The US EPA’s Office of Underground Storage Tanks has just published a clear and concise document on UST release (leak) detection (https://www.epa.gov/ust/release-detection-underground-storage-tanks-and-piping-straight-talk-tanks). Coincidently, in the past few days, my friend Walt Huysman posted a LinkedIn blog about predictive maintenance (PdM). What’s the connection? UST release detection effectively signals the need to take immediate corrective action. UST replacement and site remediation can easily cost $250,000 to $500,000. PdM is designed to strike a high return on investment (ROI) balance between the costs associated with condition monitoring and preventive maintenance actions, on one hand, and corrective maintenance actions, on the other. Assuming a well-designed and managed program, PdM typically costs a tiny fraction (<1%) of corrective maintenance costs. Microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) has been estimated to be responsible for as much as 50% of the economic damage caused to petroleum infrastructure. However, neither the US EPA UST Regulations nor PEI’s RP-900 (UST Inspection and Maintenance) include guidance on PdM for microbial contamination. PdM to include microbial contamination monitoring and control is a high ROI proposition. Prevention of product release is only the tip of the iceberg. To learn more, contact me at fredp@biodeterioration-control.com.
