Fuel Storage and Maintenance Facility

**Park Headquarters, Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz Island**

**Inspection and Recommendations**

6-2-2000 Met with Cristobal we walked over to the maintenance yard where
he wanted to show me his fuel storage area and to look at the mechanical
facilities. The fuel storage and oil facilities are in two bodegas,
which have been in use for many years and have had leakage and spillage
over the course of time, which has caused soil contamination in the
area. The tanks for diesel are of welded flat plate construction and
consist of one 4,000 and two 1,000 tanks; the gasoline tank is 300
gallons. They are above ground and tilted to allow for water
accumulation and are gravity fed for jug transfer for vehicles and
boats. There are no filters in place and a complaint from Cristobal is
of bad fuel. There is also poor ventilation in one bodega and the
petroleum fumes are thick. The bodegas are also in use for oil storage
and for storage of other materials. There are no warning signs posted
regarding no smoking or of flammable storage.

Generator Room. The generator is in a good open room, which could stand
some cleaning due to sawdust contamination from the carpenter's shop.
The generator is fed from a 1,000-gallon tank, which is almost empty.
Due to the present 24-hour electrical service from town the generator is
now only in service around 40 hours per month and serves as a backup for
when electrical service is disrupted. A small day tank to reduce
potential for a large fuel spill and to provide for better fuel with
less water should feed the generator.

The mechanical repair facility is cluttered and has a major vehicle
overhaul going on which blocks access and service potential for other
vehicles. The adjacent bodega has an elevated ramp, which is mostly
unusable due to a low ceiling and is instead used primarily for storage.
Electrical circuits in the facility are exposed in many cases and
unprotected from damage. There is a drum designated for used motor oil
for recycling, which should have containment.

Recommendations-

Short Term

1.  Install warning signs on the fuel storage bodegas regarding "No
    Smoking" and "Danger Flammable Storage".

2.  Install the Racor type fuel filter on the main diesel fuel tank with
    a mechanical or manual pump feed.

3.  Install the Racor type fuel filter on the main gasoline fuel tank
    with a mechanical or manual pump feed. Note- On Monday morning
    Cristobal was already working on this project.

4.  Place the waste/recycle oil drum in some form of containment, to
    prevent a new contamination area, or place the drum near the fuel
    bodega where the soil is already contaminated.

5.  Perform house keeping in general throughout the compound and control
    the spread of new sawdust by having the carpenters clean after
    project work and practice sawdust control.

6.  Improve ventilation in the gasoline storage area, perhaps just
    cleaning the vent above the doors will be sufficient for now as that
    might improve cross ventilation.

7.  Install a day tank for the generator with a fuel filter. A 25-30
    gallon tank would provide for over 12 hours of run time with a
    reserve. A side benefit of a smaller tank, which could be kept full,
    would be a minimal space for air transfer, which will reduce
    condensation accumulation. This will allow for the removal of the
    present generator tank that is located in the area proposed for the
    new fuel facility.

Long Term

1\. Construct a new fuel storage facility, which will provide for
containment of spillage and a combined site for diesel, gasoline, oil
and waste oils. Provide access from the rear of the compound for truck
delivery. Roof the structure to prevent excessive temperature change in
the tanks and rain water intrusion on the drums and in the containment
area while also allowing for good ventilation. Provide new fuel storage
tanks Aluminum or coated steel. The decision on material will be based
on cost. Aluminum has a greater life with minimal maintenance costs.
Steel, even painted properly will require eventual exterior painting and
has the potential if the interior coating is broached of introducing
rust into the fuel. A properly coated steel tank, with maintenance will
last for over 20 years. Provide for filtered, pumped fuel into the
maintenance yard with meter. Requested are two 1,000-gallon diesel
tanks, two 1,000-gallon gasoline tanks and room for 24 oil drums.

An area along side the generator room is available, 7.6m x 7.1m (54 sq.
m) Road access from the recreation area for fuel delivery is convenient
with little improvement and side access from the gate near the generator
is available.

Construction of a new fuel storage facility would provide many benefits.
Environmental contamination would no longer endanger the nearby marine
area, storage rooms currently used for petroleum storage would open up
for other use, and the safety/fire hazard would be reduced. New fuel
tanks will provide cleaner, less contaminated fuel for equipment, which
will reduce service cycles and improve reliability.

Basic plans for fuel tank design and specifications and construction
notes for the fuel storage facility are attached to this report.

Once the new fuel facility is constructed and the old fuel tanks have
been removed from the bodegas the area should be cleaned of fuel
contamination. If possible remove up to 12 inches (or more) of the
existing contaminated soils. Install a perforated 2-inch pipe below
grade, with an exposed air intake in the shade and a black painted, sun
exposed riser to above roof level. This will allow for natural
convection and exposure of the underground soils to oxygen, which will
facilitate decontamination of the soils. Fill the excavated areas with
clean dirt/ local material. The removed contaminated soils should be
spread evenly in the compound area, or on the adjacent dirt roads. This
will expose the soils to oxygen and sun and allow for natural biological
cleaning of the soils. This action should be done during the dry season
to prevent any leaching by rains.

2\. Provide for an improved mechanical repair facility by improving the
existing service area and upgrading facilities. This will allow for more
efficient repair and service of park equipment, a safer working area for
employees, and improved environmental operations.

Overall reorganization of the maintenance compound by separating bodegas
into function areas (carpentry, plumbing, storage/warehouse, and marine
operations for example) will reduce clutter in the compound center and
provide for a more efficient operation. These actions should occur prior
to the construction of the fuel facility, which will take some time, but
should allow for the planned reutilization of the fuel bodegas once they
become avaliable for other uses. Included in this will be the removal of
storage items from the ramp bay, which will allow it to better utilized
for vehicle service.

The ramp bay should have the roof reconstructed with an increased
elevation of perhaps one meter which will allow for vehicles such as the
cargo truck to be serviced.

A 3-meter wide, 6-inch thick reinforced concrete apron should be poured
in front of the mechanical areas and 4-inch thick in the ramp bay. This
apron will provide for better environmental operations by allowing for
cleanup of spilled oils and improve mechanical service by reducing dirt
contamination of parts and ease of using jacks and other service tools.

Evaluate the electrical requirements of the facility, and if required
consider rewiring with protected circuits with the capacity to handle
required loads. Having circuits protected in steel conduit in mechanical
work areas is important due to the increased likelihood of damage to the
wires and of electrical shock hazards to employees.

Kent Bullard

Maintenance Supervisor

Channel Islands National Park

<kent_bullard@nps.gov>

**FUEL TANK SPECIFICATIONS**

Construct 4 fuel tanks of 1,000-gallon nominal capacity. The tanks will
be of similar design, two for diesel and two for gasoline storage and
distribution.

The tanks will cylindrical in shape 1.5 meters in diameter and 2.75
meters long. They are to be installed horizontally on two .3 meter wide
support saddles, equal distance from the front and rear ends.

The tanks will be constructed from ¼ inch Aluminum or rolled steel from
all new materials. The tank manufacturer may recommend thicker material
due to structural requirements in mounting.

The tanks will be of welded construction, and will be provided with the
following openings-

On the front bottom, centered 10 cm from the front edge, a ½ inch NPT
bung for water drain installation.

On the front of the tank, centered 10 cm from the bottom, a 1 inch NPT
bung for fuel discharge installation.

On the top of the tank, centered 10 cm from the front edge, a 2 inch NPT
bung for fuel measurement opening installation.

Centered on the top of the tank, a .25 meter in diameter inspection port
opening with bolted flange rising 10 cm from the tank with a gasketed
cover plate. The flange and cover will be drilled for and provided with
12 each 3/8 inch or metric equal bolts and nuts.

On the top of the tank, to the rear of the inspection opening, centered
to the rear edge, a 2 inch NPT bung for installation of a tank vent.

On the top of the tank, centered 10 cm from the rear edge, a 2 inch NPT
bung for fuel fill installation.

All threaded bungs will be plugged to prevent contamination during
shipment.

Once constructed the tanks will be pressure tested to confirm integrity
of all welded seams.

Tank Finish-

The aluminum tanks will be labeled in 15 cm high letters, red in color,
on both ends and sides with "Gasoline" or "Diesel".

The steel tanks will be cleaned to bright metal and painted with an
epoxy primer both inside and out. The paint is to be a sprayed
application covering all metal surfaces to industry standard thickness.
The finish coat both inside and out, is to be a two part marine grade
epoxy paint, suitable for fuel contact, white in color and is to be a
sprayed application covering all surfaces to industry standard
thickness. The tanks will be labeled in 15 cm high letters, red in
color, on both ends and sides with "Gasoline" or "Diesel". The customer
is to be provided with one liter of the finish paint for touch up
purposes.

The customer is to be provided with four calibrated measuring rods, 1.75
meters in length. Calibrations to be in 50 gallon units.

**Fuel Storage Facility Construction Notes**

The fuel storage facility is being constructed to provide a central fuel
storage area and will also provide containment of any leakage or spills
into the environment of Galapagos National Park. Following are
specifications regarding construction of the facility.

Site Work- The existing area has a fuel tank for the generator that will
be removed and a day tank will be provided for the generator. After tank
removal the area should be leveled to a grade a minimum of 8 inches
below the grade in the generator room.

Foundation- The parameter and interior walls require a 6 inch concrete
foundation, however the back wall may require a deeper foundation wall
due to varying site conditions. Under the tank support saddles a 12 inch
foundation should be provided which extends .3 meters around the
dimensions of the supports. The saddles shall be tied to this foundation
with a minimum of #4 or ¼ inch re-bar. This additional support is
required as each tank when full will weigh over 4,000 kilos.

Slab-

The slab in the drum storage area shall be 4" thick and reinforced with
6" square mesh as a minimum.

The slab in the tank storage areas shall be 6" thick and reinforced with
#4 or ¼" re-bar. This bar will be tied into the bars for the tank
support saddles and the stem walls.

After the slab forms are built the interior areas should be filled with
fine grade crushed lava to bring the area up and level and to prevent
excessive requirements for concrete. The lava shall be compacted to
prevent settling.

A 12 inch square by 6 inch deep sump shall be installed in the gasoline
and diesel slabs to provide an area for water collection and cleanup.

Prior to pouring the slab concrete, the compacted lava shall be wetted
down with water to prevent excessive water loss from the concrete.

All slab surfaces should be finished as smooth as possible to provide
for easier cleanup of any spilled oil or fuel, and a better surface for
painting.

Walls- The walls shall be formed and poured, and tied with reinforcing
materials to the slab/foundations. The walls will be a minimum of 4
inches thick and .75 meters tall above slab level. The opening into the
drum storage area shall have a 6 inch rise, and be ramped to allow for
movement of concrete drums. Where the walls will support the roof
columns they may be required to be thicker. Prior to pouring the walls a
concrete adhesive should be applied to the cold joint at the slab, this
is especially critical on the walls forming the fuel containment area.

When pouring the walls the forms should be rodded or vibrated to prevent
voids in the concrete.

Roofing- The roof should be constructed in a similar fashion of the
adjacent bodegas. A minimum of one meter clearance above the fuel tanks
shall be provided. This will allow for worker access on the tanks and
for the removal of a tank if required with out having to disassemble the
roof structure.

Finish-

The fuel lines from the tanks to the supply shall pass over, not through
the walls to maintain integrity of the containment walls

Fuel supply to the generator day tank can be plumbed into the diesel
supply lines with a ½ inch line, but it should be valved and is only to
be used to fill the day tank. The valve shall be closed except for
filling operations to prevent accidental discharge of fuel from the main
tanks.

The sides of the fuel shelter may be screened with fence material, but
should remain open to allow for adequate ventilation.

Once the slab concrete has been allowed to cure for 14 days, an epoxy
type sealant should be applied around the interior of the joint between
the slab and containment walls. The interior walls and slab should be
painted to seal the concrete, protect the concrete from fuel contact and
to provide for easier cleanup of any spillage.

Wooden steps should be provided to allow for worker access into the
containment areas.

The electrical supply and pumps for diesel and gasoline shall be rated
for use in a fuel environment, and for fuel pumping operations. The fuel
discharge lines shall be valved at the end run into the maintenance
area.

Signs warning of the danger of fuel storage and no smoking in the area
shall be installed.

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