We wish you and your family a happy and safe holiday season!

Industry veteran Ted Abeyta joins Tanknology to lead Western Division

We announced today that Ted Abeyta has joined us as Vice President of our Western Division.

Ted Abeyta

Ted is veteran of the retail petroleum industry and will oversee operations and business development in the western portion of the US, including Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Alaska and Hawaii.

Ted started his career with UNOCAL 76. He was the National Director of Facilities for Tosco (Circle K, Conoco Phillips and BP), was Operations Manager for Bovis/BP (AM/PM) and Total Projex. He was most recently Operations Manager for VPSI on the West Coast.

Allen Porter, President and CEO of Tanknology welcomed Abeyta to the Tanknology team, saying, "Ted has extensive experience in the retail petroleum industry and proven success in the Western U.S. We are honored and excited to have him lead our operations and business development teams in this region."

Brad Hoffman's National Tanks Conference presentation now available for download

Presentations from the National Tanks Conference in Phoenix in September are now available for viewing and downloading on the NTC website.

This includes the presentation by Tanknology’s Brad Hoffman, who delivered one of the most popular sessions of the conference, How a UST site may become contaminated – even with the Leak Detection is ‘Passing.’

Brad’s presentation is also the basis for an upcoming article in the first quarter issue of the PEI Journal, where he will go into more detail around the many different ways contamination can occur at a UST fueling facility – even when the leak detection system isn’t sounding an alarm.

Copies of Brad’s presentation are available by sending us an email at info@tanknology.com, or via download at the NTC website.

See us at the NACS Show in Las Vegas!

Next week brings the annual fall ritual of the NACS Show, once again in Las Vegas at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

We will be exhibiting in Booth # 7213 in PEI's Fuel Equipment & Services section of the show.

Stop by and visit us to learn more about our innovative Video Tank Inspection Services, which provide remarkably detailed video of internal UST conditions; our new Inspection Services Division, which provides required periodic inspections on both UST and AST facilities; our International Licensee programs, which provide Tanknology services around the world through our licensee partners -- and much more.   

Hours for this years show are:

          Monday, Oct. 12 - 11:30 am - 5:30 pm
          Tuesday, Oct. 13 - 11:30 am - 5:30 pm
          Wednesday, Oct. 14 - 9:00 am - 1:30 pm

When you stop by, register to win a new iPad Air and be sure to ask for your own magic little card that will have you raking in the money at the blackjack tables!

We hope to see you in Vegas! 

Two new publications help clarify ‘substantial’ 2015 changes to EPA UST regulations

With news of the 2015 updates to Federal EPA Underground Storage Tank Regulations spreading throughout the industry, there are two new publications out this week that go a long way toward creating clarity for operators on what you need to know.

The PEI Journal published in its Third Quarter issue a summary of the new regulations by Bob Renkes, the Executive Vice President of PEI. In Renkes’ words, “The additions and changes coming to the industry are substantial.”

Updates to Regulation 40 CFR part 280, first enacted in 1988, include new UST requirements in 25 different areas, including periodic inspection and maintenance of UST systems, secondary containment, prevention and release detection technologies, codes of practices, types of USTs that are no longer deferred, new Indian country requirements, and
more.

The second publication is an update to an ‘old standard’ of UST compliance, the EPA pamphlet “Musts for USTs.” It’s one of the earliest documents produced by the EPA at the time of the original regulations more than 25 years ago, now updated to include all of the 2015 changes. Musts for USTs does an excellent job of breaking the requirements down into 36 pages of easy-to-understand details.

MUSTs for USTs is free and you can view or download a copy of it on our website.

You can read the full issue of the PEI Journal containing this article article, or you can read/download a copy of this specific article from our website.

For those of you really wanting to get into the fine print, the Final Rule was also published in the Federal Register on July 15, 2015. That document can be found here.

For further clarity around what's required for your facility, we are always here to help. call us at 1-800-964-1250 or send an inquiry via our website.

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EPA releases long-awaited updated UST regulations

The long-awaited update to the Federal EPA Underground Storage Tank Regulation was released today.  These revisions are the first updates to the federal requirements since they were first implemented 27 years ago, in 1988.

The EPA says the purpose of the updates are to increase emphasis on proper operation and maintenance of UST equipment and to further help prevent and detect UST releases – a leading source of groundwater contamination. An additional objective is to ensure all USTs in the US, including those in Indian country, meet the same standards.

Here are links to key web pages and documents on the EPA Office of Underground Storage Tank (OUST) website:

Comparison of the 2015 regulations and the original 1988 regulations

2015 Update to EPA overview document Musts for USTs

Home page with overview and links to all related documents currently available

Watch our blog for further updates and analysis on what these regulatory changes will mean to you.

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EPA to provide status of updated UST rules at national tank conference next week in Virginia

PEI is quoted as predicting that the release of the new Federal regulations governing the inspection, testing, operation and maintenance of UST Systems is expected within the next three weeks. Coincidentally, representatives of the EPA’s Office of Underground Storage Tanks (OUST) will be providing an update on the status of these new rules at an industry conference happening next week in Alexandria, Virginia.

This is only part of what is sure to be a very interesting day at the second annual NISTM National
Underground Storage Tank Conference & Trade Show next Tuesday, June 9 at the Hilton Alexandria Mark Center in Alexandria, VA.

Tanknology will exhibit as this event, and Brian Derge, Chief Operating Officer of Inspection Services, will again be a featured speaker.

This NISTM event brings together UST owners and operators with equipment manufacturers, environmental consultants, industry specialists, as well as federal state and local UST regulators, for a full day of information sharing and technical discussions on such topics as:

• Corrosion issues
• Release detection
• Alternative fuels
• Fuel quality - new diesel fuel standards
• Managing operations issues
• System component testing
• Remediation
• Industry and technology best practices and trends. 

To learn more or register for the conference you can do so here.

Tanknology CEO Allen Porter to address annual Arizona Tank Conference May 28

Tanknology CEO Allen Porter will be a featured speaker at the 2015 Arizona Storage Tank Conference in Tempe on Thursday, May 28. If you have haven't signed up, spaces are still available.

Sponsored by the National Institute for Storage Tank Management (NISTM), this annual Arizona conference brings AST and UST owners and operators together with state regulators and industry experts to dive into such topics as changing regulations, trending technologies and best practices.

Allen will address the topical subject of Secondary Containment & Spill Buckets -- Inspection, Testing and Repair Solutions.

To learn more about the conference and register, you can visit the NISTM site here.

To learn more about Tanknology's approach to these topics, you can visit the company's website pages dedicated to Secondary Containment and Spill Bucket services.

Hear Tanknology's Brian Derge speak at NISTM International AST Conference in Orlando

Tanknology is participating this week in the 17th Annual International Aboveground Storage Tank Conference & Trade Show in Orlando, sponsored by the National Institute for Storage Tank Management (NISTM).

On Tuesday (April 28) at 2 PM, Tanknology's Brian Derge is presenting a session titled, Non-Petroleum Oils -- Understanding How the SPCC Regulation Impacts Your Facility & The Path to Compliance. Derge is the Vice President and COO of Tanknology's recently-created Inspection Services Division, overseeing all AST and UST inspection services programs for the company. Derge will help AST operators with non-fuel oils understand what's required of them under the SPCC regulations to get their facilities into compliance and help ensure that they stay there.

Tanknology is also exhibiting at the trade show portion of the event. If you are in Orlando for the conference, please be sure to stop by and see us at Booth # 701.

Four executives pleaded guilty to Clean Water Act violations at Elk River; now face prison terms

Coverage of executives pleading guilty to federal charges from WCHS TV.

As a site operator, if you have any question about your personal risk associated with operating storage tanks containing petroleum or other dangerous chemicals, the 2014 Elk River, West Virginia chemical spill should provide some clarity.

Last week, two former owners of Freedom Industries, the company's environmental consultant and tank farm manager all pleaded guilty in federal court to Clean Water Act violations by causing an unlawful discharge of a coal-cleaning chemical into the Elk River.

Each face up to a year in prison and fines of $25,000 per day per violation, up to $100,000 for the incident, which contaminated the drinking water supply for more than 300,000 residents.

The company itself, another owner, and the President will all face charges in a related trial later this year.

The FBI says the executives knew about critical flaws at the facility but did nothing about them. Federal investigators pointed to holes in a corroded tank floor and roof as the likely cause of the leak.

An FBI affidavit says Freedom knew about critical flaws at its Charleston, W.V. plant but never dealt with them. Federal investigators have said holes in a corroded tank's floor and roof likely helped cause the spill.

According to ABC News, prosecutors said that the company "put an entire population needlessly at risk," and that more than 400 nearby residents were treated at local hospitals for exposure to the chemical.

Brian Derge, Tanknology's Chief Operating Officer of the Inspection Services Division, said that situations like this can absolutely be mitigated with proper precautions. SPCC plans must be in place for ASTs, then periodic physical inspections, monitoring and testing programs help ensure nothing on the scale of the Elk River incident can occur.

"We help a lot of companies manage their tank compliance programs with regular inspection services so that any issues are caught early and can be resolved without causing an incident," Derge said.

For information about Tanknology’s tank inspection, monitoring and testing programs, you can visit us on the web, call us at 1-800-964-1250, or email us.
 
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Stop by and visit us at PACE in Kansas City and the Southeast Petro-Food Expo in Myrtle Beach!

Our annual trade show season is in full swing. Last week we exhibited at the very strong Western Petroleum Marketers show in Las Vegas.

Coming up this weekend is the PACE (Petroleum and Convenience-Store Expo) Show in Kansas City and next week is the Southeast Petro-Food Show in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

The PACE Show, which is running Feb. 27 & 28, is located at the Kansas City Convention Center in Bartle Hall. We can be found at Booth # 420.

The Southeast Petro-Food Marketing Expo, aka “The REALLY BIG EXPO,” takes place next Wednesday and Thursday, March 4 & 5 at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center. Tanknology can be found at Booth # 515.

If you’re attending either show, please stop by and visit with us so we can tell you about services we are providing in response to the latest regulatory requirements:

• Periodic Inspection programs (monthly & annual) for underground storage tank (UST) sites. 
• SP001 Inspections for aboveground storage tank (AST) systems.
• Stage II Vapor Recovery Decommissioning Services – and much more.

We hope to see you in Kansas City or Myrtle Beach! 

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Fuel Leak at South Carolina Hospital Illustrates the Unique Risks Associated with Backup Generator Tanks

When you run a hospital, storing fuel in above- or underground tanks is a necessary evil. Backup generators, powered by fuel, need to quickly provide power when normal supplies are suddenly disrupted.

At many facilities, those backup generators never have to engage, which is obviously good. But those tanks are still there – holding tens-of-thousands-of-gallons of fuel – and in our experience, it’s easy for them to become “out of sight; out of mind.” Until, suddenly, they’re not.

Tanks leak, it’s just the way it is. Even tanks which are carefully monitored and regularly inspected can develop leaks – but with a solid maintenance and spill prevention plan and a regular testing and/or inspection program, the risk of a leak drops dramatically. In most cases, such a program is also a regulatory requirement. Do you know if you are in compliance with federal and state regulations?

Just this past week, Shriner’s Hospital in Greenville, South Carolina discovered a leak in one of their diesel fuel tanks. They found it when hospital staff saw the fuel flowing out of a storm drain and into a nearby creek. It was already several miles downstream and headed for a dam that’s on the National Register of Historic Places.

By the time the leak was discovered, more than 4,000 gallons had been lost and the story was in headlines on the evening news and local newspaper.

According to Brian Derge, Chief Operating Officer of Tanknology’s Inspection Services Division, avoiding damaging and costly incidents and not ending up as “Our Top Story Tonight” on the evening news is a big motivation for operators of backup generator tanks to put in place a solid spill and leak prevention program.

“We know from experience that it is, generally speaking, very easy for these backup generator tanks to end up ignored and out of compliance with state and federal regulations (though we do not know if that was the case with the Greenville incident),” Derge said. “Buying and selling of fuel is not the core business of these operators, and the longer the tanks sit there not being used, the easier it becomes to not pay attention to them.  But in the event of an emergency, having maintained fuel quality and system integrity over all those years immediately becomes essential.”

“We work with a number of operators who maintain backup generator tanks,” Derge said, “including hospitals, other healthcare facilities, telecommunications companies, and others. They have required SPCC plans in place for ASTs, with periodic physical inspections; as well as monitoring and testing programs for USTs. In some cases we also help them with important analysis and cleaning of fuel that has been sitting stagnant in their tanks for several years.”

“A solid program of monitoring, treatments, and inspections,” Derge said, “will help the vast majority of operators avoid losing thousands of gallons of fuel – not to mention ending up in the headlines.”

For information about Tanknology’s tank inspection, monitoring and testing programs for generator tanks, you can visit us on the web, call us at 1-800-964-1250, or email us.

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STI Plans Repeat of a Popular UST Webinar

The Steel Tank Institute (STI) is planning to repeat a very popular and important LIVE online program in February, titled, “STI’s Petroleum Storage Tank Maintenance Webinar.”

Tanknology’s Brad Hoffman, VP of Engineering and R&D will be leading a section titled, “How to Inspect your Tanks.”

Additional topics include “Why Fuel Quality Standards are Important;” “Removing Water from Your Storage System;” and “STI’s R111: Recommended Practices for Storage Tank Maintenance.”

STI emphasizes that all storage tanks require maintenance to ensure the highest quality of product and to extend the useful life of the tank – all of which results in time and money saved by owners and operators.

This program is an excellent overview of effective storage tank practices and we highly recommend it.

The live Webinar is Tuesday, Feb. 24 from 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM CST. You can find more information and register online here on the STI website. If you are interested, we recommend signing up soon, as it is likely to sell out.