According to Brad, his focus in this session will be on helping operators with the management, maintenance and evolving compatibility issues in their aging tank population.
“Many operators upgraded tank sites to conform with the initial EPA regulations in the late 80s,” he said. “Many of those tanks have been in the ground for around 25 years now – or more. As they look to evaluate their condition, and prioritize replacement programs, many are struggling with how best to do that.”
“Age is the most obvious basis for that prioritization,” he said. “But that’s not necessarily the most prudent approach.”
Brad will address in this session how to prioritize tank management and replacement programs based on actual need, rather than simply age.
“In our experience, operators could be spending their upgrade dollars most effectively by understanding the actual conditions of those tanks and prioritizing on that basis. Just because a tank is x-years old, doesn’t mean it needs to be addressed earlier than one which is several years younger,” he said. “The specific conditions inside those tanks really matters.”
This very issue is exacerbated by the unusually high level of metal corrosion and tank lining and structural issues that have become a growing problem of late in some aging tank systems.
“These are all factors in managing the risk and best practices of a tank population,” Brad said. “We’ll do our best to tackle these issues in our session and address what operators can do to understand specific tank conditions before automatically looking at replacement.”
The session is titled, Out of Sight, Out of Mind: How to Evaluate UST Usefulness, Management and Compatibility, and will take place in the Sheraton Denver Downtown Plaza Ballroom E on Wednesday, Sept. 18, from 8:00 to 9:30 AM.
Brad will be also be available for individual conversations at Tanknology’s booth in the exhibitor area – Booth 300 – on and off throughout the conference.
