RENKES ON TWITTER
Maybe, just maybe, you can teach an old dog a new trick. Follow me (Bob
Renkes) on Twitter at
@BobRenkesPEI and see. I'm learning as I go
along, but I always have something to say and this appears to be a medium
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a minute, let me know what kind of information you want receive through
tweets.
MISSOURI PROPOSES CHANGES TO UST RULES
According to the Missouri Petroleum Storage Tank Insurance Fund (PSTIF),
proposed changes to the
rules governing the operation of underground storage tanks (USTs)
were published in the May 16, 2011, issue of the Missouri Register.
A public hearing will be held in Jefferson City on June 16 for
anyone who wishes to provide oral comments directly to the Hazardous
Management Commission. After the public comment period, the Commission is
expected to decide what the final rules will contain at its meeting on
August 15. The earliest the rule changes could go into effect is December
30, 2011. PSTIF suggests the most important proposed changes are:
- Tanks no longer will be "temporarily closed." A UST will either be "in
use," meaning it still contains product, or it will be "out of use,"
meaning it's empty.
- The owner of any tank that still contains product will have to
maintain "financial responsibility" for cleaning up leaks (i.e., insurance
with the PSTIF or another mechanism).
- An owner/operator who empties a UST will have to do a site assessment
within 12 months or remove the tank; two years would be allowed in certain
cases.
- An empty UST system (tank and piping) will have to be removed after
five years.
- High-volume facilities will have to comply with more stringent leak
detection requirements.
- New UST systems will be required to have under-dispenser containment
and tank-top containment.
- Specific requirements will be imposed on equipment companies who
install new USTs, and the Department of Natural Resources will provide
more oversight during installation.
- More stringent requirements will apply to cathodically protected UST
systems.
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING
"I personally think natural gas is a logical fuel to start blending into
the supply mix. America has abundant supplies of natural gas. Cars can be
converted to natural gas relatively easily. It's cleaner burning and better
for the environment."―Jay Ricker, chairman of
Anderson, Indiana-based Ricker Oil and former chairman of NACS, in the May
2, 2011, issue of Convenience Store News.
"The national roll out of Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) pumps at
truck stops across North America is picking up speed in 2011. At the end of
April over 125 locations had DEF pumps installed, and Texas led this
development with 15 locations now offering bulk DEF across the state."―May
2011 discoverDEF.com Newsletter.
"The ethanol industry has an ally in Agriculture Secretary Tom
Vilsack, who has argued for shifting ethanol subsidies into installation of
pumps and other infrastructure."―CoshoctonTribune.com,
May 10, 2011.
HYDROGEN REFUELING
Toyota and Shell have teamed up to open the first public hydrogen
fueling station in North America. The Shell station is located in Torrance,
California, across the street from Toyota's west coast offices. Air
Products provided the onsite equipment, performs station maintenance, and supplies
hydrogen through a pipeline from plants in Wilmington and Carson,
California.
Proton OnSite has been awarded a $1.7 million contract from the U.S.
Army's Tank-Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center to
provide hydrogen refueling infrastructure in Hawaii, and to increase the
efficiency and output potential of future commercial hydrogen stations.
EPA SEEKS $233,000 IN PENALTIES FOR UST
VIOLATIONS IN NEW YORK
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a complaint to
the owners and operators of several upstate New York gasoline stations for
violating federal regulations governing 17 underground storage tanks (USTs).
The complaint, which seeks $233,000 in penalties, was issued to one
individual and three companies that owned or operated gasoline stations in
the towns of Mountain Lion, Plattsburg, Peru, Redford and Dannamora. The
complaint alleged that the various owners and/or operators failed to:
- Test the cathodic protection systems in three
USTs;
- Perform automatic line leak detector tests in
sixteen USTs;
- Provide adequate overfill prevention equipment in
three USTs;
- Conduct an annual leak test―or monthly
monitoring―of five pressurized underground lines;
- Properly cap off and permanently close one UST;
- Report, investigate and confirm a suspected
release at one facility; and
- Keep adequate records of release detection
monitoring.
For more information on the proper inspection and
maintenance of underground storage tank systems, see
www.pei.org/rp900.
NASA CONSIDERING REFUELING STATIONS IN SPACE
NASA has put out the call for a $200-million mission to show how to
store and transfer rocket propellants in zero gravity refueling stations.
The "In-Space Cryogenic Propellant Storage and Transfer Demonstration" will
have to store liquid hydrogen at minus 423 degrees F and shield the fuel
from outside heat sources. "We could create a small space economy in
propellants and refueling," suggested Chris Moore, deputy director of
advanced capabilities division for NASA.
IOWA LEGISLATURE PASSES RENEWABLE FUELS BILL
Comprehensive renewable fuels legislation that includes a 3-cent-per-gallon retailer tax credit for E15 sales was passed by the Iowa legislature
earlier this month. The bill now heads to Governor Terry Branstad, who is
expected to sign the bill into law. If the bill becomes law, it is
believed that Iowa will be the first state to offer an E15-specific
incentive for fuel retailers. The bill contains a number of other provisions,
including:
- Misfueling liability protection for retailers;
- A 16-cent-per-gallon tax incentive for E85;
- An extension of the biodiesel retailer tax credit for blends of B5 and
higher;
- $3 million in annual funding for Iowa's Renewable Fuel Infrastructure
Program which provides grants for installation of blender pumps, E85 pumps
and biodiesel dispensers at fuel stations across Iowa; and
- Codifying the ASTM fuel specification for biodiesel blends between 6
percent and 20 percent biodiesel.
DEATHS
William Souder (Bill) Hockman, chairman of Hockman-Lewis LLC, West
Orange, New Jersey, died April 29 at the age of 71. Bill's career at
Hockman-Lewis, which spanned 47 years, saw the company experience enormous
growth beginning in the 1970s and continuing into the 1990s. He was also a
director in the Resource Foundation, a charitable foundation that sets up
micro-lending operations in Latin America so that small entrepreneurs can
begin businesses that will lead to the end of the terrible cycle of poverty
that persists throughout the region.
MEMBERSHIP APPLICATIONS
Car wash equipment manufacturer. Sonny's Enterprises Inc., 5605 Hiatus
Road, Tamarac, Florida 33321, has applied for manufacturer division
membership. Paul Fazio is CEO of the firm, which was established in 1949.
Sonny's manufactures conveyorized car wash equipment, parts and supplies
which are sold through distributors. Sponsored for PEI membership by John W.
Moore, Banks&Co, Fresno, CA.
www.sonnysdirect.com
Additive and fuel control systems manufacturer. Economy Controls
Corp., 9801 Gravois Road, St. Louis, Missouri 63123, has applied for
manufacturer division membership. William Freeman is director of the
company, which was established in 1975. The company specializes in complete
systems and separate components to fill, dispense, measure, inject and
transfer liquids. The equipment is sold through PEI distributors. Sponsored
for PEI membership by Joyce Hale, IlliniOMEq, Pekin, IL.
www.economycontrols.com
Point-of-sale system provider. Altametrics AutoGas, 1381 Wald Road,
Suite D, New Braunfels, Texas 78130, has applied for manufacturer division
membership. Ted Sarosdy is director of sales for the company, which was
established in 1983. The company provides everything needed to run the POS,
including register functionality, managing the pumps and connecting to
credit card processors. The products are sold through distributors.
Sponsored for PEI membership by John Farrell, UntdPumpTX, Schertz, TX.
www.autogas.com
Wisconsin training firm. UST Training (Powered by Petroleum Training
Solutions), P. O. Box 80265, Saukville, Wisconsin 53080, has applied for
affiliate division membership. Ben Thomas is a partner in the firm, which
was established in 2003. The company provides underground storage tank
education via online training to UST operators, technicians and inspectors.
Sponsored for PEI membership by William J. Mascott, MascottEqp, Portland,
OR. www.usttraining.com
Vietnam import/export firm. Vinamco Import & Export Petroleum
Equipments JSC, 83, Street 22, Ward 11, Dist. 6, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam 70000,
has applied for affiliate division membership. Tran Thi Le Thuy is vice
manager for the firm, which was established in 2004. The company
specializes in trading dispenser equipment, petrochemical pumps and flow
meters in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. Sponsored for PEI membership by Steve
Murray, TotlConSys, Fort Wayne, IN.
www.vinamco-corp.com
Texas installation and repair company. Service Station Repair, P. O.
Box 7670, Waco, Texas 76714, has applied for service and construction
division membership. Darel Newsome is owner of the firm, which was
established in 1984. The company installs and services gasoline equipment.
Sponsored for PEI membership by Chris Monroe, Monroe, Arlington, TX.
Ontario construction company. Kenstruct Ltd., 24533 Park Road,
Pefferlaw, Ontario L0E 1N0, has applied for service and construction
division membership. Ken Jamieson is president of the firm, which was
established in 2010. The company builds convenience stores, car washes, bulk
plants, commercial fueling systems, private fuel outlets and large-scale
backup generator systems. Sponsored for PEI membership by Chris Vassos,
WalecoInc, Mississauga, ON.
www.kenstruct.ca
ADMITTED TO PEI
- Williams Lubrication Equipment, Nashville, TN (dis)
- Petroserv Inc., Fort Worth, TX (dis)
- Newberry Tanks, West Memphis, AR (mfr)
- Bridgeport Chemical LLC, Sikeston, MO (mfr)
- Gulfcoast Software Solutions, LLC, Clearwater, FL (aff)
- Arkansas Petroleum Solutions, LLC, Conway, AR (S&C)
- Beijing JSD Petroleum Equipment Technology Co., Ltd., Kowloon, Hong
Kong (S&C)
- Petroleum Site Works, Inc., College Park, MD (S&C)
- ATC Associates Inc., Conway, AR (S&C)
- Hayden Workman Electrical Inc., St. Michael, Barbados (S&C)
- TRS Petroleum Installation, Inc., Marion, NC (S&C)
- Dandy Jaya Sdn Bhd, Kuala Belait, Brunei Darussalam (S&C)
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