Blog

11/28/16

EPA Report: Corrosion in Diesel UST’s

In July of 2016 the EPA Office of Underground Storage Tanks (OUST) released findings of the corrosion investigation- Investigation of Corrosion-Influencing Factors in Underground Storage Tanks with Diesel Service (EPA 510-R-16-001, July 2016).

We have summarized the findings below:

Research focused on better understanding a type of rapid and severe corrosion of metal components in underground storage tanks (USTs) storing diesel fuel. UST owners first began reporting this corrosion to UST industry servicing companies in 2007. To address the potential for corrosion problems, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Underground Storage Tanks began working on this research in 2014.

“The major finding from our research is that moderate or severe corrosion on metal components in UST systems storing diesel fuel in the United States could be a very common occurrence. Observations suggest that corrosion may be commonly severe on metal surfaces in the upper vapor space of UST systems, an area that before 2007 was not known to be prone to corrosion.” MORE…

07/05/16

Gasoline Storage During Summer Months

The average length of time that gasoline can be stored in summer months without causing problems is 90 days for non-ethanol and 30 days for 10% ethanol blends. Certain factors will increase or decrease shelf life such as temperature, partially filled tanks, humidity, and blends.

Certain stabilizers will extend gasoline storage, however, based on the research we have conducted stabilizers only increased shelf life by roughly 10%.

Our recommendation is to keep tanks in a cool dry place away from the sun and purchase gasoline in quantities that will be used within 30 days.