December 16, 2024 • 16 mins
Managing a bulk fuel storage facility can be complex, but it doesn’t have to break the bank. In this bonus episode of Tank Talk, Bulk Fuel Storage Expert Shannon Oelkers and Producer Haley Hall explore the top free resources available to tank farm managers to help streamline operations, improve safety, and ensure compliance. From instructional videos and detailed tank anatomy diagrams to spill response preparation guides and online training courses, we’re highlighting tools that can make your job easier and more efficient—all without spending a dime.
Whether you’re a seasoned terminal manager or new to the world of bulk fuel storage, this episode equips you with actionable knowledge and resources to help you stay on top of your responsibilities. Tune in and discover how to leverage these free tools to make informed decisions, train your team, and safeguard your facility. Merry Christmas from our Integrity Environmental team!
Tank Talk Podcast (Integrity Environmental)
- Podcast covering various fuel tank related topics, including appropriate labeling, maintenance, regulatory requirements, and inspections.
- Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/tank-talk-alaskas-bulk-fuel-podcast/id1674667477
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1Zmyi6WqsGrU41xfHeCP37?si=1c278befccd344bb
Alaska Energy Authority (AEA) YouTube Channel
- Tank Farm Playlist freely provides 24 specific videos on how to perform preventative maintenance functions on bulk tanks such as changing gaskets, performing water draws, and changing filters.
- https://www.youtube.com/@alaskaenergyauthority7923/playlists
Morrison Brothers Tank Anatomy (diagrams that identify all the parts of a tank)
- https://morbros.com/downloads/products/Protected_Double_Wall_Tank_with_Remote_Fill.pdf
- https://morbros.com/downloads/products/Protected_Double_Wall_Tank_with_Tank-Mounted_Remote_Fill.pdf
Tank Strapping Charts (Liquid Level Calculation)
Steel Tank Institute Free Resources
- Keeping Water Out of Your Storage System
- https://stispfa.org/resource/keeping-water-out-of-your-storage-system/
- Tank Inspection Guidance and free Monthly/Annual forms
- https://stispfa.org/library-resources/standards-regulatory-resources/sp001-standard/
State of Alaska Star Manual (Spill Tactics)
- Detailed PDF resource for most spill response exercise tactics, such as trenching, oil recovery, exclusion booming, etc.
- Training videos on safe boom deployment and anchoring
- https://dec.alaska.gov/spar/ppr/response-resources/star-manual/
Federal Emergency Management Administration (Incident Command System)
intro/outro created with GarageBan
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Haley Hall (00:10):
Thank you for joining us.
You're listening to Tank Talkwith Integrity Environmental,
where we speak with founder,principal consultant and bulk
fuel storage expert ShannonOelkers, about regulations,
safety and useful tips forsmooth sailing through the bulk
fuel storage industry.
Come learn the unique joys ofworking life in Alaska with
industry experts, including ourteam, vendors we work with and
companies we support.
Shannon Oelkers (00:34):
Welcome back to Tank Talk Season 2, the podcast
where we explore everything youneed to know about bulk fuel
storage, from best practices tothe latest in technology and
everything in between.
Today, I am your host.
This is Shannon, and Haley, ourproducer, is joining us.
Haley Hall (00:51):
Thanks, Shannon.
I'm so excited to be here today.
Today we've got a reallyexciting topic for you.
We're diving into freeresources for bulk fuel storage
managers.
If you're managing a facility,we know it's not an easy job,
and staying on top ofregulations, safety measures and
maintenance can feeloverwhelming.
But here's the good news (01:07):
there are tons of tools out there
that can make your job easier,and they won't cost you a thing.
Shannon Oelkers (01:13):
Exactly, Managing a bulk fuel storage
facility Haley is balancing alot of responsibilities.
You know there's regulatorycompliance, there's safety,
there's the environmental impactif you get something wrong, but
you don't have to go it alone.
Integrity has gatheredresources from all over, and
today we're going to walkthrough some of the best of
those resources that are freeand available to help you stay
(01:36):
organized, compliant andefficient.
Haley Hall (01:40):
Shannon, you started this free podcast with a big
goal in mind - would you say?
It's about filling thosecritical knowledge gaps for
people working in this industry.
Shannon Oelkers (01:48):
Yeah, absolutely.
That's really the core of why Ilaunched this podcast.
Every episode we share isfocused on insights and
practical advice to help youlower the risk of spills and to
promote best practices in ourindustry, and we pull a lot of
what we talk about from whatwe're seeing in the field in
real time.
We're trying to make sure ourlisteners can manage their tank
(02:10):
farms more effectively.
Haley Hall (02:12):
And it sounds like it's not just for the folks who
are able to access your paidservices - right?
Shannon Oelkers (02:16):
Exactly.
Not everyone can bring on ourteam or access a consultant, and
so I wanted to ensure that theresources we provide here stay
accessible to everyone who needsthem, and, whether they're
turning in for the latest onspill prevention or tips on
improving tank farm management,we're giving them tools that
make a real difference.
Haley Hall (02:34):
I love that.
It's like an open invitationfor all tank farm managers and
teams to level up their game,regardless of their budget.
Shannon Oelkers (02:40):
That's the goal .
That's the goal, Haley.
All right, so let's dive intotoday's tank talk.
Haley Hall (02:45):
Let's get right into it.
First up, shannon.
We all know compliance is a bigdeal in fuel storage, so let's
talk about some free resourcesthat can help fuel storage
managers maintain and operatetheir fuel infrastructure.
Shannon Oelkers (02:57):
Yeah Haley.
One of the biggest challengesin fuel storage is staying on
top of regular tank maintenancea great free resource.
It was developed about 20 yearsago, I believe, by the Alaska
Energy Authority.
They offer a fantastic YouTubechannel with a playlist that has
(03:17):
24 instructional videos, andthese videos cover everything
from changing gaskets toperforming water draws, changing
filters.
They cover sort of all theessential parts of keeping your
tanks in top shape.
These are completely free.
They were, I think, paid for aspart of a federal grant or
program.
We'll include a link to thisplaylist.
If you for some reason can'tfind that link, though.
(03:37):
It's the Alaska EnergyAuthority YouTube channel, and
then you'd want to click throughto the tank farm playlist, and
then there's a bonus for ourpower plant operators out there
listening.
There is also a power plantvideo playlist with another 20
or 30 videos that are related tothe operation and maintenance
of power plant infrastructure,which often includes fuel
resources, but has other thingsas well.
Haley Hall (03:59):
That's such a helpful resource.
It's so nice to have a visualguide to walk through the steps.
Plus, when you're dealing withmultiple tanks and pieces of
equipment, sometimes it's hardto remember the exact procedure.
Having a step-by-step video canreally be a game changer.
Shannon Oelkers (04:13):
It is, and you know the best part is, the
outfits from 2004 are likevintage.
They're coming back into stylenow, so you get a peek into what
it was like in the late 90s -so wonderful.
Haley Hall (04:25):
Shannon, I have to admit sometimes I struggle to
know what everything is calledon a tank.
There's just so much going on.
Shannon Oelkers (04:31):
You're not alone, Haley.
It's a challenge to keep trackof all the parts and things that
could be on a tank, especiallyif you're newer to bulk fuels.
We joke that tanks are a verysimple machine, but they could
have thousands of differentkinds of appurtenances, which
are things that are attached tothe tank.
The tank itself is typicallypretty simple it's a cylinder
(04:51):
but, like I said, thousands ofthings can be attached to it.
So one free resource that wehave found very helpful is the
Morrison Brothers Company, whichcreates liquid level gauges and
overfill prevention valves.
They provide this really coolfree resource that includes
detailed tank anatomy diagrams,and these diagrams show you
(05:12):
exactly what every single partof the tank is called and where
it fits into an overall system,and we use it internally at
Integrity as part of ourtraining for all of our staff.
But I think it's a greatresource for anybody who's new
to fuels.
Has some new employees that arenew to fuels.
It could be training.
It can also be reference.
Haley Hall (05:32):
That's awesome.
So, whether you're looking totrain new employees or just need
a quick reference guide, thesediagrams can save a lot of time
and frustration.
Shannon Oelkers (05:39):
Yeah, and they're one page printables.
You can literally tack them upon the wall.
What I like is they have acouple different tank types.
They include single walls anddouble walls.
They talk about remote fillsystems and inline fill systems.
So no matter what kind of tankfarm you're managing, you can
kind of find the parts andunderstand how everything works
together just from these coupleof diagrams that the Morrison
(06:00):
Brothers Group provides.
Haley Hall (06:02):
Amazing.
So now that we can figure outwhat everything is called, how
do you accurately tell how muchfuel is inside
the tank?
That's a crucial piece of thispuzzle, right?
Shannon Oelkers (06:11):
It is! And one thing that we find over and over
again in rural Alaska is thatif a tank is older, the original
strapping chart has been lostover time.
Somebody put it in a filingcabinet.
That filing cabinet gotarchived, or the person who had
it left and the strapping chartwas on their computer or in
their email.
So, understanding liquid levelsin a tank and having an
(06:32):
accurate strapping chart forhorizontal tanks and this does
not apply to vertical so ifyou're listening to this and you
have a larger tank farm, Putyour fingers in your ears.
This doesn't apply to you withAPI tanks, but for STI tanks the
horizontals you do needaccurate tank volume data and
there are free online resourcesthat can help you with this too.
There's companies like Ace Tankand Greer Tank, the two biggest
(06:55):
tank manufacturers.
They diameter, put in length,and it'll tell you within an
eighth of an inch, essentiallyhow much volume you have, based
on your liquid leveldetermination.
Haley Hall (07:12):
Wow.
So all you need to do isendpoint the type of tank you're
working with and it calculatesthe liquid level for you.
Shannon Oelkers (07:18):
Yep, At every single eighth of an inch across
your entire.
Most tanks top out at 12 footin diameter, but yes, it'll tell
you all the way up and you canactually have it put in a 10%
high level mark as well.
But just as a heads up, I wantto make sure, if you're going
online and using these ACE tankor Greer tank calculators, just
make sure you're choosing theright calculator for your tank
(07:41):
type.
Double wall tanks will havedifferent measurements because
you know the secondary tank islonger than the primary tank.
So you do need to make sure youunderstand that you have a
double or single wall tank or arectangular oval tank and what
that means, and then make sureyou've got the correct one
selected before you input yourdiameter and your length.
Haley Hall (08:02):
That makes sense.
All tanks have ongoinginspection requirements too, and
keeping up with thoseinspections is crucial.
So are there any free resourcesto help a terminal manager
perform better tank inspectionsor help them train their staff?
Shannon Oelkers (08:14):
Oh, you know it , Haley! My favorite, the Steel
Tank Institute.
I think I've referenced them onevery single podcast we've done
.
STI offers free inspectionchecklists that you can download
.
They are for monthly and annualinspections.
They're a great overall reviewof the things you need to be
paying attention to on a tank.
This is a fantastic tool toensure that you're staying
(08:37):
compliant.
It meets the requirements ofyour SPCC plan typically.
It also gives you a heads up.
It allows you to catch issuesbefore they become major
problems.
The STI website also providesaccess to free webinars,
including one that focuses onhow to keep water out of your
storage system, which issomething that every fuel
storage manager should be awareof.
Haley Hall (08:57):
Yeah, keeping water out of the tanks is such a
critical piece of the puzzle.
Water can cause corrosion,contamination and even fuel
quality issues.
It's really great to know thatSDI has resources that
specifically address this.
Shannon Oelkers (09:08):
Yeah, it's really great.
And don't forget, they haveother free resources for
training your team, so you'renot just checking boxes.
They also have some low-costwebinars that might be useful to
your team as well, including amore in-depth anatomy of a tank
and going over all the things ona tank and what they are and
what they do.
But those cost and this is afree podcast, so I just wanted
(09:30):
to put that out there, thoughthat for a small amount of money
, they have additional resourcesavailable to you.
Haley Hall (09:37):
Awesome.
Well, what about spill responsepreparation?
There has to be a free resourcefor this, too, right?
I mean, we never want to thinkabout spills, but being prepared
is essential.
Shannon Oelkers (09:46):
You bet! There are several free resources that
can help with spill responsetraining.
Our firm likes to recommendstarting with the Alaska
Department of EnvironmentalConservation's STAR manual page.
We'll include that link.
Star stands for Spill Tacticsand Response Manual.
It's a detailed resource forspill response exercises.
It covers everything from oilrecovery to exclusion booming
and it's a must resource forspill response exercises.
It covers everything from oilrecovery to exclusion booming
(10:07):
and it's a must-have for anyfacility that handles fuel in
bulk.
On that same STAR manual pagethere are three videos and I
think everybody who isresponsible for responding to a
fuel spill on water should watchthem.
The first video is sort oftalking about the safety
protocols you need to followwhen laying out boom.
(10:29):
The second one is how to setboom and response equipment up
in the water, includinganchoring boom, correctly.
And then the last video talksabout some of the tactics and
strategy you would usespecifically related to booming.
These are great videos.
They show people like actuallyputting boom, actually placing
anchors, and in one of thevideos I'm in it you can see the
(10:50):
back of my head.
True story!
Haley Hall (10:55):
That's a great resource, but what about
training for the people actuallyinvolved in the response?
Shannon Oelkers (11:01):
That's a good point, Haley, in that you know,
in any spill response there'stwo different kinds of spill
responders.
There's people who arephysically out in the field and
they're literally respondingthey're putting boom out,
they're soaking up fuel, they'redoing all these things and then
there's people that aremanaging the spill response and
that management can be just ascomplex and sometimes even
(11:21):
harder than boots on the groundbecause you're juggling so many
things.
So let's say you're the tankfarm manager and you're going to
be the on-scene coordinator forthe first few hours of a spill.
The Federal EmergencyManagement Agency, well known as
FEMA, offers two really greatonline courses for free.
The first one is the IS-100C orICS-100, depending on how you
(11:45):
want to slice it which is anintroduction to the incident
command system.
I think everybody who is goingto respond to a spill should
watch this.
It's like an hour in length andit talks about the language of
incident command.
It talks about tactics, ittalks about situation reports
and it's a shared language, andwhen you get to a spill it
(12:05):
really helps to understand whatother people are talking about.
The second video that FEMAoffers for free is ICS 200,
which is basic incident commandfor initial response, and if
you're at the tank farm managerlevel, you should be watching
this video annually as arefresher.
It's a little longer I thinkit's closer to two hours but it
dives into how incident commandsystems apply in an actual spill
(12:27):
scenario.
And, same thing, it's remindingyou of what things are called,
the order that things happen in,and for a lot of people in the
bulk fuel industry thatemergency management language is
a little unfamiliar.
They're not firemen full timeand so they don't have that
language in their toolbox, andso these two videos can really
help a new employee understandwhat all the things are.
(12:48):
They can also help anexperienced employee refresh
every year, and they're freeright, so use them.
Haley Hall (12:55):
Amazing!
Shannon Oelkers (12:56):
So Haley- on top of those FEMA resources, I
wanted to talk just a little bitabout two other videos for
anyone responsible for oil spillresponse and spill drills at a
larger level.
If you're in charge ofcoordinating a regional spill
drill or you have a significantsize facility, the US Department
of Transportation and thePipeline and Hazardous Materials
(13:17):
Safety Administration, the DOTand PHMSA have put together two
excellent training videos toguide us, and they're free.
Haley Hall (13:25):
That's right.
The first video is titledOverview of Oil Spill Exercise
and Response.
This video provides a greatlook at how different agencies
come together during an oilspill.
It goes into detail on thevarious types of drills and the
objectives of the NationalPreparedness for Response
Exercise Program, or the NPREP,and you can check out the full
video in our notes as well.
Shannon Oelkers (13:46):
Yeah, and that's the one I think most
terminal managers should watchat least once.
It's a really good overview ofall the different federal
agencies.
And the alphabet soup Again.
If you need to learn why NOAAmight show up to your spill
response, this video can helpyou understand that.
The Anatomy of an Oil SpillResponse Exercise and this one
(14:09):
it's a little longer.
I think the first one is maybe15 minutes and this one's 25.
It breaks down the roles andplanning processes involved in
complex, large-scale drills.
So if you're leading or workingin a team to lead or
participating in these exercises, I think it's a good review or
introduction to understand howdifferent components and
(14:29):
coordination of all theseefforts come together.
Is this a video that I thinkeveryone at your facility should
watch?
No, probably not.
It's probably best for tankfarm managers.
But this is free resources fortank farm managers and if you've
got responsibilities for alarger scale spill drill, I
think you should take advantageof this free resource.
It's not overly long and it's areally good way to tame that
(14:52):
alphabet soup feeling at thebeginning of any kind of drill.
Haley Hall (15:00):
Both of these videos are valuable resources to help
ensure you're fully preparedwhen it comes to spill response
and drills.
The more we know, the better wecan respond in a way that
minimizes environmental impactand maximizes safety.
Shannon Oelkers (15:07):
Yep fully agree .
Haley Hall (15:08):
It's just really great to know that there are
free, high quality resourceslike this available.
These courses can help ensurethat everyone is on the same
page when it comes to time torespond to an emergency.
Shannon Oelkers (15:17):
Yeah, definitely, being prepared for
spills is critical, and theseresources will give you the
tools and knowledge to respondeffectively and efficiently,
hopefully minimizingenvironmental impacts and
reducing your risk of spillsright now.
Haley Hall (15:31):
Well, that wraps up today's episode of Tank Talk.
We hope you found these freeresources helpful as you work to
manage your bulk fuel storagefacility safely and efficiently.
Shannon Oelkers (15:40):
Yeah, thank you everyone for listening! And be
sure to check out the linkswe've mentioned in today's
episode.
Also don't forget to subscribeto Tank Talk on Apple Podcasts,
spotify or wherever you get yourpodcasts.
Until next time, stay safe andkeep your tanks in tip-top shape
.
Haley Hall (15:56):
See you next time!
Shannon Oelkers (15:57):
Hi there, this is Shannon Oelkers and, as the
owner of Integrity Environmental, I wanted to take a minute here
at the end of the podcast tomake sure that you knew the
following this podcast is forinformational purposes only and
should not be considered legalor regulatory advice.
We are not responsible for anylosses, damages or liabilities
that may arise from the use ofthis podcast.
(16:18):
This podcast is not intended toreplace professional regulatory
or legal advice, and the viewsexpressed in this podcast may
not be those of the host thatwould be me or Integrity
Environmental.
Thank you very much forlistening, and if you do need
professional regulatory advice,we'd be happy to help you as
part of our consulting services.
Thank you for joining us.
You're listening to Tank Talkwith Integrity Environmental,
where we speak with founder,principal consultant and bulk
fuel storage expert ShannonOelkers, about regulations,
safety and useful tips forsmooth sailing through the bulk
fuel storage industry.
Come learn the unique joys ofworking life in Alaska with
industry experts, including ourteam, vendors we work with and
companies we support.
Shannon Oelkers (00:34):
Welcome back to Tank Talk Season 2, the podcast
where we explore everything youneed to know about bulk fuel
storage, from best practices tothe latest in technology and
everything in between.
Today, I am your host.
This is Shannon, and Haley, ourproducer, is joining us.
Haley Hall (00:51):
Thanks, Shannon.
I'm so excited to be here today.
Today we've got a reallyexciting topic for you.
We're diving into freeresources for bulk fuel storage
managers.
If you're managing a facility,we know it's not an easy job,
and staying on top ofregulations, safety measures and
maintenance can feeloverwhelming.
But here's the good news (01:07):
there are tons of tools out there
that can make your job easier,and they won't cost you a thing.
Shannon Oelkers (01:13):
Exactly, Managing a bulk fuel storage
facility Haley is balancing alot of responsibilities.
You know there's regulatorycompliance, there's safety,
there's the environmental impactif you get something wrong, but
you don't have to go it alone.
Integrity has gatheredresources from all over, and
today we're going to walkthrough some of the best of
those resources that are freeand available to help you stay
(01:36):
organized, compliant andefficient.
Haley Hall (01:40):
Shannon, you started this free podcast with a big
goal in mind - would you say?
It's about filling thosecritical knowledge gaps for
people working in this industry.
Shannon Oelkers (01:48):
Yeah, absolutely.
That's really the core of why Ilaunched this podcast.
Every episode we share isfocused on insights and
practical advice to help youlower the risk of spills and to
promote best practices in ourindustry, and we pull a lot of
what we talk about from whatwe're seeing in the field in
real time.
We're trying to make sure ourlisteners can manage their tank
(02:10):
farms more effectively.
Haley Hall (02:12):
And it sounds like it's not just for the folks who
are able to access your paidservices - right?
Shannon Oelkers (02:16):
Exactly.
Not everyone can bring on ourteam or access a consultant, and
so I wanted to ensure that theresources we provide here stay
accessible to everyone who needsthem, and, whether they're
turning in for the latest onspill prevention or tips on
improving tank farm management,we're giving them tools that
make a real difference.
Haley Hall (02:34):
I love that.
It's like an open invitationfor all tank farm managers and
teams to level up their game,regardless of their budget.
Shannon Oelkers (02:40):
That's the goal .
That's the goal, Haley.
All right, so let's dive intotoday's tank talk.
Haley Hall (02:45):
Let's get right into it.
First up, shannon.
We all know compliance is a bigdeal in fuel storage, so let's
talk about some free resourcesthat can help fuel storage
managers maintain and operatetheir fuel infrastructure.
Shannon Oelkers (02:57):
Yeah Haley.
One of the biggest challengesin fuel storage is staying on
top of regular tank maintenancea great free resource.
It was developed about 20 yearsago, I believe, by the Alaska
Energy Authority.
They offer a fantastic YouTubechannel with a playlist that has
(03:17):
24 instructional videos, andthese videos cover everything
from changing gaskets toperforming water draws, changing
filters.
They cover sort of all theessential parts of keeping your
tanks in top shape.
These are completely free.
They were, I think, paid for aspart of a federal grant or
program.
We'll include a link to thisplaylist.
If you for some reason can'tfind that link, though.
(03:37):
It's the Alaska EnergyAuthority YouTube channel, and
then you'd want to click throughto the tank farm playlist, and
then there's a bonus for ourpower plant operators out there
listening.
There is also a power plantvideo playlist with another 20
or 30 videos that are related tothe operation and maintenance
of power plant infrastructure,which often includes fuel
resources, but has other thingsas well.
Haley Hall (03:59):
That's such a helpful resource.
It's so nice to have a visualguide to walk through the steps.
Plus, when you're dealing withmultiple tanks and pieces of
equipment, sometimes it's hardto remember the exact procedure.
Having a step-by-step video canreally be a game changer.
Shannon Oelkers (04:13):
It is, and you know the best part is, the
outfits from 2004 are likevintage.
They're coming back into stylenow, so you get a peek into what
it was like in the late 90s -so wonderful.
Haley Hall (04:25):
Shannon, I have to admit sometimes I struggle to
know what everything is calledon a tank.
There's just so much going on.
Shannon Oelkers (04:31):
You're not alone, Haley.
It's a challenge to keep trackof all the parts and things that
could be on a tank, especiallyif you're newer to bulk fuels.
We joke that tanks are a verysimple machine, but they could
have thousands of differentkinds of appurtenances, which
are things that are attached tothe tank.
The tank itself is typicallypretty simple it's a cylinder
(04:51):
but, like I said, thousands ofthings can be attached to it.
So one free resource that wehave found very helpful is the
Morrison Brothers Company, whichcreates liquid level gauges and
overfill prevention valves.
They provide this really coolfree resource that includes
detailed tank anatomy diagrams,and these diagrams show you
(05:12):
exactly what every single partof the tank is called and where
it fits into an overall system,and we use it internally at
Integrity as part of ourtraining for all of our staff.
But I think it's a greatresource for anybody who's new
to fuels.
Has some new employees that arenew to fuels.
It could be training.
It can also be reference.
Haley Hall (05:32):
That's awesome.
So, whether you're looking totrain new employees or just need
a quick reference guide, thesediagrams can save a lot of time
and frustration.
Shannon Oelkers (05:39):
Yeah, and they're one page printables.
You can literally tack them upon the wall.
What I like is they have acouple different tank types.
They include single walls anddouble walls.
They talk about remote fillsystems and inline fill systems.
So no matter what kind of tankfarm you're managing, you can
kind of find the parts andunderstand how everything works
together just from these coupleof diagrams that the Morrison
(06:00):
Brothers Group provides.
Haley Hall (06:02):
Amazing.
So now that we can figure outwhat everything is called, how
do you accurately tell how muchfuel is inside
the tank?
That's a crucial piece of thispuzzle, right?
Shannon Oelkers (06:11):
It is! And one thing that we find over and over
again in rural Alaska is thatif a tank is older, the original
strapping chart has been lostover time.
Somebody put it in a filingcabinet.
That filing cabinet gotarchived, or the person who had
it left and the strapping chartwas on their computer or in
their email.
So, understanding liquid levelsin a tank and having an
(06:32):
accurate strapping chart forhorizontal tanks and this does
not apply to vertical so ifyou're listening to this and you
have a larger tank farm, Putyour fingers in your ears.
This doesn't apply to you withAPI tanks, but for STI tanks the
horizontals you do needaccurate tank volume data and
there are free online resourcesthat can help you with this too.
There's companies like Ace Tankand Greer Tank, the two biggest
(06:55):
tank manufacturers.
They diameter, put in length,and it'll tell you within an
eighth of an inch, essentiallyhow much volume you have, based
on your liquid leveldetermination.
Haley Hall (07:12):
Wow.
So all you need to do isendpoint the type of tank you're
working with and it calculatesthe liquid level for you.
Shannon Oelkers (07:18):
Yep, At every single eighth of an inch across
your entire.
Most tanks top out at 12 footin diameter, but yes, it'll tell
you all the way up and you canactually have it put in a 10%
high level mark as well.
But just as a heads up, I wantto make sure, if you're going
online and using these ACE tankor Greer tank calculators, just
make sure you're choosing theright calculator for your tank
(07:41):
type.
Double wall tanks will havedifferent measurements because
you know the secondary tank islonger than the primary tank.
So you do need to make sure youunderstand that you have a
double or single wall tank or arectangular oval tank and what
that means, and then make sureyou've got the correct one
selected before you input yourdiameter and your length.
Haley Hall (08:02):
That makes sense.
All tanks have ongoinginspection requirements too, and
keeping up with thoseinspections is crucial.
So are there any free resourcesto help a terminal manager
perform better tank inspectionsor help them train their staff?
Shannon Oelkers (08:14):
Oh, you know it , Haley! My favorite, the Steel
Tank Institute.
I think I've referenced them onevery single podcast we've done
.
STI offers free inspectionchecklists that you can download
.
They are for monthly and annualinspections.
They're a great overall reviewof the things you need to be
paying attention to on a tank.
This is a fantastic tool toensure that you're staying
(08:37):
compliant.
It meets the requirements ofyour SPCC plan typically.
It also gives you a heads up.
It allows you to catch issuesbefore they become major
problems.
The STI website also providesaccess to free webinars,
including one that focuses onhow to keep water out of your
storage system, which issomething that every fuel
storage manager should be awareof.
Haley Hall (08:57):
Yeah, keeping water out of the tanks is such a
critical piece of the puzzle.
Water can cause corrosion,contamination and even fuel
quality issues.
It's really great to know thatSDI has resources that
specifically address this.
Shannon Oelkers (09:08):
Yeah, it's really great.
And don't forget, they haveother free resources for
training your team, so you'renot just checking boxes.
They also have some low-costwebinars that might be useful to
your team as well, including amore in-depth anatomy of a tank
and going over all the things ona tank and what they are and
what they do.
But those cost and this is afree podcast, so I just wanted
(09:30):
to put that out there, thoughthat for a small amount of money
, they have additional resourcesavailable to you.
Haley Hall (09:37):
Awesome.
Well, what about spill responsepreparation?
There has to be a free resourcefor this, too, right?
I mean, we never want to thinkabout spills, but being prepared
is essential.
Shannon Oelkers (09:46):
You bet! There are several free resources that
can help with spill responsetraining.
Our firm likes to recommendstarting with the Alaska
Department of EnvironmentalConservation's STAR manual page.
We'll include that link.
Star stands for Spill Tacticsand Response Manual.
It's a detailed resource forspill response exercises.
It covers everything from oilrecovery to exclusion booming
and it's a must resource forspill response exercises.
It covers everything from oilrecovery to exclusion booming
(10:07):
and it's a must-have for anyfacility that handles fuel in
bulk.
On that same STAR manual pagethere are three videos and I
think everybody who isresponsible for responding to a
fuel spill on water should watchthem.
The first video is sort oftalking about the safety
protocols you need to followwhen laying out boom.
(10:29):
The second one is how to setboom and response equipment up
in the water, includinganchoring boom, correctly.
And then the last video talksabout some of the tactics and
strategy you would usespecifically related to booming.
These are great videos.
They show people like actuallyputting boom, actually placing
anchors, and in one of thevideos I'm in it you can see the
(10:50):
back of my head.
True story!
Haley Hall (10:55):
That's a great resource, but what about
training for the people actuallyinvolved in the response?
Shannon Oelkers (11:01):
That's a good point, Haley, in that you know,
in any spill response there'stwo different kinds of spill
responders.
There's people who arephysically out in the field and
they're literally respondingthey're putting boom out,
they're soaking up fuel, they'redoing all these things and then
there's people that aremanaging the spill response and
that management can be just ascomplex and sometimes even
(11:21):
harder than boots on the groundbecause you're juggling so many
things.
So let's say you're the tankfarm manager and you're going to
be the on-scene coordinator forthe first few hours of a spill.
The Federal EmergencyManagement Agency, well known as
FEMA, offers two really greatonline courses for free.
The first one is the IS-100C orICS-100, depending on how you
(11:45):
want to slice it which is anintroduction to the incident
command system.
I think everybody who is goingto respond to a spill should
watch this.
It's like an hour in length andit talks about the language of
incident command.
It talks about tactics, ittalks about situation reports
and it's a shared language, andwhen you get to a spill it
(12:05):
really helps to understand whatother people are talking about.
The second video that FEMAoffers for free is ICS 200,
which is basic incident commandfor initial response, and if
you're at the tank farm managerlevel, you should be watching
this video annually as arefresher.
It's a little longer I thinkit's closer to two hours but it
dives into how incident commandsystems apply in an actual spill
(12:27):
scenario.
And, same thing, it's remindingyou of what things are called,
the order that things happen in,and for a lot of people in the
bulk fuel industry thatemergency management language is
a little unfamiliar.
They're not firemen full timeand so they don't have that
language in their toolbox, andso these two videos can really
help a new employee understandwhat all the things are.
(12:48):
They can also help anexperienced employee refresh
every year, and they're freeright, so use them.
Haley Hall (12:55):
Amazing!
Shannon Oelkers (12:56):
So Haley- on top of those FEMA resources, I
wanted to talk just a little bitabout two other videos for
anyone responsible for oil spillresponse and spill drills at a
larger level.
If you're in charge ofcoordinating a regional spill
drill or you have a significantsize facility, the US Department
of Transportation and thePipeline and Hazardous Materials
(13:17):
Safety Administration, the DOTand PHMSA have put together two
excellent training videos toguide us, and they're free.
Haley Hall (13:25):
That's right.
The first video is titledOverview of Oil Spill Exercise
and Response.
This video provides a greatlook at how different agencies
come together during an oilspill.
It goes into detail on thevarious types of drills and the
objectives of the NationalPreparedness for Response
Exercise Program, or the NPREP,and you can check out the full
video in our notes as well.
Shannon Oelkers (13:46):
Yeah, and that's the one I think most
terminal managers should watchat least once.
It's a really good overview ofall the different federal
agencies.
And the alphabet soup Again.
If you need to learn why NOAAmight show up to your spill
response, this video can helpyou understand that.
The Anatomy of an Oil SpillResponse Exercise and this one
(14:09):
it's a little longer.
I think the first one is maybe15 minutes and this one's 25.
It breaks down the roles andplanning processes involved in
complex, large-scale drills.
So if you're leading or workingin a team to lead or
participating in these exercises, I think it's a good review or
introduction to understand howdifferent components and
(14:29):
coordination of all theseefforts come together.
Is this a video that I thinkeveryone at your facility should
watch?
No, probably not.
It's probably best for tankfarm managers.
But this is free resources fortank farm managers and if you've
got responsibilities for alarger scale spill drill, I
think you should take advantageof this free resource.
It's not overly long and it's areally good way to tame that
(14:52):
alphabet soup feeling at thebeginning of any kind of drill.
Haley Hall (15:00):
Both of these videos are valuable resources to help
ensure you're fully preparedwhen it comes to spill response
and drills.
The more we know, the better wecan respond in a way that
minimizes environmental impactand maximizes safety.
Shannon Oelkers (15:07):
Yep fully agree .
Haley Hall (15:08):
It's just really great to know that there are
free, high quality resourceslike this available.
These courses can help ensurethat everyone is on the same
page when it comes to time torespond to an emergency.
Shannon Oelkers (15:17):
Yeah, definitely, being prepared for
spills is critical, and theseresources will give you the
tools and knowledge to respondeffectively and efficiently,
hopefully minimizingenvironmental impacts and
reducing your risk of spillsright now.
Haley Hall (15:31):
Well, that wraps up today's episode of Tank Talk.
We hope you found these freeresources helpful as you work to
manage your bulk fuel storagefacility safely and efficiently.
Shannon Oelkers (15:40):
Yeah, thank you everyone for listening! And be
sure to check out the linkswe've mentioned in today's
episode.
Also don't forget to subscribeto Tank Talk on Apple Podcasts,
spotify or wherever you get yourpodcasts.
Until next time, stay safe andkeep your tanks in tip-top shape
.
Haley Hall (15:56):
See you next time!
Shannon Oelkers (15:57):
Hi there, this is Shannon Oelkers and, as the
owner of Integrity Environmental, I wanted to take a minute here
at the end of the podcast tomake sure that you knew the
following this podcast is forinformational purposes only and
should not be considered legalor regulatory advice.
We are not responsible for anylosses, damages or liabilities
that may arise from the use ofthis podcast.
(16:18):
This podcast is not intended toreplace professional regulatory
or legal advice, and the viewsexpressed in this podcast may
not be those of the host thatwould be me or Integrity
Environmental.
Thank you very much forlistening, and if you do need
professional regulatory advice,we'd be happy to help you as
part of our consulting services.
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