Tuesday, September 25, 2018

Tank Trouble Tuesday

As every tank owner knows, underground storage tanks are major responsibilities. As the tanks age or change hands, UST owners may find it increasingly difficult to know the true conditions of their tanks.

TankCam visual inspections are the perfect tool to determining what's happening inside your tanks, including identifying ingresses, cracks, and deflection, as observed in a Hawaii tank. 



Friday, September 21, 2018

National Tanks Conference 2018

The 26th National Tanks Conference & Exposition, hosted by The New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission (NEIWPCC), was held on Sept. 11-13 in Louisville, Kentucky.

Federal and state regulators, manufacturers, environmental firms, fuel marketers, testing companies and industry associations attended the conference to learn what stakeholders are thinking about, what they are talking about and what may be ahead. Here are the highlights, as reported in the PEI TulsaLetter.

Sump Testing. State regulators continue to wrestle with sump testing options. The hydrostatic testing method recommended in PEI/RP1200: Recommended Practices for the Testing and Verification of Spill, Overfill, Leak Detection and Secondary Containment Equipment at UST Facilities and endorsed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the 2015 federal underground storage tank (UST) regulations is or will be recognized in most states. When alternative low-water-level test methods are allowed, they often are subject to requirements beyond those in the technical compendium accompanying the 2015 federal rule. New Mexico, for example, allows low-water-level testing in only limited circumstances. The PEI/RP1200 hydrostatic test must be used at the time of sump installation and on every fourth three-year inspection (i.e., every 12 years). States also are implementing penalties for owners and operators who inappropriately tamper with the sensor used in low-level sump testing.

Aging UST Systems. Regulators are growing more concerned about the risks associated with tanks that have reached the end of their 30-year warranty. Several regulators and industry professionals wanted to discuss a suggestion PEI made recently in the PEI Journal and the L.U.S.T.Line : that states should work together closely to compile and aggregate data on their UST systems. Comparable data on tank age, type and the frequency and source of failures nationwide would increase the industry’s understanding of the risks associated with older tanks—and encourage better strategies for reducing those risks.

Internal Corrosion. Every regulator reported increased internal corrosion in gasoline and diesel UST systems. One conference presenter emphasized how temperatures above 76 degrees can accelerate the bacterial growth that is behind most corrosion. Expect more studies on the correlation between temperature and corrosion.

Emergency Generator Day Tanks. These tanks are gaining greater regulatory attention as their numbers increase and their risks become more apparent. In many cases, day tanks have no secondary containment, no overfill protection, are filled automatically and lack adequate venting. PEI expects increased state regulation of day tanks in the future, including greater reliance on the procedures in PEI/RP1400: Recommended Practices for the Design and Installation of Fueling Systems for Emergency Generators.

Thursday, September 20, 2018

Tanknology at 30!

For 30 years, Tanknology has been the worldwide leader in UST tank testing and petroleum site compliance. Partner with us – and you'll soon understand why. #TanknologyAt30

Tuesday, September 18, 2018

Tank Trouble Tuesday

We utilized our TankCam to confirm a water ingress in an Illinois double-walled fiberglass tank by visually verifying drops of liquid falling from the manway around the STP shaft. 

Want to hear more about things we've found in tanks? Sign up for Tank Trouble Tuesday emails!



Tuesday, September 11, 2018

Tank Trouble Tuesday

Signs of water ingress and a failed tightness test were two indicators of major deficiencies in this Michigan tank. TankCam inspections offer a unique perspective of visually identifying the problem, with no need for costly excavation or dangerous manned entry. 


Thursday, September 6, 2018

National Tanks Conference Panel to Feature Tanknology’s Hoffman


Brad Hoffman, Vice President of Engineering for Tanknology, will participate in a panel discussion
on Fuel Compatibility at the 2018 National Tanks Conference and Exposition. The panel will convene on Tuesday, September 11 at 10:30 a.m. Also participating in the panel are Tiffany Yee, Environmental Engineer, Arizona DEQ and Ryan Haerer, Program Analyst, U.S. EPA OUST. The panel will be moderated by Jonathan McRae, Supervisor, UST/LUST, Nevada DEP.

The 26th National Tanks Conference & Exposition will be held September 11-13, 2018, at the Galt House Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky.

Hoffman has over 30 years of experience with Underground Storage Tank systems, testing and compliance. He holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Tulsa and currently serves as Vice President of Engineering and R&D for Austin-based Tanknology, where he develops equipment for testing, inspecting, and cleaning tanks, and manages the safety, quality, and training programs. Hoffman is active on several PEI and API committees, and holds a Class A Engineering License in California as well as several state contractor licenses. He is a former field engineer and program manager for Exxon.

Based in Tanknology’s Austin Headquarters, Hoffman can be reached at bhoffman@tanknology.com or at (512) 451-6334.

Tuesday, September 4, 2018

Tank Trouble Tuesday

TankCam inspections often identify problems in tanks, but inspections have multiple pro-active applications as well. 

One example is the easy identification of the tank material -- steel, fiberglass, etc., as in the Illinois tanks featured below.