FINAL 2013 BIENNIAL LEAK 

DETECTION TESTING REPORT 

OF BULK FIELD-CONSTRUCTED 

UNDERGROUND STORAGE 

TANK 15 

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: 

13 MARCH 2013 

Project: 127964 

Task: 4.1.033 
FINAL 2013 BIENNIAL LEAK DETECTION TESTING REPORT 

OF BULK FIELD-CONSTRUCTED UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANK 15 

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 

13 March 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 

 
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 

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

Underground Storage Tank (BFCUST) 15 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 BFCUSTs at Red Hill. The testing is being 

conducted under Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Energy’s Leak Detection Centrally Managed 

Program (CMP) pollution prevention Best Management Practice BMP.

BFCUST 15 was Mass Technology Corporation leak detection tested from 14 February through 

22 February 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 BFCUST 15 should be completed on or before the anniversary 

date of 22 February 2015 under DLA Energy’s Leak Detection CMP as pollution prevention 

BMP.
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) 15 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 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 31 May 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 are accessible and have isolation valves immediately 

adjacent to each tank within the lower tunnel. BFCUST 15 is 100 feet in diameter, 250 feet in 

height, and has a capacity of 12,600,000 gallons of F-76. 
2 

1.3 Historical Leak Detection Results 

The last biennial test event of BFCUST 15, a Mass Technology Corporation (MTC) leak 

detection test conducted from 18 March to 25 March 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 15 was performed from 14 February through 22 February 

2013. Table 1-1 provides a description of the system 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 

(Feet) 

Volume 

(Gallons) Product Comments 

BFCUST 15 100 feet 250 12,600,000 F-76 Product Level at Test: 210.70 

feet 
3 

Figure 1-1: Base Overview Map 

(Source: Google Maps, 2013) 
Figure 1-2: R

(Sour

4 

ed Hill System 

ce: Baker, 2009)

Layout 
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 15 was leak detection tested with no 

detectable leak above the test 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 

(Feet) Product 

Certified 

MDLR 

(gph) 

Test 

Date Result 

BFCUST 15 12,600,000 250 F-76 0.7 14 Feb 2013 – 22 Feb 2013 Passed 

 
7 

3.0 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 

3.1 Conclusions 

BFCUST 15 passed the 2013 biennial leak detection testing. 

3.2 Recommendations

Biennial leak detection testing of BFCUST 15 should be completed on or before the anniversary 

date of 22 February 2015 under DLA Energy’s Leak Detection CMP as pollution prevention 

BMP. 

 
8 

4.0 REFERENCES 

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

Underground Storage Tank 15 – 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-3000-0004. Dated 8 April 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 # 15 an

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

Report compiled by: Date: 02-25-2013

 Ricky Slaughter

Summary

Testing of Tank # 15 a 12,600,000 gal underground storage tank located at FISC Red Hill, Pearl 

Harbor, Hawaii commenced February 14, 2013 and was completed February 22, 2013. The tank 

contained F-76 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 # 15: 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 # 15

Diameter: 100 ft. Height: 250 ft.

Tank Type: Vertical UST Contents: F76

Specific Gravity: 0.85 Product Level: 210.7 ft.

Start Date: 02/14/2013 Completion Date: 02/22/2013

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 # 15 is certified to be tight.