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Why should you be concerned? What can you do? UVI Cooperative Extension Service Storage of petroleum products such as motor fuel and oil pre- sent a threat to public health and water quality. According to estimates by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, nearly 1 out of every 4 petroleum underground stor- age tanks in the United States may now be leaking. A few quarts of gasoline in the ground water may be enough to severely pollute your drink- ing water supply, as well as your neighbors’. Low levels of petroleum chemicals in water cannot be detected by smell or taste; yet the seemingly pure water may be contaminated to the point of harming human health. Petroleum fuels contain many potentially toxic compounds such as ethylene dibromide (EDB) and benzene. EDB is a VI Resource Conservation and Development Council, Inc. carcinogen (cancer-causing agent) in laboratory animals, and benzene is considered a human carcinogen. Once these contaminants leak into the soil and ground water, they can be very difficult and expen- sive to remove. Use this worksheet to address questions you have answered Yes to or do not know the answer to in the Assessing Your Petroleum Product Storage Facilities section of your Home and Farm Water Quality Assessment. This worksheet will help you develop an Action Plan to establish practices that reduce drinking water supply contami- nation risks. USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service ASSESSING YOUR PETROLEUM PRODUCT STORAGE FACILITIES YES NO G G 1. Do you have a petroleum storage container(s) or tank(s) on your property? G G 2. Is your petroleum storage container(s) or tank(s) less than 100 feet from a water supply or water body? G G 3. If you have a petroleum storage tank, is it located underground? G G 4. Do you lack protection against leaks or spills from your petroleum storage container(s) or tank(s) (no containment system, catch basin, or concrete spill pad)? G G 5. Do you need to develop a method of record-keeping to keep track of petroleum use? If you have answered Yes or do not know the answer to any of these questions, refer to this factsheet for valuable information that will help you develop an Action Plan to reduce the risk of contamination to your drinking water supply and surrounding surface waters. 1. Do you have a petroleum storage Container(s) or tank(s) on your property? Assessment surveys from Farm*A*Syst (Farm Water Quality Assessment) Programs across the country have shown petroleum storage to be the most frequent high risk identified. If you have a petroleum storage container or tank on your property, or if you have waste oil to discard from car or generator maintenance, you need to assess your storage and disposal methods to guard against contamination of soil, ground and surface water. Containers or tanks that are no longer in use should be removed from the property. The Virgin Islands uses Federal regulations regarding the removal of buried and above ground petroleum storage tanks. Consult with the DPNR Division of Environmental Protection (DEP) before you dispose of storage containers, modify your current system, or remove a petroleum storage tank. Waste oil is classified as a “special waste” in the Virgin Islands (in order for WAPA to be allowed to burn it along with standard oil). Waste oil contains toxic chemicals, cancer-causing hydro-carbons, and heavy metals (lead, zinc, arsenic, chromium, cadmium) that are harmful to human health and the environment. Dumping used (or waste) oil in storm drains, guts or on the ground pollutes our beaches, surface and ground waters. Used oil in the garbage seeps through landfills into ground water, mangrove lagoons, and the sea. Small quantities of used oil (5 gallons or less) generated by individuals changing oil in their vehicles or generators will be accepted by the Department of Public Works’ (DPW) Used Oil Collection Program. DPW will NOT accept used oil in containers greater than five gallons or from businesses. Businesses that generate waste oil must have it collected and transported to an EPA-approved disposal site by an approved waste oil hauler. DPW WILL accept used oil in sealed containers (5 gallons or less) at the following locations: St. Croix: DPW facilities in Anna’s Hope, 9 - 5 weekdays, 10 - 4 Saturdays, 12 - 4 Sundays. St. John: DPW Transfer Station in Susannaberg, 8 - 5 weekdays, 8 - 12 weekends & holidays. St. Thomas: DPW Motor Pool, Subbase, 9 - 4 weekdays. DPW may add collection locations to make proper disposal of used oil easier for the public. To find out about additional locations, contact DPW Division of Environmental Services or the UVI Cooperative Extension Service. DPW WILL NOT accept waste oil mixed with anti-freeze, solvents, paint, paint thinner, carburetor or parts cleaner. To find out how to dispose of these other products, contact the DPW Division of Environmental Services or DPNR Division of Environmental Protection (DEP). Petroleum products should be properly stored in a dry area safe from access by children or pets. Proper storage includes a secured container on an impervious surface at least 100 feet away from your drinking water supply (including pump room) and surface waters. 2. Is your petroleum storage Container(s) or tank(s) less than 100 feet from a water supply or waterbody? 3. If you have a Petroleum storage tank, is it located underground? Your petroleum storage area should be located a minimum of 100 feet down slope from your water supply system. This will help protect your water supply from both leaks and spills. Your petroleum storage container(s) or tank(s) should also be located at least 25 feet from buildings and heavy traffic areas. Check with DPNR- DEP for specific regulations on petroleum storage. Petroleum tanks that have been buried more than 15 years can be a high risk to ground water quality. Most underground storage tanks are made out of steel and contain little or no protection to prevent corrosion. Highly corrosive conditions such as saline, wet, or acid soils (typically those found in the Virgin Islands) can significantly increase the rate of corrosion of these tanks. The Virgin Islands uses Federal regulations regarding the removal of buried tanks. Consult with DPNR-DEP about procedures and assistance in removing a buried tank. 4. Do you lack protection against leaks or spills from your petroleum storage container(s) or tank(s) (no containment, catch basin, or concrete spill pad, tank isn’t double-hulled)? Whether you have above ground or under ground storage you need to develop a system that guards against leaks and spills. Equipment should be fueled on a concrete pad that has secondary containment (like a curb). All petroleum storage containers and areas should be secured from children, pets, and vandalism. Under ground tanks should be protected against corrosion. Above ground tanks should be made of high quality steel and have a secondary containment system that can hold 125% of the total volume of petroleum stored. Tanks that are used or designed for under ground storage should not be used for above ground storage. Small storage containers should be sealed and stored in an area with an impermeable base (concrete, metal or heavy-duty plastic) and containment (like a curb). FOR MORE INFORMATION This assessment does not cover all potential risks on your property that could impact the quality of your drinking water. It is designed to: create an awareness of potential risks to water quality on your property; provide voluntary solutions to reduce pollution risks; and develop an action plan to protect your drinking water supply. Individual areas and states may vary in requirements on minimum standards for water supply protection. Always check with your local offices listed in the reference section of each worksheet before making changes to your water supply system. There are other, more detailed, Farm*A*Syst/Home*A*Syst programs available. If you have specific questions about protecting your drinking water, contact your local Extension Service Office, local USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Office, or your local Soil and Water Conservation District Office. You may also contact the National Farm*A*Syst/Home*A*Syst Office at B142 Steenbock Library, 550 Babcock Drive, Madison, Wisconsin 53706-1293, Phone (608) 262-0024. This document was published by the University of the Virgin Islands Cooperative Extension Service, Kwame Garcia, Director of Extension Programs. This document was developed by Julie Wright, Natural Resources Specialist, University of the Virgin Islands Cooperative Extension Service in cooperation with the National Farm*A*Syst/Home*A*syst Program, and is patterned in a large part after the National Farm*A*Syst/Home*A*Syst Program document “Protecting Your Water Through A Farm & Home Assessment” and the North Dakota Farm*A*Syst Program developed by North Dakota Extension Service. Contents of this publication constitute public property. No endorsement of products or firms is intended, nor is criticism implied of those not mentioned. Issued by the Virgin Islands Cooperative Extension Service and the U.S. Department of Agriculture in furtherance of the acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914. Extension programs and policies are consistent with federal and state laws and regulations on non-discrimination regarding race, color, national origin, religion, gender, age, disability or gender preference. The Farm*A*Syst/Home*A*Syst Program is funded nationally by: USDA Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Services, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The program supports voluntary pollution prevention to protect surface and ground water through a partnership with governmental agencies and the private sector. 5. Do you need to develop a method of record-keeping to keep track of petroleum use? Develop a monitoring system to keep accurate records of fuel delivery and usage. Regularly monitoring your fuel use and comparing it to the measured amount of fuel in the container or tank can help you detect a leak. This is one of the easiest ways to detect leaks in under ground storage tanks. Monitoring fuel use does not require a lot of time or money and can help you detect a leaking storage container or tank before serious losses occur. An easy way to monitor your fuel use is to have a pre-marked stick to measure the level of fuel in your storage container or tank. Check the level of fuel in the container or tank before you withdraw fuel to make sure that the level has not changed since your last use. If the level changes between withdrawals, then your container or tank may be leaking. Assessing Your Petroleum Product Storage Facilities If You Answered “Yes” to the Following Questions What to Do Who to Call Other References What You Did Questions 1,5 Develop a regular maintenance program to check tanks for leaks, damage, etc. Review your plan for spill and leak protection. Properly dispose of waste oil. Monitor fuel usage. DPNR Division of Environmental Protection (DEP), DPW Division of Environmental Protection, UVI Cooperative Extension Service (CES) Question 2 Plan to move your tank. DPNR-DEP Question 3 Change to above ground storage. DPNR-DEP Question 4 Construct a secondary containment system, store petroleum products properly. DPNR-DEP PHONE NUMBERS: DPNR-DEP: 773-1082 (St. Croix); 774-3320 (St. Thomas - St. John) DPW Divison of Environmental Services: 773-1290 (St. Croix); 776-4844 (St. Thomas - St. John) UVI-CES: 692-4080 (St. Croix); 693-1080 (St. Thomas - St. John)