 Petroleum Equipment
John
Hartmann has been engaged in the petroleum equipment
industry as a distributor, contractor and consultant since
1959, during which time he has designed and built fuel handling
and vehicle service facilities for petroleum marketing, fleet,
automotive, and industrial companies. John was the publisher
of Petroleum Equipment & Technology magazine, (1996-2001),
as well as the publisher and editor of PE&T Online (www.pe-t.com).
John has been very active in the following industry associations:
Petroleum Equipment Institute (Treasurer 1966-73, President
-1979, Director 2003-05); National Fire Protection Association;
Institute of Energy (UK); Association of Petroleum & Explosive
Administrators (UK); American Society of Petroleum Operations
Engineers.
Web: www.pe-t.com
CLICK HERE TO ASK
YOUR QUESTION
Recent Questions:
1)
How can I be certain that I will be in compliance with UST/LUST
regulations when I upgrade my UST installations?
You
need to understand the environmental, fire and building
code requirements for your community. They may vary from
the federal or state requirements and local authorities
generally have literature available explaining their requirements.
You can also ask the authorities directly if a particular
approach will satisfy their requirements. When the design
is completed, have the local authorities having jurisdiction
review and approve it whether or not a plan review is required
for obtaining a permit.
You should also have the contractor and equipment suppliers
give you their assurances in writing. Make certain all of
the required inspections are made and obtain a written report
of each inspection. Permanently file all of the acquired
information.
2)
I have installed aboveground tanks at several retail and
locations. How do SPCC regulations effect me?
If you
have in excess of 1,320 gallons of oil storage aboveground,
you are required to prepare a Spill Prevention, Control
and Countermeasure Plan for the facility. (A very few facilities
may be located where releases would not endanger navigatable
waters or the environment, but these are very rare exceptions.)
You do not need to file the SPCC Plan with any agency, again
with some exceptions, but you are required to have a copy
available at the facility for inspection by the EPA. It
is an almost certainty that if you have in excess of the
threshold volume of oil stored you are required to have
a plan.
3)
How can I identify individuals qualified to address new
construction and upgrading petroleum installations at my
c-stores?
I believe
one reason so many UST and AST installations fail prematurely
is that the industry consistently underestimates the complexity
of the systems and components making up the installation
and the need for skilled construction workmanship and start-up.
State licensing efforts have done little to improve the
quality of workmanship and some give a false sense of competence
because of lax requirements.
The two best ways to identify qualified individuals is to
examine the credentials of the individuals who will be doing
the actual work (rather than those of the owner of the business)
and by referral from people you trust who have employed
the recommended individuals. The best qualified will be
certified by manufacturers and will show where they regularly
devote time to keeping up to date with equipment and installation
technology.
Contractors employing skilled, trained workers are seldom
be the low bidders on jobs. However, you may consider any
premium you pay as the price of the assurance you will have
a reliable facility when it is completed.
4)
How do I ensure that the system I get is the one I expected
to get?
This
seems to be a characteristic of work in our industry. Frequently,
changes are made to equipment, components, layouts and locations.
Sometimes the owner approves the changes, but in many cases,
they are not discovered until the facility is ready to be
placed into operation. There are some ways to control changes.
The contract should be based on written plans and specification
that clearly define what is to be furnished and how it is
to be installed, and what procedures are to be taken to
ensure the necessary steps are taken to monitor and test
the work as it progresses.
Active oversight by your representative and written documentation
of work and testing are essential to ensuring you get what
you paid for. These records, along with the manufacturers'
and contractors' guarantees, service and operating instructions
should also become permanent records for the facility.
5)
What is a reasonable approach to selecting from among the
numerous options available for tanks, piping, monitoring,
gauging, pumping and ancillary systems?
There
is no short answer to this question, but there are some
guidelines you should follow. First, unless you are Exxon/Mobil,
Shell or BP, stay away from new, innovative equipment. Few
marketers are qualified to act as test sites for new products
and, while the urge to be the "first guy on the block
to have one" may be compelling, the experience can
be costly and painful.
Don't seek the cheapest way to go. While saving money is
laudable, the investment in your petroleum handling system,
while not insignificant, is only a part of the total investment
in your facility. Initial saving does not generally have
a major positive effect on systems designed to last 20 to
30 years. However, buying cheap, less reliable equipment
can have a severe negative effect. This is an exercise in
risk management, balancing a higher initial cost against
the risk of future potential environmental and legal costs.
Even high-priced equipment needs periodic service. Make
certain the equipment you are considering is supported by
your local service provider and that they have trained personnel
and parts available. Follow manufacturers' recommendations
for periodic maintenance and testing.
Get the manufacturers' and vendors' written assurances that
the components of the system are compatible with each other
and with the fuels you store and dispense. Anticipate, to
the extent possible, changes your fuel supplier might make
and how they might effect the tanks, piping, dispensers
and monitoring equipment being considered. Determine the
extent to which the equipment can be upgraded to meet changing
technology and needs.
Deal with stable companies who will be around as long as
you need them for support.
Back
to Experts Online Main Page
Back
to Top
|
