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Fuel containment

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farmboy

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Joined
Dec 10, 2005
Messages
102
Location
southcentralsouthdakota
Just wondering if anyone else out there has already done their duty and put in the wonderfully mandated EPA Fuel containment systems. We just heard we have until May 10 to get a plan in place. Just wondering if anyone has any other information on this. :mad:
 
We went to the double walled tanks several years ago - - - the fuel man is supposed to check for fuel between at every delivery but I have never seen him do it. I check them a couple of times a year and so far all is well.

The fuel supplier clams that the reduction in evaporative losses from the double walled tanks will pay for a new tank in 2 to 3 years - - - I don't keep good enough records to know if there is a difference.
 
anything over 1320 gallons per farm, you are supposed to have 110% containment of your largest tank, Plan needs to be in place by May 10th, anything under 10,000 gallons you can file your own plan. anything over 10,000 gallons you have to have an engineerd plan (anywhere from $700-$4000) from what we have been told. Fine for non-compliance is supposed to be much larger than containment would cost!!!!! :evil:
 
Not that we fall under your rules but we went to double wall tanks several years ago because it is the right way to store fuel. They have vacuum gages on them so you can check their integrity each time you fuel something.
 
The grass grows the tallest where our old diesel tank dripped on the ground for decades. Just sayin' :?
 
I also thought changing tanks would work but I was wrong, the law states All farm storage Meaning all tanks total, I thought I would put a 1000 gallon tank here and another there but that doesnt work either. I guess it means total farm storage, and the double wall tanks don't work either they may work for primary containment but you also have to have secondary containment (berm of some sort) everything I have said here is what I have found on the SDSU extension website.
 
farmboy said:
I also thought changing tanks would work but I was wrong, the law states All farm storage Meaning all tanks total, I thought I would put a 1000 gallon tank here and another there but that doesnt work either. I guess it means total farm storage, and the double wall tanks don't work either they may work for primary containment but you also have to have secondary containment (berm of some sort) everything I have said here is what I have found on the SDSU extension website.
Click to expand...

Ya that's total, including down to 55 gallon drums. These laws have been in place a long time they are just threatining to enforce them now. Think they are just looking for some easy money.
 
Wonder if some truck or trailer mounted fuel tanks would be overlooked? Especially if they're not found.
 
Yeah, I'm not sure. Wonder if we could put wheels under our 18,000 gal. tank and pull it around. :) I'm just tired of being told what we can and can't do. I am sure the first few people they bust, they will make examples of them and hit them pretty hard. :twisted:
 
I would'nt meet the limit if everything was full includeing all tractors. Living so close to a half dozen fuel supplier's it's easy for me to let them store it. Besides It takes alot of money to fill all the tanks just so some dishonest person can help themselves when I'm not around.
 
I have worked several places that used a 10ft Hasings tank for containment under 500 gal barrels. On 1000 gal barrels I think the local fuel supplier there sells a rectangular containment tank that the barrels will set in. I don't remember if we laid plastic down underneath the barrels and covered it with some dirt then gravel on top or not. The plastic was obviously to stop a spill from leaching into soil and ground water and you could easily clean up contamination. They will never enforce it unless you are unlucky enough to get randomly selected. I have worked on 3 outfits that required OSHA training, I don't remember every getting inspected. Each one had it's own safety committee that was supposed to self inspect.
 

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