FINAL 2013 BIENNIAL LEAK

DETECTION TESTING REPORT 

OF BULK FIELD-CONSTRUCTED

UNDERGROUND STORAGE 

TANK 18

JOINT BASE PEARL HARBORHICKAM / RED HILL, HAWAII

Prepared for:

Defense Logistics Agency Energy

Ft. Belvoir, Virginia

Prepared under:

NAVFAC Atlantic

Contract N62470-10-D-3000-0026

Submitted by:

Michael Baker Jr., Inc.

Virginia Beach, VA

Date:

19 FEBRUARY 2013

Project: 127964

Task: 4.1.033
FINAL 2013 BIENNIAL LEAK DETECTION TESTING REPORT

OF BULK FIELD-CONSTRUCTED UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANK 18

JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM / RED HILL, HAWAII

Prepared for:

Defense Logistics Agency Energy

Ft. Belvoir, VA

Prepared under:

NAVFAC Atlantic

Contract N62470-10-D-3000-0026

Prepared by:

Michael Baker Jr., Inc.

Virginia Beach, Virginia

19 February 2013
i

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page No.

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS ........................................................................ ii

PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER CERTIFICATION:...................................................................... iii

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY............................................................................................................ iv

1.0 INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................. 1

1.1 Purpose of Project ................................................................................................. 1

1.2 Site Background and History.................................................................................. 1

1.3 Historical Leak Detection Results........................................................................... 2

1.4 Project Scope ........................................................................................................ 2

1.5 Project Team......................................................................................................... 5

1.6 Qualifications of Testing Procedures Used .............................................................. 5

2.0 LEAK DETECTION TESTING AND RESULTS ............................................................ 6

3.0 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS............................................................. 7

3.1 Conclusions .......................................................................................................... 7

3.2 Recommendations................................................................................................. 7

4.0 REFERENCES................................................................................................................... 8

List of Tables

Table 1-1: Items Tested................................................................................................................... 2

Table 2-1: Test Results.................................................................................................................... 6

List of Figures

Figure 1-1: Base Overview Map ..................................................................................................... 3

Figure 1-2: Red Hill System Layout ............................................................................................... 4

List of Appendices

Appendix A Mass Technology Corporation Test Report
ii

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS

AFB Air Force Base

Baker Michael Baker Jr., Inc.

BFCUST Bulk field-constructed underground storage tank

BMP Best Management Practice

CMP Centrally Managed Program

DLA Defense Logistics Agency

gph Gallons per hour

JB Joint Base

MDLR Minimum detectable leak rate

MTC Mass Technology Corporation

NWGLDE National Work Group on Leak Detection Evaluations
iii

PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER CERTIFICATION:

Final 2013 Biennial Leak Detection Testing Report

Of Bulk Field-Constructed Underground Storage Tank 18

Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam / Red Hill, Hawaii

This report has been reviewed by a professional engineer and has been prepared in accordance 

with good engineering practices. Laboratory results, field notes, and supporting data have been 

reviewed and referenced correctly. 

I hereby certify that I have examined this report and attest that it has been prepared in accordance 

with good engineering practices.

Engineer: Christopher D. Caputi, P.E.

Registration Number: 032382

State: Virginia

Date: 19 February 2013
iv

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The scope of this project is to perform biennial leak detection testing of Bulk Field-Constructed

Underground Storage Tank 18 at Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center Pearl 

Harbor – Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam / Red Hill, Hawaii. There are currently no regulations 

that outline test requirements for bulk field-constructed underground storage tanks at Red Hill.

The testing is being conducted under Defense Logistics Agency Energy’s Leak Detection 

Centrally Managed Program as a pollution prevention Best Management Practice.

Bulk Field-Constructed Underground Storage Tank 18 was Mass Technology Corporation leak

detection tested from 23 January through 30 January 2013 with no detectable leak above the test 

method’s minimum detectable leak rate of 0.7 gallons per hour resulting in a passed test.

Biennial leak detection testing of Bulk Field-Constructed Underground Storage Tank 18 should 

be completed on or before the anniversary date of 30 January 2015 under Defense Logistics 

Agency Energy’s Leak Detection Centrally Managed Program as a pollution prevention Best 

Management Practice.
1

1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Purpose of Project

The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Energy contracted Michael Baker Jr., Inc. (Baker) through 

Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Atlantic Contract N62470-10-D-3000-0026

to perform biennial leak detection testing of Bulk Field-Constructed Underground Storage Tank 

(BFCUST) 18 at Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center Pearl Harbor – Joint 

Base (JB) Pearl Harbor-Hickam / Red Hill, Hawaii. There are currently no regulations that 

outline test requirements for BFCUSTs at Red Hill. The testing is being conducted under DLA

Energy’s Leak Detection Centrally Managed Program (CMP) as a pollution prevention Best 

Management Practice (BMP).

1.2 Site Background and History

In 2010, Naval Station Pearl Harbor and Hickam Air Force Base (AFB) were merged into JB 

Pearl Harbor-Hickam combining the two historic bases into a single joint installation to support 

both Air Force and Navy missions, along with the tenant commands, and all the service members 

and their families. Pearl Harbor was established as a United States naval base in 1908. In 1934, 

the Army Air Corps began construction of the base that, on May 31, 1935, was dedicated as 

Hickam AFB. Together, the two bases play a central role in the Pacific theater and constitute a 

vital part of the United States defense establishment today.

The Red Hill underground fuel storage facility consists of 20 BFCUSTs located hundreds of feet 

below ground and was constructed between 1940 and 1943 to replace vulnerable aboveground 

fuel storage tanks that were located around Pearl Harbor. The BFCUSTs at Red Hill are 

accessible through a tunnel system. The top tunnel runs approximately 60 feet below the top 

section of the tanks and the bottom tunnel runs equal to the bottom level of the tanks. The 

issue/receipt and water drain pipelines have isolation valves accessible immediately adjacent to 

each tank within the lower tunnel. BFCUST 18 is 100 feet in diameter, 250 feet in height, and 

has a capacity of 12,600,000 gallons of JP-5. 
2

1.3 Historical Leak Detection Results

The last biennial test event of BFCUST 18, a Mass Technology Corporation (MTC) leak 

detection test conducted from 21 January to 28 January 2011, showed passing results with no 

detectable leak above the test method’s minimum detectable leak rate (MDLR) (Baker, 2011).

1.4 Project Scope

A MTC leak detection test on BFCUST 18 was performed from 23 January through 30 January 

2013. Table 1-1 provides a description of the systems tested. Figure 1-1 provides a base 

overview map. Figure 1-2 provides a layout of the Red Hill system.

Table 1-1: Items Tested

Designation Diameter

Height or 

Length

(Feet)

Volume

(Gallons) Product Comments

BFCUST 18 100 feet 250 12,600,000 JP-5

Product Level at Test: 211.46

feet
3

Figure 1-1: Base Overview Map

(Source: Google Maps, 2013)
4

Figure 1-2: Red Hill System Layout

(Source: Baker, 2009)
5

1.5 Project Team

Baker subcontracted MTC to perform the leak detection testing. Field-testing oversight, 

coordination with facility fuels representatives, quality assurance/quality controls, and final report 

preparation and submission was provided by Baker personnel.

1.6 Qualifications of Testing Procedures Used

The testing procedures used were those defined as the MTC - Precision Mass Measurement 

Systems SIM-1000 / CBU-1000 (72 hour test) leak detection method. Determination of leakage 

is based on the criteria established in the Ken Wilcox Associates third party evaluation (National 

Work Group on Leak Detection Evaluations [NWGLDE, 2012]). The MTC Precision Mass 

Measurement System (72 hour test) is certified with a capability to detect leaks on a tank 

proportional to the product surface area with a probability of detection of 95 percent and 

probability of a false alarm of 5 percent. Due to the extreme height of the tank, a total of 168 

hours of testing was performed.

By performing a number of non-overlapping tests in sequence and averaging the resultant leak 

rates, a modified threshold can be established for declaring a leak. Through standard statistical 

analysis, the larger the number of tests used in the averaging will result in a lower threshold and, 

therefore, a smaller size leak can be detected with a 95 percent probability of detection.
6

2.0 LEAK DETECTION TESTING AND RESULTS

MTC’s test report is provided in Appendix A. BFCUST 18 was leak detection tested with no 

detectable leak above the test method’s minimum detectable leak rate (MDLR) of 0.7 gallons per 

hour (gph). Test results are listed in Table 2-1.

Table 2-1: Test Results

Designation Volume

(Gallons)

Height 

or 

Length 

(Feet)

Product

Certified

MDLR

(gph)

Test

Date Result

BFCUST 18 12,600,000 250 JP-5 0.7 23 Jan 2013 –

30 Jan 2013 Passed
7

3.0 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

3.1 Conclusions

BFCUST 18 passed the 2013 biennial leak detection testing.

3.2 Recommendations

Biennial leak detection testing of BFCUST 18 should be completed on or before the anniversary 

date of 30 January 2015 under DLA Energy’s Leak Detection CMP as a pollution prevention 

BMP.
8

4.0 REFERENCES

Baker, 2011 Final 2011 Biennial Integrity Testing Report Of Bulk Field Constructed 

Underground Storage Tank 18 - Naval Station Pearl Harbor / Red Hill, 

Hawaii. Prepared for Defense Logistics Agency Energy, Ft. Belvoir, 

VA. Prepared under NAVFAC Atlantic Contract N62470-10-D-3000-

0004. Dated 11 March 2011.

NWGLDE, 2012 Listing by the NWGLDE (Nineteenth Edition): Precision Mass 

Measurement Systems SIM-1000 and CBU-1000 (72 hour test) – BULK 

UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANK LEAK DETECTION METHOD 

(50,000 gallons or greater).

Issue Date: 23 August 1999

Revision Date: 28 May 2008 

http://nwglde.org/evals/mass_technology_c.html.
Michael Baker Jr., Inc.

TEST REPORT

JB PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM / RED HILL, HAWAII

APPENDIX A –

MASS TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION TEST REPORT
 1

176

FISC Red Hill Project Manager – Mr. Mark Caldon

Pearl Harbor, HI

Site Supervisor – Travis Ricketson

Scope of Work: Furnish all required management, labor, services, materials and equipment 

to perform the required annual tightness testing of Tank # 18 an

underground fuel storage tank located at FISC Red Hill, Pearl Harbor, HI.

Report compiled by: Date: 02-13-2013

 Ricky Slaughter

Summary

Testing of Tank # 18 a 12,600,000 gal underground storage tank located at FISC Red Hill, Pearl 

Harbor, Hawaii commenced January 23, 2013 and was completed January 30, 2013. The tank 

contained JP-5 and a precision leak test was conducted. The result of that testing is that the tank 

system is determined to be tight to isolation. All tank valves were adequately secured such that no 

unusual readings were noted. Testing was performed using the Mass Technology Corporation 

protocols set out in the third party evaluations. All tank valves were adequately secured such that 

any fluid loss was isolated to leakage. Therefore, the containment integrity of the tank was not 

compromised and the test is considered conclusive.

Tank # 18: After 168 hours of testing the tank is certified to be tight.

Precision Leak Measurement Report

P.O. Box 1578

Kilgore, Texas 75662
 2

Tank Data Tank # 18

Diameter: 100 ft. Height: 250 ft.

Tank Type: Vertical UST Contents: JP-5

Specific Gravity: 0.82 Product Level: 211.46 ft.

Start Date: 01/23/2013 Completion Date: 01/30/2013

Unit Operator: Travis Ricketson Test Results: Certified Tight

All dimensions, line locations, sizes and 

valve descriptions have been furnished 

by the facility operator.
 3

Results

The fluid mass data was recorded over a 168-hour period. A linear regression of the recorded fluid 

mass data resulted in a leak rate detected below the minimum detection level of 0.7 gallons per 

hour. All tank valves were adequately secured such that any fluid loss was isolated to leakage. 

Therefore, the containment integrity of the tank was not compromised and the test is considered 

conclusive.

Tank # 18 is certified to be tight.