Annually, STI/SPFA presents awards to Member fabricators in multiple categories and recognizes a member supplier (STI/SPFA Affiliate Member) for a New Product of the Year. Member Company accomplishments are detailed in the 2009 Tank of the Year Press Release issued in early-March. Additional Press Releases announced Award winners and recognized Members for Safety and Quality achievements.

2009 PRODUCT OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS
In the 2009 Fabricated Project of the Year, Special Fabrication Category, T BAILEY, INC.of Anacortes, WA was recognized as the 2009 winner for its "Eye of the Wind" project in North Vancouver, British Columbia. T BAILEY, INC. also received an Award in the Pipe Fabrication Category for the Aberfeldie Redevelopment Project, a hydroelectric facilty in British Columbia.

The 2009 award for Fabricated Product of the Year in the Pressure Vessel Category was made to Brown-Minneapolis Tank NW of Elma, WA, for production of three 3,000 cu. ft. silos built to ASME Code Section VIII - Div 1 Silos. In the Shop fabricated Atmospheric Tank Category, Brown-Minneapolis Tank NW also received a 2009 Product of the Year Award for two 12,000 gallon Fireguard® tanks used to store Avgas, high-octane aviation fuel.

Ameron International - Water Transmission Group of Rancho Cucamonga, CA was awarded the 2009 Pipeline Project of the Year Award for its Arrowhead Tunnel project in Highland, San Bernadino, CA.
　
For 2009, The Affiliate Member New Product of the Year Award went to The Sherwin-Williams Company in Cleveland, OH for its EuroNavy ES301 Coating.
　
The 2009 Steel Tank of the Year Awards recognized tank fabricators in four categories:　 

Photos and descriptions of winning products are posted to the AWARDS pages on www.steeltank.com.　
　
Congratulations to all 2009 STI/SPFA Award winners for their achievements in steel fabrication, production, safety and quality.　

 

　

 

Service Welding Company of Louisville, KY recently

Permatank in North Carolina

furnished the first interstitial liquid leak detection system in a Permatank® double-wall underground storage tank. The tank system was installed in western NC on March 23 by Petroleum Specialty, Inc.

 

The Permatank® was shipped to North Carolina
with its traditional vacuum within the interstice.
Carl Greer of Service Welding Company reported, "A vacuum is applied at time of manufacture and held during shipment, storage, and installation. A look at the vacuum gauge provides instantaneous assurance that both walls of the tank system are tight."

After the tank was backfilled to the top, the special liquid supplied by Service Welding Company was quickly installed into the interstice.

 

 

David Ellis of  Lighthouse Electric Technologies Installing Liquid Sensors

 

"The liquid level is raised above the top of the tank where dual point sensors are installed in a reservoir and monitored electronically to notify the tank owner of
any upset conditions within the tank system during operations," Greer explained. He added, "North Carolina regulators are taking a greater interest in leak detection systems using vacuum, pressure or liquids within the interstice that immediately alert tank owners of releases. Each tank system must be evaluated by an independent third party to comply with EPA requirements."

The Steel Tank Institute and Service Welding Company reached an agreement to make the interstitial liquid leak detection system available to STI Members that have signed an STI License Agreement. Initially, the leak detection system will be available on any UL listed secondary contained underground storage tank built by an STI Member that wants to make the technology available to its customers.

Steel tank manufacturers in Europe have successfully provided similar leak detection systems in double-wall steel tank systems that must comply with European leak detection standards. The North Carolina site was the first known jacketed tank installation to use a liquid interstitial leak detection system in the United States.
 

Sensors continue to play a critical role in new and existing secondary containment systems. They have been successfully used in secondary contained steel tanks for years to detect liquids before a pollution incident occurs. STICO Mutual Insurance Company, RRG, a supplier of manufacturers' and contractors' pollution liability insurance, submitted comment pertaining to North Carolina regulations in 2007 indicating STICO has had no reported pollution incidents involving a double-wall storage tank.

 

With the Permatank installation in North Carolina, Petroleum Specialty also installed dry sump sensors in submersible turbine enclosures and in dispenser sumps.　

 

STI/SPFA Safety & Health Committee - Member Benefit    

 

Approximately 44 billion gallons of Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel ("ULSD") fuel are consumed in the United States annually and are distributed through thousands of miles of pipelines, 1,300 terminals, 7,500 bulk plants, and tens of thousands of service stations.

 

STI and many other associations and agencies are researching issues related to ULSD and surveyed those who had first-hand experience with ULSD. Of the 1,192 respondents, 58 percent reported no increase in problems associated with the changeover to ULSD fuel in the last several years.

 

 

Of the remaining 42 percent who reported issues at an average ten sites each, those who offered comments reported:

 Submersible pump replacement, column pipe wear and
    motor problems;
 Check valves not seating;
 Meter corrosion or malfunctions;
 Shear valve malfunction;
 Line leak detectors damaged;
 Swivels failing or shortened lifespans;
 Solenoid valves not sealing or failing tests;
 Corrosion of tanks;
 Leak detection malfunction;
 Automatic nozzle shutoff failure or shortened lifespan;
 Pipe failure;
 Excessive filter clogging; and
 Seal and gasket issues

The survey was conducted by PEI and sent to North American tank owners, fuel suppliers, service providers, equipment manufacturers, tank and tank equipment regulators, cargo tank motor vehicle owners and others during the months of March and April, 2010. 

 

Respondents who reported problems were georgraphically dispersed, but potential causes of the issues could not be conclusively identified based on survey findings.

 

Among the organizations that participated in the survey were the Steel Tank Institute, Petroleum Marketers Association of America, NATSO, NACS, SIGMA, American Petroleum Institute, National Biodiesel Board, National Association of Fleet Administrators, American Trucking Associations, New England Fuel Institute, as well as state and local UST offices. The participating organizations are reviewing the results to determine the next steps.

In the meantime, the Clean Diesel Fuel Alliance (CDFA), will develop guidance on monitoring and maintaining fuel distribution and dispensing equipment. The CDFA plans to explore the best ways to gather additional information to better understand the issue. 

 

 

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