| Thousands of New Jersey businesses need to | | | | approaching, tank owners are faced with some |
| store petroleum products at their facilities, | | | | difficult economic decisions. The cost for |
| whether for heating, to fuel vehicles, for | | | | tank and piping upgrades starts at $10,000, |
| emergency generators, or a dozen other | | | | and, in most cases, retrofitting an existing |
| pressing needs. Today there are estimated to | | | | steel underground storage tank is a |
| be in excess of 80,000 regulated commercial | | | | short-sighted and expensive undertaking. Due |
| tanks in New Jersey alone. Most are | | | | to variable water tables and the predominance |
| underground, some above ground and, recently, | | | | of clay and silt soils, both vapor monitoring |
| some combining the best of both methods, the | | | | and continuous groundwater monitoring are |
| concrete vaulted tanks. In this article I | | | | impractical, if not impossible, and in all |
| will take a look at each approach for its | | | | cases will only alert a tank owner of a leak |
| strengths, weaknesses and cost | | | | after the damage has occurred.With these |
| factors.UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANKS | | | | concerns complicating the upgrade, the most |
| (USTs)Historically, petroleum storage was | | | | effective solution, if we stay with |
| literally driven underground by a variety of | | | | conventional underground storage, is often |
| concerns centered around fire safety. Because | | | | complete replacement of a given storage tank |
| of these concerns, and the regulations they | | | | system This then expands the price range of a |
| spawned, the overwhelming majority of storage | | | | standard 2,000 gallon tank job to a minimum |
| tanks in use today are underground tanks.In | | | | of $20,000. (triple this number for a 12,000 |
| the past five years the federal EPA and State | | | | gallon tank).*In addition to these basic |
| Departments of Environmental Protection and | | | | construction costs, there are significant |
| Energy (DEPE) have formulated new | | | | costs associated with simply maintaining and |
| construction criteria for both the | | | | operating underground tanks. These expenses |
| installation of new tanks and the required | | | | must also be considered when we evaluate the |
| upgrade of existing tanks.With scheduled | | | | total project cost. |
| deadlines for these tank upgrades quickly | | | | |