused engine problems for around 7,000 drivers, and that more are expected.

This recent issue shines a spotlight on the importance of fuel quality. The instances of widespread fuel contamination from the refinery are rare, but there is a complex distribution system which moves the refined product to the retail underground storage tanks. Depending on where a site is located the fuel can touch any number of pipelines, barges, terminals, and trucks on the way to its final destination, leaving the opportunity for cross-product contamination, water intrusion, or other fuel quality issues.  The point - is that the majority of fuel issues don't arise at the refinery level, and we shouldn't be focusing on the refineries alone.

The retail facility itself is where arguably the most opportunity for error lies. All it takes is the transport driver to leave a fill cap off or unsecured, drain an overfill spill bucket containing water, or an uneducated associate to reverse the color coded fill lids, causing a product drop into the wrong tank. Any of these scenarios could lead to a potential catastrophe.

We're not suggesting that there's widespread contamination at any point in the fuel distribution process.  However, this recent example illustrates all of the places where the quality of their fuel is out of the retail operator's control. There will always be isolated incidents. Where you can take control and minimize your risk to fuel contamination is through a regular fuel and tank cleaning regimen, complete with a good biocide product to mitigate any bacterial growth in diesel fuels.

It's a best practice that will help ensure that you are keeping the cleanest product in your tanks at all times. It will ultimately prevent engine breakdown claims and unhappy customers, and will help protect your most valuable assets.


Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Our New Home in New Jersey


We recently moved our Mid Atlantic and Northeast regional operations into a new office space, located in Mt. Laurel, NJ. We are excited about the move, as our new space provides us with room to grow, supporting our increased business in the regions. The location is also very convenient, as it's situatated adjacent to both I-295 and the New Jersey Turnpike, which will make it easier for our technicians to get in and out quickly, and benefit our customers with faster response times on service calls. Our helpful staff and toll free number have not changed. Our new mailing address is:

127 Gaither Drive, Suite A
Mt. Laurel, NJ 08054
800-666-1215

Friday, July 20, 2012

We've published a video!


We just finished our first short video, which gives a brief overview of the training program all of our Field Technicians must go through before becoming certified. We're really excited to share this with our current clients, prospective customers, industry partners, or anyone who is just curious about what we do! We hope  you enjoy it, and stay tuned for more videos.

Monday, July 9, 2012

EPA Releases 2011 Annual Report on Federal UST Program

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) just released its 2011 Annual Report on the Federal UST Program. The report highlights several major accomplishments - nearly a 71% compliance rate nationwide, and under 6,000 confirmed releases across the country, beating the goal by more than 2,500.

The report provides analysis that the good results are due in large part to more frequent and regular inspections, and heightened enforcement of UST regulations. The report also gives updates on implementation of the Federal Energy Act, as well as revisions to UST regulations (40 CFR part 280).

You can read the report here. We encourage everyone to take a look (promise - it's a short read) and come back here to share your comments.

We're thrilled to see such high compliance rates, and as always are happy to serve as a resource to any owner, operator, or service provider that has questions on best practices for site compliance.

Friday, June 29, 2012

August 8th is Right Around The Corner!


The deadline for Federal A,B and C Operator Training requirements is fast approaching (We're under 40 days!). There are plenty of inexpensive paths to compliance, and Tanknology offers a quick and cost effective certification via it's Online Class C Operator Training program. Whether you choose Tanknology's solution, which is approved in a majority of states across the country or one from another provider, we encourage every operator to get this done before the deadline!

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

April Showers Bring...


There is an old saying that April showers bring May flowers. For station operators, the season can also bring a whole set of challenges. Often, the winter thaw and rainy spring can result in containment sumps and spill buckets full of water. There are many possibilities for the causes, ranging from the combination of high groundwater and deteriorated or improperly sealed piping penetrations, to lids with missing gaskets, or that have been re-installed without the proper clamps or bolts tightened properly.
 
Containment sumps are designed to be watertight and kept dry, so that there is sufficient capacity to retain product in the event of a release from the piping system. The danger of full sumps highlights several major issues. First, standing water is a primary cause for corrosion to submersible motors and other metallic piping components in sumps.  This poses not only an environmental impact, but also a potential economic impact (think 50 gallons of water into 10,000 gallons of ethanol blend)  Second, if the water is entering from piping penetrations during times of high groundwater, then product can just as easily escape from the same points when the water table is lower. Also, because water is heavier than most fuel products, if the sump is full of water, then any product released would float to the top, and could overflow out to uncontained backfill surrounding the sump, causing a direct and immediate environmental impact.

There’s another old saying that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Now is a great time to develop a routine inspection plan for your sites based on the Federal A,B,C operator program if you haven't done so already. Take some time to open your sumps and inspect their condition - all it takes is a couple of minutes. If they’re full, take action. Identify the cause, and get them fixed. Constant water removal can be extremely expensive, and actually fixing the problem can be much more cost effective than repeated pump-outs in many cases. Don’t wait for the local inspector to do the inspection for you. Many states are starting to enforce “red tag” authority, prohibiting fuel deliveries until violations are fixed, and secondary containment is a popular discussion topic right now among regulatory agencies.

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Spill and Overfill Containment - Catching Small Problems Before They Become Major Environmental Releases

There has been a lot of recent discussion regarding the importance of spill and overfill containment buckets.  A recent study conducted in Florida identified that roughly 36% of all UST releases were the result of faulty spill containment buckets - an astounding figure. Link Proposed updates to Federal regulations currently up for discussion will require not only the installation of double walled buckets during new construction and upgrades, but also periodic testing for leaks. We have heard many opinions on the proposed rules as a whole (both positive and negative), but the consensus seems to be that spill containment is a logical place to require updated equipment and periodic testing.

Addressing critical containment equipment with frequent inspections, cleaning, and regular testing can often identify a small pinhole leak before it becomes a cause for delivery prohibition by a local inspector, or worse a major environmental cleanup. Vacuum testing is fast, requires little or no interruption of normal fueling activities, and does not generate any contaminated water, eliminating the need for expensive disposal.

This quick and low-cost test could save an operator tens of thousands of dollars down the road.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Is testing the functionality of an automatic tank gauge really important?

The Federal EPA, along with many States have adopted, or are in the process of implementing rules requiring operators to conduct periodic functionality testing of their ATG systems.  There has been some confusion on what is required, and how a functionality test should be performed.

Operators have made a significant investment in either installing or purchasing a site equipped with a tank gauge system, including sophisticated electronic line leak detectors in many cases.  That investment is intended to provide you with important protection against potentially catastrophic environmental problems.  An improperly maintained ATG system can fail to alert you to a tank taking on water, or losing product into the ground – both very costly.  Are you positive that your system is working properly and providing you the protection you are counting on?

There is a common misconception that pushing the red button and seeing “All Functions Normal” or a similar message is sufficient for a functionality test.  This can lead to a false sense of security, as your system may in fact not be working properly.

When choosing a vendor to perform your ATG functionality test or certification, you should make sure that their staff is trained and certified to work on your system, and that they will physically inspect each component, including tank gauge probes, sump and interstitial sensors, and the console itself.  Anyone who simply pushes the red button and tells you that everything is OK isn’t helping you protect yourself.

An ATG functionality test is an inexpensive way to protect your investment, reduce risks associated with a leak that isn’t caught or a costly regulatory violation due to non-compliance.  In most cases this test can be performed with little or no interruption to normal fueling activity.

Tanknology names Brad Walls to new sales role

Brad Walls has been named as the company’s Director of Sales; Central Division.

Brad brings to his new role more than 20 years of senior-level sales, management and operational experience, including industries ranging from environmental equipment, to communications to finance. Walls most recently served as Tanknology’s Director of Sales; Non-Retail Fuels. Prior to joining Tanknology, Brad was the Regional Sales Manager for Great Plains Industries, Inc. (GPI) of Wichita.

Brad's new territory will span from Ohio, west to Kansas, and from North Dakota and Minnesota, south to Missouri and Kentucky. Walls will be based out of our offices in Owatonna, MN., Elgin, IL., and Columbus, OH.  He can reached at (800) 476-4929, or via email at bwalls@tanknology.com.