With the introduction of new additives in today’s fuel, some underground storage tanks or storage tank systems are experiencing corrosion issues typically found after multiple decades of use, but where the problem really lies is that this corrosion is happening in a matter of months. In instances such as these, this can place these tanks or tank systems at a huge risk for causing an environmental contamination or hazard, and they should be inspected regularly to ensure the contamination risk is minimized.
This problem is most often found with the new ultra-low sulfur diesel varieties which were introduced in 2007, and this prompted testing to be done on the fuel to find just what was causing the corrosion. What experts found was that the ethanol contamination present in the ultra-low sulfur diesel, which is not a corrosive material in and of itself, was combining with water to create a super food for a type of bacteria called acetobacter.
When the bacteria consume their ethanol mixture super food, they oxidize these materials and turn them into the highly corrosive acetic acid, which will then wreak havoc on the carbon steel so often used in underground storage tanks or storage tank systems. What many service station owners found was that the amount of corrosion they would normally find in a 20 to 30 year period was occurring at a highly accelerated rate of 30 to 60 days, causing them to become at risk for an environmental contamination situation.
This isn’t a problem that is occurring in a widespread fashion across the United States, and one pattern has been found that shows this corrosion is likely to occur in underground storage tanks and storage tank systems which share vent systems with other storage tanks or storage tank systems holding gasoline. Many environmental experts believe the back feed from the ventilation systems are contributing to this corrosion, and it may be avoided if separate ventilation systems are installed. The common practice of switch loading in compartmentalized tankers may also contribute to fuel cross contamination.
For service station owners looking to avoid this problem of corrosion, new ventilation systems may need to be installed to separate the ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel from the gasoline’s fumes, and in order for this to be done, an environmental professional, skilled in tank system compliance, should be brought in to inspect the area and oversee the process.
If you believe your underground storage tanks or storage tank systems are at risk, contact Point to Point Environmental today to learn more about our environmental and tank system compliance services.