| Underground and Aboveground
Storage Tank Services
- including -
Permanent Closure of Tank Facilities
Underground Storage Tank Facility Audits
Spill Cleanup Insurance or State Fund Assistance
Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasures Plans |
Underground
Storage Tank (UST) and Aboveground Storage Tank (AST) regulations
specify design requirements for operating tank systems with the
purpose to protect the public from the hazards posed by the leakage
of flammable, combustible, corrosive, or toxic liquids, and to prevent
environmental damage caused by leaking tanks. Releases associated
with tank systems which are properly installed, operated and maintained,
are rare. StoneHill can assist facility owners with preventing releases;
however, should a release occur, StoneHill can provide the services
needed to quickly get control of the situation and minimize environmental
impacts.
StoneHill has extensive experience
investigating and remediating releases from tanks, as well as dealing
with insurance and state petroleum cleanup funds which may be triggered
if a release is identified. StoneHill’s
team of professionals can also audit facility design and operations,
and coordinate tank facility upgrades where deficiencies are identified,
prepare or update Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasures
(SPCC) Plans for AST facilities, and complete
the requirements of permanent tank facility closure. StoneHill’s
familiarity with state agencies allows us to develop and negotiate
work plans which often save clients significant time and funds.
StoneHill professionals have extensive
knowledge of the individual state regulations and the agencies responsible
for enforcing them. StoneHill also
has established strong working relationships with many subcontractors
who can provide timely and high quality specialty services as required.
TANK CLOSURE OVERSIGHT
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A major advantage of using
a consultant such as StoneHill
to manage the tank closure process is the detail and quality
of tank closure documentation generated. Such documentation
must stand up to intense scrutiny by financial institutions,
potential property buyers, and regulatory agencies. Additionally,
if a release is identified during the tank closure, StoneHill
can conduct the necessary investigations and implement cost
effective cleanup solutions, thereby minimizing the inefficiencies
and delays inherent in the transfer of project responsibilities
to an environmental consultant from a tank closure contractor
whose capabilities have been exceeded.StoneHill
has provided tank closure management and oversight services
for many industrial, commercial and residential clients. Ourtank
closure professionals will provide the oversight and evaluation
expertise |
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required so that the project is completed
in accordance with regulatory requirements and subsurface
conditions are properly assessed. StoneHill
’s field staff are certified by the International Fire
Code Institute (IFCI) in the decommissioning of USTs. If the
tank is found to have been leaking, StoneHill
can address the complex regulatory and technical issues associated
with soil and groundwater contamination, and vapor migration
into buildings or subsurface structures. |
Selected
Project Summaries
Bulk Heating Oil Above Ground Storage Facility. Manchester,
NH
|
StoneHill
has assisted this bulk fuel facility for many years including
completion of a Site Investigation associated with a release
of heating oil, preparation of a SPCC Plan, preparation of
recommendations for facility compliance upgrades, and assistance
with spill release monitoring. StoneHill
has worked with the facility owner to prioritize costly upgrades
withthe goal of investing in upgrades which would contribute
to the greatest minimization of environmental impacts should
a spill occur at the |
|
facility. StoneHill
’s Project Manager has developed a relationship of trust
with the facility owner which enables the owner to rely upon
StoneHill as its sole environmental
consultant from facility design to spill response. |
County Facility, Brentwood, NH
|
Because numerous UST and AST systems are
operated at the county facility, the State of NH requested
completion of a tank facility audit to assess compliance with
state regulations. StoneHill
conducted the audit and retained certified tank specialists
to complete required UST and AST system repairs and upgrades.
Revised tank registration forms were completed and SPCC plans
were prepared for several tank systems. During the review
of tank facility records, StoneHill
identified |
 |
records and invoices for
a No. 6 oil release response action conducted in 1989, which
even though eligible, had not been submitted to the NHDES
for reimbursement of remediation costs from the NH Petroleum
Cleanup Funds. StoneHill prepared
a reimbursement request using information pieced together
from the available response action records and the County
received a reimbursement check from the State of NH for more
than $120,000. StoneHill continues
to provide consulting services to the county facility associated
with the No. 6 oil which still remains on the water table.
|
UST Discovery, Portsmouth, NH
 |
During the course of completing
a pre-purchase environmental due diligence site assessment
of a commercial property with a professional office building,
it was determined based upon review of historical City Directories
that the site was operated as a gasoline station until the
mid-1970’s. The former property owner who operated the
gasoline station could not recall whether the gasoline USTs
were removed or |
|
closed in place by filling with sand. Therefore,
a ground penetrating radar (GPR) survey was completed which
confirmed the presence of at least one UST located partially
beneath a new building constructed in the late 1970’s.
Immediately following the GPR survey on the same day, several
soil borings and monitoring wells were completed which also
confirmed the presence of petroleum impacted soil and groundwater.
The confirmation of the presence of a UST was critical to
triggering access to the NH Petroleum Cleanup Funds, which
would reimburse costs associated with investigation and remediation
of the petroleum release and assist in allowing the sale of
the property to proceed. |
Historical Release Discovery, Central Massachusetts
 |
During the dewatering of
an excavation for the construction for an addition to a church,
groundwater impacted with fuel oil entered the foundation
excavation. Further investigation identified extensive soil
and groundwater contamination, which was complicated by the
soil excavation and dewatering completed for the foundation
construction. The resulting remediation costs exceeded $100,000.
Church officials determined that a fuel oil UST had been removed
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ten years earlier.
The only record available to document the UST removal was
a report from the local fire department inspector which indicated
“small holes noted in tank…. no odor or visible
product in [excavation] hole”. As it turned out, there
had been a significant release from the tank which when discovered
eleven years later resulted in significant hardships on the
church. This case highlights the risk of not engaging a qualified
environmental professional to complete a thorough UST closure
inspection. The closure oversight and documentation costs
are often insignificant when compared the negative impacts
of a UST closure without a comprehensive UST closure report
being available or the later discovery of a release due to
inadequate inspection of the UST excavation. |
600
State Street, Suite 2
Portsmouth, NH 03801
Telephone: 603-433-1935
Toll Free: 1-800-639-4503
Fax: 603-433-1942
info@stonehillenvironmental.com
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