Storage Tanks Northampton MA

Source: CONCRETE PRODUCER MAGAZINE
Publication date: October 1, 2007

By Rick Yelton

Fuel management is more than processing fuel usage by vehicles. It's more important than ever to track what's not been used by your fleet. In the last few years, there's been increasing enforcement on accounting for the fuel dispensed by underground storage tanks (UST).

The law states that producers must account for all dispersals of the fuel deposited into USTs. Many factors can cause a shortfall.

You could have an accounting problem. Employees may be putting fuel into equipment, often service vehicles and pickup trucks, but not recording their actions. You could have a theft problem or a vendor who has short-delivered. But the worst situation is you could have a problem with leaking USTs.

Older steel tanks and their underground piping systems often develop leaks due primarily to rust. Just as common as the loss of fuel is the infiltration of water.

Diesel is a living fuel, meaning that its chemical composition is constantly changing. The fuel starts oxidizing and forming sludge as soon as it leaves the refinery and comes in contact with air.

Inside tanks, the oxidation process is reinforced as humidity condenses and provides oxygen to feed airborne bacteria and fungi. These anaerobic bacteria feed on hydrocarbons (fuel), form living colonies, and secrete acids as their waste.

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