April 13, 2018 | Vol. 68, No. 7

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Dear PEI Member:

PEI has opened a 60-day comment period on the draft of a new recommended practice. The 32-page document, PEI/RP1700: Recommended Practices for the Closure of Underground Storage Tanks and Shop-Fabricated Aboveground Storage Tanks, is designed to promote safe and environmentally friendly practices and procedures for the decommissioning, removal, closure in place, storage, transportation and off-site disposal of USTs and ASTs that have contained petroleum products.

Individuals interested in commenting may download a copy of the draft and submit comments at www.pei.org/RP1700. To be considered by the PEI Tank Removal and Decommissioning Committee, comments must be submitted online by Friday, June 15. The committee will review comments this summer, with publication of the document in the fall.

As with all PEI recommended practices, input from members, regulators and other stakeholders ensures the most accurate document possible. If you are aware of others outside our normal distribution channels who might have helpful feedback, please share the link above and encourage them to comment.

Members of the PEI Tank Removal and Decommissioning Committee are: Alex Ralston, POE (chair), Petcon Inc.; Carl E. Bayliss II, B C & C LLC; Danny Brevard, Accent Environmental Services Inc.; Todd Darrough, QuikTrip Corp.; Ron Kingsbury, UST Services Corp.; Marshall D. Ryan, Unified Services of Texas Inc.; Steve Stookey, The Wills Group; Steve Thickstun, Advanced Fuel Systems Inc.; and Michael C. Williams, Crompco Inc. Tina Smith, JD2 Environmental Inc., serves as consultant to the committee.

STATE-BY-STATE UST REGULATION STATUS
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) posts on its website data on the states and territories that have amended their UST regulations to comply with the 2015 federal UST requirements. In addition to a list of all states that have updated their regulations, the site includes a table detailing the major compliance dates for each. The EPA Office of Underground Storage Tanks informed PEI this week that it expects to add several more states by the end of April, with the pace of updates accelerating as the October 2018 federal deadline approaches.

PEI Seeking Comment on Tank Closure RP

State-by-State UST Regulation Update

EPA Evaluating Isobutanol

PEI Purchasing & Inventory Conference

Respond to this Newsletter

by e-mail to the editor, Rick Long at rlong@pei.org

or join the discussion in the Petroleum Equipment Forum

EPA SEEKS COMMENTS ON ISOBUTANOL
The EPA filed a Request for Information March 29 seeking comments on the use of isobutanol as a gasoline additive in concentrations up to 16 percent by volume. The EPA currently allows only gasoline manufacturers with total annual sales of less than $50 million to use isobutanol as an additive. The Request for Information is a precursor to the EPA’s potential approval and registration of isobutanol for widespread use.

According to the EPA’s filing, current research suggests that blending isobutanol into gasoline will not negatively affect health, safety, the environment or the operation of gasoline-fueled vehicles and engines. If the comment period uncovers significant issues, the agency could impose additional conditions on the registration of isobutanol or on its introduction into the market.

PEI PURCHASING & INVENTORY MANAGERS CONFERENCE EARLY BIRD ENDS SOON
Sound purchasing practices and effective inventory management are essential for distributor and contractor profitability. That’s one reason PEI’s Purchasing & Inventory Managers Conference has proven to be so popular over the years.

The 2018 Purchasing & Inventory Management Conference will be June 7-9, at the Doubletree by Hilton Orlando at Seaworld in Orlando, Florida. Early bird registration through April 27 is $295 for PEI members ($545 for nonmembers). If you are responsible for either purchasing or inventory in your organization, this is an event you can’t miss.

Attendees will participate in a series of roundtable discussions on essential management topics, including: compensation plans; cores and warranty management; customer freight policies; cycle counts; inventory control with bar codes; and service management software.

Renowned distribution expert Jason Bader, president of The Distribution Team, also will present three general sessions:

Turning Buyers Into Investors
Finding the Balance: Inventory Turns and Customer Service
Gross Sales Are for Vanity; Profit Is for Sanity

To learn more, register and book your hotel room, click here.

PEI thanks the following sponsors for their support of this event: Cim-Tek Filtration; Davisware Inc.; ESCO Services Inc.; Freedom Electronics Inc.; Husky Corp.; Morrison Bros. Co.; Performance Ink Inc.; PMP Corp.; RDM Industrial Electronics; and Universal Valve Co.

LOUISIANA VAPOR RECOVERY BILL DIES IN COMMITTEE
The Natural Resources and Environment Committee of the Louisiana House of Representatives declined April 4 to move forward a bill that would have required the use of Stage II vapor recovery systems at the state’s vehicle fueling stations. The bill also would have created related testing, training, labeling and recordkeeping requirements.

Under the House’s rules, the bill can be brought back for reconsideration during the current legislative session only if two-thirds of the committee’s members vote to do so.

CSA GROUP PUBLISHES THREE CNG STANDARDS
CSA Group has published two new standards on CNG vehicle fueling and updated another. The new CSA NGV 4.3: Guideline for Temperature Compensation for Compressed Natural Gas Vehicle (CNG) Fueling addresses fueling at extreme temperatures to prevent CNG dispensing systems in the field from exceeding a safe fill level of vehicle fuel storage containers. The updated CSA/ANSI NGV 4.1: Compressed Natural Gas Vehicle (NGV) Dispensing Systems includes new CNG fueling technology. CSA/ANSI NGV 5.2: Vehicle Fueling Appliances (VFA) provides requirements for fueling technologies that incorporate compression and dispensing into a self-contained appliance intended for use in private commercial settings, such as fleet operations.

C-STORE ACTIVITY
“U.S. convenience stores experienced a 15th straight year of record in-store sales and a 4th straight year of $10 billion-plus in pretax profits, according to newly released NACS State of the Industry data. … The sales increase at convenience stores in 2017 was largely because of higher gas prices in 2017 (up 12.8% to $2.38) and a 1.9% increase in gallons sold. Meanwhile, fuel gross margins in 2017 increased to 22.0 cents per gallon.”—NACS News Flash, April 11, 2018
“Oil company Shell is planning a nearly 25% expansion of its already massive global convenience-store network to get a jump on the approach of peak oil demand. … These strategies include [t]he addition of 10,000 new locations, with 5,000 in the high-growth markets of China, India, Indonesia, Russia and Mexico… .”—CSP Daily News, March 28, 2018
“A new company, Cal’s Convenience Inc., has acquired the 207 Stripes convenience stores in West Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma that were not part of the $3.1 billion deal between Sunoco LP and 7-Eleven Inc. .... The company has entered into a commission-agent agreement with Sunoco ‘to own and operate the business’ of the stores, effective April 1, Jack Whitney, president and CEO of Cal’s Convenience, Frisco, Texas, told the newspaper.”—CSP Daily News, April 9, 2018

PEI MEMBER NEWS
Petroleum Solutions Inc. (PSI), a distributor member based in Edinburg, Texas, has promoted Bob Bissen to commercial sales manager. Bissen has more than 16 years of experience in the retail and commercial fueling industry.

Steel Tank Institute/Steel Plate Fabricators Association (STI/SPFA) announced three new hires as a result of staff retirements. Controller David Reed has more than 20 years of experience in accounting and finance. He replaces Kevin Kroll, who retired last spring. Communications Manager Katie Bruce brings 10 years of association communication experience to her new role. She replaces Noel Zak, who retired last month. Steve Pollock is the new manager of technical services. For the past 20 years, Pollock served as senior petroleum facility inspector for the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. He was hired in anticipation of the June retirement of Lorri Grainawi, STI/SPFA’s director of technical services.

Triangle Microsystems is celebrating its 40th anniversary this month. The Raleigh, North Carolina-based company, which began as an engineering consulting business, is today a manufacturer of fuel control solutions for pumps and dispensers in commercial and retail settings.

DEATHS
Terry L. Sells, former vice president and partner of Double Check Co., died March 23. Sells retired from Double Check in 2002 after 36 years with the company. He is survived by his wife Thelma, three daughters, nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATIONS
New York distributor. Integrated Petroleum Equipment Co., 40 Newtown Plaza, Plainview, NY 11803, has applied for distributor division membership. William Rodriguez is the president of the company, which was established in 2012. The firm is a full-line distributor of OEM and non-OEM service station equipment. Sponsored for PEI membership by Jeffrey Greamo, Global Light Company Cambridge, Massachusetts.
www.ipecco.com

Michigan contracting company. Hunter Pump Islands, 110 N. Industrial Hwy., Alpena, MI 49707 has applied for service & construction division membership. Amanda Hunter Zaborney performs sales and marketing for the firm, which was established in 1985. Hunter Pump Islands is an installation and service contractor. Sponsored for PEI membership by Chris Long, Walsh, Long & Co. Inc., Naperville, Illinois.
www.hunterpumpislands.com

Mauritius distributor. Petro Services Ltd., Fort Georges Road, Port Louis, 11615, Mauritius, has applied for distributor division membership. Janet Eustasie is operations manager for the firm, which was established in 1987. Petro Services Ltd. is a distributor of petroleum equipment and also provides maintenance, installation and repair services. Sponsored for PEI membership by Frank De Poli, Elaflex Latin America, San Isidro, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Panama distributor. Petrocsa, Calle El Molino Atalaya, Veraguas, Panama, has applied for distributor division membership. Jesus Ildemarco Cogley Quintero is legal representative for the firm, which was established in 2011. The company is a petroleum equipment distributor that represents U.S., Canadian and European manufacturers. The company also is a service provider and general contractor. Sponsored for PEI membership by David Fiala, FMG-LLC/SFICO, Maitland, Florida.

New York construction company. Environmental and Fueling Systems LLC, 20 Gurley Ave., Troy, NY 12182, has applied for service and construction division membership. Richard Hennessey is sales manager for the firm, which was established in 2000. Environmental and Fueling Systems sells and services the equipment of numerous manufacturers. It also sells aviation fueling system packages, and designs and constructs fueling, lubrication and air systems. Sponsored for PEI membership by Jim Ether, R. M. Dalrymple Co. Inc., Saratoga Springs, New York.
www.efspumpandtank.com

Indiana distributor. K & W Equipment Co. LLC, 1537 South 275 West, Rushville, IN 46173, has applied for distributor division membership. Bob Peterson is partner in the firm, which was established in 2016. K & W Equipment Co. is a distributor of petroleum equipment. Sponsored for PEI membership by Rod Smith, Freedom Electronics Inc., Kennesaw, Georgia.
www.kwfuelingsystems.com

California service company. Petrotech Service, 31080 Park Blvd., Nuevo, CA 92567, has applied for service and construction division membership. Philip Smith is owner of the firm, which was established in 2014. Petrotech Service performs compliance testing, installation, service and repair of UST and AST equipment. Sponsored for PEI membership by John Miller, Orange Coast Petroleum Equipment, Orange, California.

Texas service company. Texoma Corrosion Services Inc., 111 Joni Lane, Kilgore, TX 75662, has applied for service and construction division membership. Bill Thompson is owner of the company, which was established in 1997. The firm performs tank and line testing, certifications, isolation and cathodic protection. Sponsored for PEI membership by Danny Brevard, Accent Environmental Services Inc., Lufkin, Texas.
www.texomacorrosion.com

Texas construction company. Petroleum Network Solutions, 4401 Little Road, Suite 550-324, Arlington, TX 76016, has applied for service and construction division membership. Thomas E. Lyons is managing partner for the firm, which was established in 2007. Petroleum Network Solutions services and repairs petroleum equipment, with a focus on pumps. Sponsored for PEI membership by Chris Monroe, Monroe & Monroe Insurance, Arlington, Texas.

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The TulsaLetter (ISSN 0193-9467) is published two or three times each month by the Petroleum Equipment Institute. Richard C. Long, Editor. Opinions expressed are the opinions of the Editor. Basic circulation confined to PEI members.