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CUC pushes for $1.2M oil tank repair
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Posted on Apr 26 2006
The Commonwealth Utilities Corp. is pushing for a $1.2-million repair to one of its fuel storage tanks.
According to the utility, the repair would not only give CUC sufficient fuel storage capability, but also resolve various environmental and safety concerns raised by regulatory agencies.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Division of Environmental Quality, Coastal Resources Management, and the U.S. Coast Guard have reportedly expressed concerns about the deteriorating state of Tank 104.
“Main concerns have been focused around the potential for oil leakage and seepage into the lagoon, as well as concerns of explosion and fire,” CUC said.
Furthermore, CUC currently does not have adequate fuel storage capability. The utility said that having Tank 104 brought back into service would provide CUC additional capacity for fuel reserves that especially necessary during times of inclement weather.
In addition, CUC will have the opportunity to decommission other tanks in Power Plant I and II for maintenance and rehabilitative work.
Built in the early 1980s to provide storage for heavy fuel, Tank 104 was decommissioned after CUC switched fuel systems to low sulfur automotive diesel oil in the mid-1990s. The tank has been used since then as storage for used lube oil from the Lower Base power plants and the Puerto Rico plant, and occasionally from CUC Rota.
Currently, Tank 104 contains about 500,000 gallons of used lube oil and residual sludge.
The tank’s constant exposure to elements and its close proximity to the shoreline have caused extensive corrosion and potential risks of deterioration to the tank and its auxiliary systems, CUC said.
