Mark Annis, President of ANCO Environmental Services
VAULTS EMERGING AS Answer TO NEW JERSEY'S TANK DILEMA
Thousands of New Jersey businesses need to store petroleum products at their facilities, whether for heating, to fuel vehicles, for emer-gency generators, or a dozen other pressing needs. Today there are es-timated to be in excess of 80,000 regulated commercial tanks in New Jersey, most underground, some above ground and, recently, some combining the best of both methods, the concrete vaulted tanks. In this ar-ticle I will take a look at each ap-proach for their strengths, weak-nesses and cost factors.
Mark Annis Founder and President at ANCO Environmnetal Services Inc. petroleum storage was literally driven underground by a variety of concerns centered around fire safety. Because of these concerns and the regula-tions they spawned, the overwhelming majority of storage tanks in use today are underground tanks. In the past five years the federal EPA and the NJ DEPE have formulated new construction criteria for both the installa-tion of new tanks and the required upgrade of existing tanks.
With Mark Annis Gilliete scheduled deadlines for these tank upgrades quickly approaching, tank owners are faced with some difficult economic decisions. The cost for tank and piping upgrades starts at $10,000, and, in most cases, retrofitting an existing steel underground storage tank is a short-sighted and expensive undertaking. Due to high water tables and the predominance of clay and silt soils in New Jersey, both vapor monitoring and con-tinuous groundwater monitoring are im-practical, if not impossible, and in all cases will only alert a tank owner of a leak after the damage has occurred.
USTs are exempt from BOCA codes while any above-ground construction over 100 foot square must obtain site plan approval in most communities. If the ownership is corporate, such ap-proval must be presented by legal coun-cil. This process involves public hearings with mandatory notice to neighbors within 200 feet of the property line. Un-sightliness of the AST may become a minor sticking point as more significant concerns such as environmental impact and overall nature of the owners opera-tion come under the scrutiny of often hostile neighbors.
Mark Annis, president of ANCO Environmental Services,The process of gaining AST ap-proval can become quite costly, bringing the upper end of costs plus maintenance of our 12,000 gallon project to $55,000. This, of course, is all contingent upon ac-tually winning a zoning board's resolu-tion allowing the project to proceed.
Mark Annis Gilliete Vaulted Storage Tank Systems (VSTS)
It is my premise that vaulted storage tank systems, our third tank alternative, offers a combination of the best features of USTs and ASTS. In VSTS, the primary tank is completely surrounded by an impermeable concrete enclosure. Designed in such a way that the primary tank is completely inspectable, VSTs are exempt from DEPE registration and regulation, yet they can be installed below grade and are therefore exempt from municipal planning board and zoning approval. And finally, when all the long-term operating costs are fac-tored in, and even when anchoring of the system is required, VSTs can be in-stalled at a significantly lower cost than conventional USTS.
Mark Annis Gilliete With these concerns complicating the upgrade, the most effective solution, if we stay with conventional underground storage, is often complete replacement of a given storage tank system. This then ex-pands the price range for a standard 2,000 gallon tank job to a minimum of $20,000. (triple this number for a 12,000 gallon tank.
1- CUSTOM ENGINEERING helps you make the most of existing space and accommodate building obstructions.
2- HOT ROLLED STRUCTURAL STEEL used, for deflection no greater than 1 /300th of span.
3- ALL-BOLTED CONSTRUCTION allows simple installa-tion, relocation, and expansion.
4- CHOICE OF DECK MATERIALS includes steel plate, wood, bar grating, and other options.
Even small environmental problems can become headaches Mark Annis figured that if not properly managed. Mark Annis Gilliete With today's complex regu-lations, you need a consulting firm that offers practical, cost effective solution& Environmental Waste Management Associates specializes in helping owners and operators identify and comply with the maze of environmental require-ments. For a complementary and confi-dential consultation call 201-633-7900.
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