ANDREWS AFB, Md. –
Fuels tanks; take even a brief look around and you'll see them in many places on base and in the communities where people live and work.
Andrews AFB and our partner units own and operate several hundred fuel storage tanks of various types, primarily fixed in place above ground and below ground storage tanks, and these vary in size from a few gallons to more than 50,000 gallons.
The 316th Civil Engineer Squadron enjoys a good track record of operating and maintaining these tanks in a safe and responsible manner.
The tanks are filled with, and dispense gasoline, diesel fuel, heating oil, jet fuel, motor oil, and propane, among other products. These petroleum products are some of the more common types that people use and benefit from daily.
With the benefits that fuel storage tanks provide to people, comes a responsibility to operate and maintain them in a way that is both safe and protective of human health and life and that of our environment. Like all forms of energy, fuels of any type can be harmful or even deadly if misused or allowed to escape the confines of the tanks and the pipelines that contain and transport them.
Fossil fuels and petroleum products in particular, are composed of organic compounds that have been proven to be harmful to nearly all forms of life given sufficient concentrations and length of exposure.
Andrews members can help with the mission of ensuring our fuel tanks continue to serve us in a safe manner.
Our personnel on base that have primary responsibility for tanks and pipelines are trained in their safe operation and maintenance and do so in professional fashion.
These underground storage tanks are permitted for operation by the State of Maryland and regulated by both the State of Maryland and the Environmental Protection Agency under a system of complex and detailed laws to ensure their safe operation and the health of our community.
To assist in the comprehension and observation of these laws, the 316 CES Environmental Flight has set up a working group subcommittee of the 316th Wing's Environmental, Safety, and Occupational Health Committee for owners and operators of USTs to provide in-depth training for UST owners and operators.
Soon we will also be looking at our hundreds of above-ground storage tanks more closely as well.
Organizations that own or operate ASTs or USTs of any kind, must ensure that all legal and operational requirements are properly documented as required by federal and state law and Air Force instruction.
The first meeting is scheduled for Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. in Bldg. 3465 in the base civil engineer conference room.
Invitations to UST owners and operators have been sent. For more information, contact Steve Richards, Environmental Quality chief at 301-981-1652.