The Bulletin Journal of the Association for Petroleum and Explosives Administration
June 2005
Editorial
Contents Regulars
Tony Jenner Editor
Chairman’s Report
5
Editor’s Report
6
Platts Common Ind Estate
Business Manager’s Report
6
Barnsley
Cameron Forecourt Ltd
New APEA Members
10
News
12
Press Releases
21
South Yorkshire S74 9SE tel:
01226 742441
fax:
01226 747441
mob:
07715 375140
e-mail:
tonyjenner@cameronforecourt.com
Articles Jamie Thompson
Plastic retractable pipework systems, the future
26
FPS Concerned at continuing above-inflation duty rises on red diesel
28
Environmentally friendly liquid waste disposal route for interceptor wastes
29
Full coverage for leak detection from OPW
35
APEA Annual Conference, Exhibition and Dinner 2005
37
Swift action saves watering hole
38
BEN - Motor and Allied Trades Benevolent Fund
42
Case study highlighting the perils of inadequate Wetstock Control
43
email:
APEA 2005 AGM
49
jamiethompson@ukonline.co.uk
Blue Book - Chapter 14 Electrical Section
53
SCR Technology and how to get AdBlue
55
EN 14125: a new European standard for underground pipework at petrol stations
56
BTEC professional qualifications for petroleum officers
58
Publishing Chairman 70 Wangford Road Reydon Southwold Suffolk IP18 6NX Tel/fax:
01502 722999
Mobile:
07770 625851
Jane Mardell Business Manager (including Bulletin Advertising and Production) PO Box 106
Branches
59
Training 2005 course dates and booking details
61
Saffron Walden Essex CB11 3XT Tel/fax:
01799 502929
Mobile:
07815 055514
email:
admin@apea.org.uk
Vanessa Jenner It is with sadness that we have to report the untimely death of Vanessa Jenner who passed away peacefully after a bravely fought battle against cancer on 29 April. Vanessa the wife of Tony our editor was known to many in the industry and was supportive of both her husband and family in their business Cameron Forecourt and also to this Association at our Conferences and Exhibition where she registered in our delegates. The Council of the APEA offers its condolences to Tony and his family at this difficult time. Front Cover - A temporary Petrol Station in Mongolia, temperatures can reach -40 degrees Celsius!
Published by the Association for Petroleum and Explosives Administration A company Limited by Guarantee registered in England No. 2261600 Opinions expressed in this Journal are not necessarily the views of the Association.
3
lines, fridges, freezers, air conditioning
Chairman’s Report
systems, plant equipment - just about
Isn't it great to see the warmer days
anything really. There is also the
and light evenings again as we head to
capability to predict degradation and
mid summer. As I write it has been a bit
failures, not just underground tanks but
quiet in terms of forecourt activity but
the lines and drainage systems as well.
one thing I noted recently is the slowing
One to watch is that one. Enzyme technology is another area
down of Forecourt closures. This has been of concern to many
being developed for the industry. It has
who work in the industry and having
been widely reported our concerns and
recently read the Energy Institute's
problems of microbiological corrosion
excellent
The
but the release of enzymes is another
Annual Retail Marketing Survey, we
method of combating microbes and
lost another 184 last year (still nearly 3
stabilise and halt the prospect of
per week), the best 'closure' rate-if you
corrosion occurring.
annual
publication,
On perhaps a lighter note, I was only
can say that- for some years. According to the survey, there are
able
to
spare
one
day
International
dispensing around 28 million tonnes of
Equipment
fuel a year through some 52,000
Birmingham in March. Not perhaps as
nozzles.
annual
big as in past years, it always forms a
throughput is around 2.5 million litres
focal point of our business and our
per year. Interestingly, 2,798 sites are
stand was busy with many members,
operating 24 hour opening with just 764
friends and colleagues calling by. You
sites offering LPG and a further 92 sites
never really know if the presence has
are retailing bio-diesel. Perhaps the
been beneficial but I understand we
downward trend will cease in the next
signed up a few new members and
year or two.
answered or signposted those who had
average
On the Regulatory side, I am pleased
Exhibition
&
the
now 10,351 retail sites in the UK
The
Forecourt
at
Fuels
(IFFE)
at
technical enquiries.
to say that my regional enforcement
You may well have received you copy
group in the south and east of the
of the new APEA "Blue Book" that I
country
agreed
trust is never far from your reach. A
petroleum
great deal of effort was made in
quarterly
(SELCOG) reporting
have of
incidents collectively. This in part will
producing
the
work
that
has
produce some credible data as to the
international recognition. My thanks go
extent of leaks, fires and spillages
to all those who contributed especially
amongst other things so that when we
those from the APEA.
do re-visit legislation or technical
I also took some time out to speak to
guidance, we have and apply with
Brian Taylor a few weeks back. Many of
consistency. The Group hopes to offer
you will know Brian who was such a
up this information to the HSE itself and
stalwart of our Association. Brian has
may encourage other regional groups
retired now following his sudden illness
across the UK to do something similar.
but sounded in fine fettle when we
technology
spoke. He still has that unique sense
always seems to be with us and
off humour still and together with
recently I attended a very interesting
Eileen, they are keeping well. He still
presentation
nano-technology.
eagerly awaits his copy of the Bulletin
What is that I hear you say? Well, in
as always and continues to be an avid
simple terms it is the scientific study
supporter. All the very best old friend!
Research
and
on
new
and re-arrangement of atoms in a
By now the Annual General Meeting
microscopic sense. In the way the
of your association would have taken
presentation that was made it will soon
place at Northampton and a report can
be available to monitor data on sites
be found elsewhere in this issue. A
remotely or locally, including tanks,
delightful meeting with some excellent presentations delivered by our guest
speakers. Finally, a word on our forthcoming Annual Conference and Exhibition that is to take place on Thursday 13th October 2005, again at the Hotel Metropole, NEC, Birmingham. Our theme this year is "What's Coming Next" and we have planned for some superb presentations on Stage 2 Vapour
Recovery
which
is
being
installed as we speak, Solar and Wind Power where this too is appearing on our Forecourts, Hydrogen and NanoTechnology, all of which is ground breaking,
illustrating
Association
is
right
that on
your top
of
developments within the industry. The exhibition is always another chance to see what is happening and I hope our members companies will be on show at very reasonable rates. The event is capped with our Annual Dinner, that is a delight
to
relax
surroundings
with
in
comfortable friends
and
colleagues. Make sure you can get there and let us have your applications as
soon
as
possible
to
avoid
disappointment. It has been a great year for me personally and I have enjoyed every minute working with colleagues on all sides of the industry. It therefore comes as massive privilege to continue as Chairman for another year, something I did not even think possible a few years ago. I hope to do my very best for our membership in the coming year and uphold the fine traditions of those who have tread before me. With Best Wishes
Brian 5
Editor’s Report It has been a busy time for our industry since the March issue of the Bulletin was published. Early in March there was the IFFE show at the NEC in Birmingham where the APEA stand was manned by willing hands. I was in attendance for two of the three days and very much enjoyed the opportunity to meet and chat with APEA members both new and old. Personally I was slightly disappointed with the overall attendance figures at the event, especially on the final day, and am left wondering whether this was because the IFFE overlapped with the first day of Crufts? On April 6th we held the APEA AGM in Northampton which I understand was lively and well attended. Congratulations to Brian Baker on his being re-elected as Chairman for the coming year, I'm sure that with his enthusiasm and appetite for hard work he will continue to make an indelible mark on the association. I would also like to congratulate all elected council members and I look forward to working with you all in the coming year. Unfortunately, for the second year running, personal reasons prevented me attending the AGM. Regrettably
Business Manager’s Report The last few months have been very busy. With the 2006 Yearbook I have processed and typeset company contact details from 300 Members plus around 200 Authorities. All this information has to be checked against the membership and Yearbook databases and then proof checked, once typeset, against each form that I received, so thanks to all of you that sent their forms in early. This makes a big difference to managing the task. Thanks, also to all of you who sent in your membership payments and to those of you who took up the facility to pay via the website, which saves time 6
these circumstances remain unchanged which means that at present I am unable to involve myself in the affairs of the association as much as I would like. I am extremely grateful to Jane Mardell and my fellow Council members who have stepped in and taken control until I am able to resume my duties as Editor. In the last issue of the Bulletin we carried an article entitled "Fuel Transfer Lines - Vulnerable to Microbes" which detailed the alleged influence of microbes on plastic pipework in the USA. A photograph of sections of pipe in an advanced state of deterioration was also featured on the front cover of the Bulletin. Unfortunately one manufacturer of plastic pipework took exception to the front cover photograph (they had no issue with the article) and felt that we were in some way trying to discredit a particular product. I would like to reassure you all that the APEA has no opinions on individual products or their manufacturers and would certainly not try to influence our readers in any way. The whole purpose of the Bulletin is to bring news to the members of the APEA, this equally applies whether the news is good or bad - we don't make the news our job is to publish it! Our plan to adopt a themed approach
to future Bulletin issues was outlined in my last Editors report. I would like to remind you all that the September issue is to feature Tank Lining with the December issue being centred on Drainage and Oil Separators. Our invitation to have your news and views published on either subject is extended to all of you have an opinion as long as your submission is newsworthy and non-commercial (sorry - we don't do free advertising)! Please let us have your article together with accompanying photographs or illustrations as soon as you are able, so that we can ensure the best possible coverage of these specialist subjects. Finally I would like to wish you all health and happiness for the months to come and hope to be able to resume my duties as editor in the not too distant future.
on administration, this is much appreciated. When it comes to 2006 membership payments we should have the direct debit facility set up too. AGM 2005 Thank you to all of you that attended the AGM. There were a total of 70 delegates attending and I hope you all had an enjoyable day and found the presentations informative and interesting. Included with this issue are the minutes from the AGM held on 5th April at the Northampton Marriott. These can be found on page 49. Articles relating to the presentations
at the AGM have also can be included with this issue. Annual Conference/Exhibition and Dinner 2005 Included with this issue is an
Business Manager’s Report invitation letter to invite you to attend the APEA annual Conference, Exhibition and Dinner being held at the Hilton Metropole at the NEC on Thursday 13th October 2005. If you wish to book an exhibition stand and/or dinner table/place please complete the booking form attached to the invitation letter and send it to me at the APEA office. I have already had a lot of interest in the Event before it was advertised in the Bulletin, so please send in your forms promptly if you wish to make a booking to avoid disappointment. Further information can also be found on our website on the Calender page. 2006 Yearbook At the time of going to press for this issue of the Bulletin, the 2006 Yearbook is also underway at the production company, in preparation for printing. This issue will be delivered on 1st October 2005. As I mentioned before, thanks to all of you that sent in your artwork and registration forms by 1st April, your help in adhering to the deadline is greatly appreciated and goes along way to ensuring I complete and meet the artwork deadline for the production company. Thanks also go to all the advertisers that booked space in the 2006 issue of the Yearbook. Without your help we would not be able to produce this useful guide. Bulletin Thank you to all of you that have contributed to this issue of The Bulletin. Please send me any news items, press releases or articles for the September 2005 issue and I will pass them onto our Editor for approval. We are always pleased to receive contributions from our members and it ensures that the Bulletin remains and interesting and informative read. As Tony mentioned, in his Editor’s report above, we are focusing on themed issues and the next issue will be Tank Lining, so please submit your articles by email to me and I will forward them to Tony.
Bulletin Advertising Thank you to all of you that renewed your Bulletin advertising for 2005. If you wish to advertise in the 2005 Bulletin please contact me for a booking form. Remember that if you book for all four issues you receive a 25% discount and we are able to offer discounts for those of you that wish to book for more than one issue too. You will also receive a 50% discount on Yearbook advertising too. The advertising rates remain unchanged for 2005 and are listed on our website on the ‘Publications’ page at www.apea.org.uk All advertising enquiries should be directed to me. If you would like to book advertising for the remaining two issues of the Bulletin for 2005, please call me on 01799 502929. Publications I hope you all received your free copy of the revised Blue Book in April. This went to everyone who was a member of the Association as of 12th April 2005. If you wish to purchase additional copies, please contact me and I can give you details of how to go about this.
Thanks go out to all our trainers who often travel long distances to provide their valuable services. During May we ran various courses in Dublin which proved popular (probably with the trainers too!) You can download a booking form from our website training page, just click on the course you are interested in and the course details and form are displayed or please contact me by email or by phone and I can email you a copy or you can simply book online from the website. Course dates are listed on page 58 and further dates will be added as we progress through 2005. You can now view the up to date list on the APEA website at www.apea.org.uk/training Membership There have been 50 new members joining during January, February and March and details can be found on page 10. Website
APEA Members £10.00 plus p+p Non APEA Members £20.00 plus p+p
By the number of hits that we are receiving it looks like the website is proving to be a benefit to the APEA members. I hope that you find the information on the site useful. If you wish to contribute anything to the site please feel free to log on and go to the APEA Resource Centre where you can submit your article for approval. There is a ‘Help’ pull down menu if you need some assistance. If you need any assistance please do not hesitate to contact me.
Training
General Assistance
Thanks to all of you that have booked on our training courses. I have been busy arranging bespoke courses for various companies which enables members to receive training at a discounted rate and at a time and location suitable to them. If you are interested in hosting a bespoke course for your company please do not hesitate to contact me. We can offer discounted rates for these courses if you are able to provide a venue and catering.
Finally if any of you need any assistance with general or technical matters, please do not hesitate to contact me on 01799 502929 and I will endeavor to help.
We also publish the Code of Practice for Ground floor, multi storey and underground car parks. This can be purchased directly from our website or by calling me at the office.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Jane 9
New APEA Members
Ronald Kendal
Nigel Baker
5 Porthleven
50 Bedwin Street
Detailed below are new members that have recently joined the APEA during January, February and March 2005.
Crescent Astley
Salisbury
Tyldesley, Manchester M29 7FZ
Wiltshire SP1 3UW
January
Terry Britton
Seamus Barrett
321 High Street
Limerick County Fire & Rescue
Arthur Renshaw
Eastleigh
Service County Hall
Catalist Ltd
Hants SO 50 5NE
Dooradoyle
Richmond House
Co Limerick
22 Richmond Hill
William J Dunn
Bristol BS8 1BA
Blockbusters Environmetal Services
Ireland
Unit 1 Block D
Sindy Turner
Dean Lundin
Win Business Park
Welcome Break Ltd
Sewells Farm
Canal Quay
Vantage Court
Barcombe
Newry
2 Tickford Street
Lewes
Down BT35 6PH
Newport Pagnell
East Sussex BN8 5TJ
Buckinghamshire MK16 9E2 February
Iain Jones Old Farm Cottage Claves Hill Chedworth Cheltenham GL54 4AH John Perk Copeland 42 Colchester Road Bures Hamlet Colchester Essex CO8 5AE Kerry Gardiner IOH Limited Units 7 & 8 ICT Centre Birmingham Research Park
Subramaniam Nanthakumar Clive Millard
East Ham Service Station
18 Hollywood Ave
194 - 200 High Street South
Penwortham
London E6 3RS
Preston Lancashire PR1 9AS
March
Lawrence Black
Ailish O'Meara
North Yorkshire County Council
12 Chestnut Grove
Unit 4/5 Standard Way
Moreton Morrell
Northallerton
Warwickshire CV35 9DG
North Yorkshire DL6 2XQ Alan Chandler Lawrie Smail
4 Rodborough Road
30 Penmoor Chase
Dorridge
Hazel Grove
Solihull B93 8ED
Stockport SK7 5BT Andy Reeves
Vincent Drive Edgbaston,
Mark Bennett
28 Rochester Way
Birmingham
C Dobson Ltd
Cannock
West Midlands B15 2SQ
10 Bristol Mews
Staffordshire WS12 3YH
Gateford Worksop Mahmut Kurdoglu
Notts S81 7RW
Anthony Curtis DTS Raeburn Ltd
Mekser Ltd. Istanbul Organize Deri Sanayi Bolgesi
Michael Everard
Moor Lane
L1-1 Parsel
Intellitect Ltd
Witton
34957 Tuzla
Unit 3, Ardath Road
Birmingham
Istanbul
Kings Norton
West Midlands B6 7HG
Turkey
Birmingham B38 9PL
Phil Ruffles
Nick Bromell
Group Management
Taylor Gibson Associates Ltd
33 Canterbury Way
Unit 39 Thurnscoe Business Centre
1 Titan Court
Croxley Green
Princess Drive
Laporte Way
Rickmansworth
Rotherham
Luton Beds LU4 8EF
Hertfordshire WD3 3SS
South Yorkshire S63 0BL
Barry Owen
10
New Members Brian Ware
John White
Niall O'Riordan
NBS
Forecourt Maintenance Services Ltd
Kildare County Fire Service
The Old Post Office
3 Windsor Drive
Central Fire Station
St Nicholas Street
Lydney GL15 5SX
Newbridge Co Kildre
Newcastle upon Tyne Tyne and Wear NE1 1RH
Lee Whiting
Ireland
Complete Technical Services Ltd Christopher Bennett
Hope Street
Paul Davies
Rotherham S60 1LH
10 Windsor Place
Essex County Council Trading
Abertridwr, Caerphilly
Standards
Lyle Dunn
Dukes Park Industrial Estate, 2
Acorn (Inspection Services)
Beaufort Road
26 Magheraconluce Road
Paul Ivis
Springfield
Dromore
West Midlands Fire Service
Chelmsford
Down BT25 1EE
Coventry Fire Safety Centre Radford Rd, Coventry,
Essex CM2 6PS Mark Bryan Daniel Macdonald Repair Protection & Maintenance Ltd Roall Lane Kellington North Yorkshire DN14 0NY
CF83 4DR
West Midlands CV1 4EL
EIC Ltd Trinity House
Peter Tonkin
Aintree Road
c/o M Bryan
Stratford-on-Avon
EIC Ltd
Warwickshire CV37 9FY
Trinity House Aintree Road
Mark Tutton
Stratford upon Avon
Tesco
Warwickshire CV37 9FY
David Blake
PO Box 400
R S Associates
Cirrus Building
Philip Bonny
19 High Street
Welywn Garden City
205 Dundrum Road
Fareham PO16 7AF
Herts AL7 1AB
Newcastle Co Down BT33 0LW
David Morgan
Michael Lewis
3 Windsor Drive
27 Pates Manor Drive, Bedfont
Seboek Larsen
Feltham TW14 8JJ
Roug A/S
Lydney Gloucestershire GL15 5SX Emma Faure
Mørupvej 27-35 Herning Michelle Walsh
DK 7400
Essex County Council Trading
Denmark
Standards
Downstream Events Ltd
New Dukes Way Offices
Sue Meadowcroft
25 Bassein Park Road
2, Beaufort Road
1 Rock Cottage
London W12 9RN
Dukes Park Indstrial Estate
South Cornelly
Chelmsford
Bridgend
Essex CM2 6PS
Mid Glamorgan CF33 4RN
Rhos on Sea
Mick Ferry
Terry Chapman
Colwyn Bay
c/o M Bryan, EIC Ltd
17 Sherwood Drive
Geoffrey Price 107 Cambrian Drive
Conwy LL28 4SY
Trinity House Aintree Road
Graham Ellis Alphega Design and Construction Management Co Ltd
Stratford upon Avon
Clacton-on-Sea Essex CO15 4EB
Warwickshire CV37 9FY Tom Rolf Mick Pickersgill
Marbridge House
MG Rover Group
Harolds Road
6, Old Vicarage Gardens
The Pinnacles, Harlow
Studley
Essex CM19 5BJ
Warwickshire B80 7SG
Defence Fuels Group West Moors Wimborne Dorset BH21 6QS 11
News
UK, Buckinghamshire, January 12 2005. Fumes caused by old fuel spill Tesco has confirmed that fuel-like odours emitted from its warehouse site in Princes Risborough are a result of an old diesel spill. Residents of Malthouse Square, behind Tesco in Longwick Road, alerted Princes Risborough town councillor Eunice Clifford to the situation several months ago when the construction of the store's warehouse extension unearthed the fumes. Cllr Clifford said: "The residents were concerned because you could smell it when they started to dig." Tesco staff subsequently arranged for the soil to be analysed and it was confirmed that the ground was mildly contaminated with diesel. Alison Carroll, store manager of Tesco, said: "The contamination is confined to a small area approximately four metres square to a depth of 30cm below ground level. Our advisers suggested this is consistent with a minor fuel spill and given the historic use of the site as a transport depot this is not inconceivable. "Tesco and its contractors will be developing methods to ensure the soil in question is suitably contained as the project progresses." An environmental risk assessment undertaken by specialists confirmed that no ground water was being polluted and that the soil contamination was confined to one small area.
UK, Oil Company profits no benefit to oil distributor businesses There has been much publicity recently about the exceptionally large profits generated by international oil companies as a result of the sharp rise in oil prices through 2004. Independent oil distributors in the UK play a key role in supplying fuels for heating, power and transportation to end users in many sectors, and for domestic oil heating systems. These suppliers have not benefited from the 12
same 'windfall' of much higher oil prices as the major oil companies. The reasons for this are that oil distributors purchase their supply from the major oil companies at market rates and they operate in a highly competitive market. Typically, distributors' gross margins from diesel sales to forecourts and hauliers continue to be less than 3% of the selling prices, having remained unchanged in recent years. At this level, it fails to compensate them for their substantially increased working capital costs resulting from higher oil prices. A recent survey of 11 major European countries showed that the UK continued to have the cheapest pretax petrol and diesel pump prices in 2004, despite the volatility of crude oil and product markets. Susan Hancock, Chief Executive of the Federation of Petroleum Suppliers, said, "Many independent distributors have had a tough year in 2004 with the higher price of oil products. Consumers forget that excise duty and VAT make up such a large part of the final price and that higher oil prices often mean lower profits for independent oil distributors." NOTES Note 1 Independent oil distributors play a key role in supplying fuels for heating, power and transportation to industrial, commercial, marine, transport and agricultural sectors as well as to local authorities and consumers. Note 2 Excise duty on road fuels is currently 47.1p per litre for low sulphur petrol and diesel (ULSP and ULSD) and 5.22p per litre for gas oil for off-road use. In addition to excise duty, VAT is charged on the product price and also on the excise duty element. Note 3 Survey data on European oil product prices from Wood Mackenzie's 'Opal' service that monitors end user oil product prices and marketing margins across Western Europe. In the survey, the UK average pre-tax pump price of unleaded 95 petrol was 21.6p per litre, 0.6p and 1.1p per litre cheaper than the next lowest countries of Germany and France. For further details, contact the FPS's
Media Representative, Rod Prowse, at: Office 01295 264544 Mobile 07770 575940 Email: rodprowse@tiscali.co.uk. Federation of Petroleum Suppliers Ltd 3 Slaters Court, Princess St, Knutsford, Cheshire, WA16 6BW,UK Tel: 01565-631313 Fax: 01565-631314 Email office@fpsonline.co.uk Website: www.fpsonline.co.uk
UK, Motor fuel sales hit record in 2004 as forecourt closures slow to three a week The latest UK Retail Marketing Survey, conducted by the Energy Institute (EI), shows that in 2004 UK forecourt sales of motor fuels totaled 28.2 million tonnes - the largest volume ever sold. The total, however, conceals the fact that petrol sales continued their long slow decline while diesel sales continue their strong growth. In the last ten years retail petrol sales have declined by 15%, while retail diesel sales have more than doubled in a decade. Taking into account the total road fuel market - both forecourt and commercial consumers - 2004 was the first year when almost equal volumes of diesel and petrol were sold in the UK. Forecourt rationalisation continued in 2004 with 184 closures, averaging 15 a month. This represents a considerable slowdown, being the lowest closure rate since 1999 and well below the 2003 total of 890 sites, or 74 sites per month. Closures in 2004 were, however, effectively confined to the oil company operated sites. Petroleum Review's UK Retail Marketing Survey is published annually by the EI and provides a comprehensive, statistical overview of the UK forecourt market. Data is broken down by company, region and forecourt facilities. The survey is based on statistics relating to the end of 2004 and does not reflect changes since that date. The key findings of the survey are: · There were 10,351 operational filling stations in the UK and Northern Ireland at 2004 year end.
News · The number of sites declined by 184 in 2004 - a closure rate of 15 a month, well down from the 74 a month seen in 2003. · Different sectors showed very different responses in 2004: · oil company sites declined by 325 to 6,307 (down 541 to 6,941 in 2003) · main retailer sites increased by 51 to 1,591 (down 78 to 1,231 in 2003) · supermarket sites increased by 16 to 1,142 (up 59 to 1,126 in 2003) · smaller retailer sites increased by 5 to 165 (down 43 to 168 in 2003) · other unbranded sites increased by 77 to 1,146 (down 12 to 1,069 in 2003) · There were 580 quick-serve restaurants attached to forecourts (Little Chef, McDonalds etc) and 270 in-forecourt (Wild Bean Café, Bake N Bite etc). · Average site throughput, at 2.457mn litres/year was a new record level. · There are currently 8,916 self-service forecourts in the UK. · 764 sites now retail auto-LPG (176 more than in 2003); the largest operators are BP with 207, up 40 on 2003 and Shell with 197, unchanged from 2003. · 92 sites were retailing biodiesel and this figure is expected to rise to 165 by 2008. · 1,948 sites retailed super-unleaded petrol, 551 less than 2003. · The four largest oil company operations by number of branded forecourts were (2003 figures in brackets): · BP 1,301 (1,262) - up 39 · Esso 1,080 (1,215) - down 135 · Texaco 1,073 (1,163) - down 90 · Shell 1,034 (1,098) - down 64 · Taxation of retail motor fuels was running at 47.1 pence/litre on petrol
and 53.27 pence/litre on diesel at end-2004, VAT remained unchanged at 17.5%. The 2005 Retail Marketing Survey is available, priced £20, from Portland Press Ltd, Commerce Way, Whitehall Industrial Estate, Colchester CO2 8HP, UK. For further information, please contact Katie Crabb at the Energy Institute on +44 (0) 20 7467 7173 or email kcrabb@energyinst.org.uk
UK, 7 February 2005. Birmingham Complaints about Fireworks Storage On 7 February 2005 at Birmingham Magistrates Court Moseley Trading Company Ltd of Coventry were fined a total of £25000.00 plus £185.50 costs for storing in excess of the legal limit of fireworks and storing them in an unsafe manner. On 23 October 2003 two officers form West Midlands Fire Service received a complaint from a member of the public about the storage of fireworks at Moseley Trading Company Ltd, Hill Street Coventry. When they got there they found that more than 250 kilogram of fireworks, in excess of the legal limit, were being stored in the shop area and more importantly an additional 3 tonne were being stored in the basement.
UK, Trader Fined for the Illegal Storage of Fireworks When the Leeds Police entered a trader's railway arch premises on 6 October 2004 to execute a warrant to search for stolen property, they found amongst other goods a quantity of fireworks amounting to approximately 1.5 tonnes gross weight. Being concerned at finding such a large quantity of fireworks underneath the main Leeds to York railway line, the Police requested the attendance of a Fire Safety Officer. On the advice of the Fire Safety Officer the fireworks were seized and removed to registered stores at two fire stations for safekeeping. The goods were initially
seized by the Police as suspected stolen property. When during the course of the Police investigation it was established that the fireworks were the rightful property of the trader, the custody of the fireworks was transferred to an Explosives Inspector of the West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service who then carried out an investigation into the suspected unlawful storage of fireworks. This investigation resulted in the trader being charged with an offence of contravening Section 5 of the Explosives Act 1875. The trader pleaded guilty to the offence at a hearing before the Leeds Magistrates on 2 March 2005. After listening to the prosecution's case that the storage of 1,500 kg of fireworks, together with motor vehicles and other goods that were present in the railway arch, presented an unacceptable risk to public safety, the magistrates fined the defendant £1000 and awarded the Fire Authority their full prosecutions costs of £928. Roger Marris Senior Petroleum/Explosives Inspector West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service
UK, London, January 16 2005. London Fire Brigade introduces spill containment equipment An agreement to introduce new equipment and procedures to handle spillages of pollutants (including diesel and heating oil) and to protect the environment will be signed by the Environment Agency and London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority (LFEPA) tomorrow (Monday 17 January) at LFEPA Headquarters. Every fire engine in the capital has now been equipped with an environmental Grab Pack which contains clay mats to block drains, putty to seal pipes, absorbent material to soak up spills, and booms to contain contaminated fire water and other materials. Val Shawcross, chair of the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority and Chris Birks, director of the Environment Agency's Thames Region, will formally sign a working agreement 15
News that will ensure that pollution risks can be minimised at the scene of an incident. The agreement strengthens the existing working relationship, covering issues such as agreed responsibilities during an incident, the exchange of information, joint training and what types of incident the Environment Agency needs to know about. By ensuring that fire crews have the equipment to protect the environment the Environment Agency hopes that swift action can be taken to avoid any environmental disaster. Officers from the Environment Agency have been working with the National Fire Service College to develop the environmental module of its Environmental Protection and Hazardous Materials training course and have been training firefighters on how to use the grab pack at an incident. As well as oil and fuels, other spills that may not appear immediately hazardous. Chair of the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority Val Shawcross said: "This agreement demonstrates our continued commitment to protect the communities we serve using the very latest equipment and techniques. The joint work we are doing with the Environment Agency builds on the procedures that we have in place to deal with pollutants at incidents." Chris Birks, director of the Environment Agency's Thames region, said: "This is a major step forward in prioritising the environment. The agreement is the result of some excellent joint work between LFEPA and ourselves. The equipment and training we have given to the London Fire Brigade should provide them with the right materials and skills to contain harmful substances and dispose of them safely. LFEPA and the EA have shown that the environment can be protected more effectively if we work together."
UK, Information on Contaminated Land The Environment Agency has published soil intake values for ethylbenzene and toluene which may be contaminating land. The main purpose of the documents is to provide regulators, developers, landowners and other interested parties with information 16
and advice on the assessment of risks arising from the presence of soil contamination associated with these substances. The reports describe soil guideline value, generic assessment criteria for assessing the risks to human health from chronic exposure to soil contaminated with ethylbenzene and toluene. To access the report on ethylbenzene, go to http://www.environmentagency.gov.uk/commondata/acrobat/et hylbenzene_sgv_932499.pdf To access the report on toluene go to http://www.environmentagency.gov.uk/commondata/acrobat/tol uene_sgv_932493.pdf
UK, February 28 2005. Corporate polluters will have to pay for their damage Rgw government is considering going into the election with a commitment to impose tougher penalties on companies and individuals who pollute the environment. The most far-reaching proposal in a new Environmental Justice Bill would give a right to communities to order an environmental impact assessment of developments such as new factories, roads or waste incineration plants. Harriet Harman, the Solicitor General, who is backing the policy, also wants new powers for the Environment Agency to demand court orders to force polluters to clean up the rivers or land they have spoiled. The proposals could upset the business community, but Ms Harman has privately told colleagues that they will be a vote-winner with many Labour supporters who believe tougher action is needed to tackle the problems of polluted Britain. They are due to go to a meeting of "green" ministers chaired by Elliott Morley, an Environment minister, on 8 March. However, one green campaigner who has been consulted said: "She has got to persuade 17 to 20 ministerial colleagues and get it past the Better Business Regulation Task Force, the Downing Street team, and the Treasury people. It is not going to be easy." The Environment Agency prosecuted 266 companies in 2003 and the courts
imposed fines on 11 company directors for polluting rivers, fields, and other parts of the countryside. But Friends of the Earth criticised the courts for handing out fines that are dwarfed by the profits of major companies. FOE said Sir Terry Leahy, the chief executive of Tesco, earned more in one day than the £10,000 fine levied against his company after fuel leaked into the groundwater from three fuel storage tanks at the Tower Park Tesco in Poole, Dorset. In its report, the Environment Agency said the leak continued for more than six months, adding: "Pollution of the groundwater can be irreversible or at best costly and timeconsuming to clear up." A fine of £60,000 was imposed on BP for allowing tens of thousands of litres of fuel to leak from a service station's tank into Luton's groundwater. FOE dismissed the punishment, saying: "It is equivalent to what BP's group chief executive, Lord Browne of Madingley, earns in just 4.5 working days. The incident posed a threat to Luton's drinking water because the petrol station is close to one of the town's abstraction points." Mike Childs, FOE's campaigns director, said: "The Government needs to get tougher on illegal pollution and make sure the big corporate polluters are fined amounts that get noticed in the boardroom. "But this is not enough on its own. The poorest in society bear the brunt of the worst pollution and much of this is legally allowed. A radical third term for Labour would pledge to tackle environmental injustices by making sure that pollution doesn't hit the poorest hardest." Campaigners claim that poor areas are subjected to the highest levels of pollution because they tend to be closer to heavy industry and motorways. Tony Blair has made climate change,a priority for Britain's presidency of the G8 and the EU later this year, but little priority has been given to proposals for higher penalties for polluters, which Michael Meacher promised in September 1998 when he was environment secretary. Mr Meacher said then that the fines for those who continued polluting were "pathetic". The average fine then was £2,500. It is now estimated to be around £4,000.
News
UK, GRP Tank Failure A double wall GRP tank failure was picked up in central London recently by the alarming of the class 1 leak detection system that was monitoring the interstitial space of the tank. Inspection revealed that the tank split on the inside was along the length of the tank. The tank was installed in a sensitive location in the centre of London and the oil company intend to remove the tank and close the station.
then it will be forced to carry fewer passengers.' Rockhopper chief executive Noel Hayes warned that it could be the people of Alderney and air passengers who ended up paying the price. 'This could prove very costly for Alderney,' he said. 'It will certainly affect private planes and this will impact on tourism. It may also impact on commercial operators. Until the situation changes, there is the possibility of disruption, delays and more cost to us. 'Of course, while we
aim is for aviation fuel to be stored at the airport, but it is unlikely that suitable facilities would be in place before the end of next year. A Guernsey airport official said on Saturday that there would be no refuelling in Alderney until at least the end of March. Mr Postlethwaite said that the current situation could have a serious impact on the two airlines serving Alderney and on the island's economy. 'We are hoping, with goodwill, to have a short-term solution in place shortly, it just depends on whether we can find a storage place that meets the requirements of the Health and Safety Executive.'
UK, Fraserburgh, February 17 2005. Ship painters fined £5000 for explosion
UK, Guernsey, Vale, February 2005. Tank condemned: there will be no refuelling at Alderney airport for the time being Planes will instead have to come to Guernsey, where any landing charge will be waived to compensate for the inconvenience. Fuel supplies in the northern isle have run out after a delivery on Friday had to be turned away. The old storage site had been deemed unsafe and no replacement depot has yet been found. 'It is a very unsatisfactory situation and will alienate aircraft operators and in the short term we will lose business,' said States member John Postlethwaite, who is on the airport-remediation panel. 'If an aircraft from Southampton has to carry more fuel to avoid a trip to Guernsey,
are not immediately looking at putting up prices, if there are ongoing increases in costs, then we will inevitably have to pass them on. It is the consumer who is most likely to suffer from this.' Alderney's aviation fuel used to be stored at the crusher site near the harbour. But the States of Alderney came under pressure to close it after the Guernsey Health and Safety Executive found it to be unsafe. The island's government was given time to find another storage facility but had not done so by the time Cyma, the company which supplies the aviation fuel, attempted to make a delivery on Friday. The States said that it was unaware that any delivery was scheduled. Unable to put the fuel in the normal site, the company wanted to take it straight to the airport but was told the parking facilities there did not meet the requirements for storing an ISO tank. Mr Postlethwaite said officials in Alderney were working with Guernsey on a short-term solution. The long-term
A Ship Painting firm has been fined £5,000 after a worker was severely injured in an explosion. Peter Bruce Ltd appeared in court for the incident which left Peterhead man Francis Arthur in intensive care. Mr Arthur (36) spent nearly a week being treated for severe burns to his hands and face. He had been working in a small engine-room tank when a halogen lamp ignited the vapours from his spray paint. Flames filled the room and Mr Arthur had to dart through a manhole to get to the deck of the Banff-registered Audacious, docked in Fraserburgh. His Broch-based employers admitted failing to ensure the health and safety of a worker as the case was called before Peterhead Sheriff Court on Thursday. A Healthy and Safety investigation determined the halogen lamp was behind the explosion. Defence agent Gail Wiggins said the company had spent £3,000 on getting suitable lighting equipment after the accident. She said managing director Peter Bruce took photographs at the time to help with the Health and Safety inquiry, which started two days after last April's incident. And he is sending each of his 12 employees on a course to better prepare them for working in confined spaces. Sheriff Malcolm Garden reduced the company's fine by £2,000 given its previous good record. He said: They have been generally very responsible and had a Healthy and 17
News Safety regime in place. "That's more than can be said for some companies that come before this court. Peter Bruce Ltd is a family-owned business which was established in 1936. Mr Arthur has told the press that he still suffers from vivid nightmares about the accident. He will have to continue treatment for around two years. Peter Bruce Ltd has kept him on full pay while he has been off work. Days after the accident his head had swelled to around 28 inches and the pain was "absolutely unbearable" he says. It took him days to regain enough confidence to walk down the hospital corridors. His appearance has improved in the ten months since the accident he claims, but he feels there is still a long way to go.
UK, February 17 2005. Chevrontexaco sells 140 service stations Texaco Limited, a U.K. subsidiary of ChevronTexaco Corp., and Somerfield plc, the fifth-largest food retailer in the United Kingdom, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to negotiate the sale of approximately 140 Texaco-owned service stations in the United Kingdom to Somerfield. The proposed agreement is part of San Ramon, Calif.-based ChevronTexaco Global Downstream's strategic direction to improve returns by focusing on areas of strength and enhancing and managing its Chevron, Texaco and Caltex brands. As part of this strategy, Texaco Limited is reducing capital invested in certain retail assets. Following the proposed sale, Texaco will maintain a marketing presence in the United Kingdom as a branded wholesaler, supplying fuel to 1,100 Texaco-branded third-party service stations, one of the largest branded fuel networks in the United Kingdom. Under the proposed agreement, Texaco would continue to supply the approximately 140 Somerfield-owned service stations with fuel and the forecourts would still be branded Texaco. The convenience stores would operate under the Somerfield brand. "This proposed agreement will allow us to concentrate our resources and capital on enhancing 18
the performance of our refining and distribution network," said Shariq Yosufzai, president of ChevronTexaco Global Marketing. "Our customers will still receive the same high quality fuel products they have come to expect from filling up at a Texaco-branded site and will also benefit from Somerfield's excellent fresh food and retail expertise.”
UK, Nailing the Petrol Pong! One major UK oil company appeared to be having problems in identifying the source of strong petrol fumes at a number of their recently constructed UK operated sites. Inspections' being carried out revealed there appeared to be no common denominator. At one site in London things got so bad a prohibition notice was issued and the site that was relatively new was closed for a while. Engineers believe that the vapour build up can be explained and tests are underway to identify the source as each site is inspected.
New tank manufacturing standards from OFTEC Right at the heart of any oil heating or cooking installation is an oil storage tank. Today, UK installers have a choice of over 500 different tanks to choose from, available in a range of different capacities, shapes and sizes. So whatever and wherever the installation, there is sure to be a tank to suit! When stored safely and securely, oil is an environmentally responsible fuel choice. Indeed, recent research undertaken in Germany has proven that oil heating is ultimately less polluting than either 'natural' gas or LPG. The introduction of oil tank manufacturing and installations standards by OFTEC, together with greater regulatory awareness amongst consumers and installers, has raised standards at oil storage installations across the country. However, at a time of ever-increasing environmental awareness, it is clearly important that the industry does not stand still.
OFTEC claims to have taken something of a lead, by recently launching revised manufacturing standards for oil storage tanks. The OFS T100 Standard covers all rotationally moulded plastic tanks, whilst the OFS T200 Standard covers metal tanks. Both standards took effect this week and consequently, all OFCERT Licensed products supplied in Great Britain (including the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands) will henceforth comply with the revised standards. But just what difference will the new standards make to installers? Well firstly, OFS T100 requires that all plastic bunded tanks will now be supplied complete with an overfill prevention device, in common with tanks supplied in most European Union countries. Curiously, such devices are not a requirement for Single Skin Tanks, which carry with them an inherently greater risk of pollution. OFS T100 requires that such devices where fitted are compliant with Europe Standard EN 13616, which permits the fitting of devices which 'form all or part of a system, which when connected to the road tanker vehicle or supply system, and/or to upstream compatible and compliant devices, is designed to automatically prevent the liquid level in the storage tank exceeding the stated maximum filling capacity.' In practice, that means many plastic bunded tanks will now be supplied with a modern, failsafe, electronic overfill prevention probe. The failsafe, electronic approach has proven popular at hundreds of thousands of installations across Europe and is already being used by a number of UK based distributors. Unlike, mechanical valves, failsafe, electronic prevention systems incorporate BITE technology derived from the aerospace industry and are 100% failsafe and cannot be readily bypassed. Higher cost, old fashioned, overfill prevention valves will however remain acceptable, for OFCERT Licensing purposes. However, it's worth remembering that at some installations, it would be unwise to rely solely on such non-failsafe technology and additional, failsafe precautions will be required. Secondly, all OFCERT Licensed plastic tanks (both bunded and single skin) will also now be equipped with a gauge
News incorporating 'remote and local reading' capabilities. Installers of steel tanks will also notice some changes. Detailed changes will be made to the venting arrangements for steel tanks manufactured in accordance with OFS T200. These revisions are designed to reduce the risk of a steel tank becoming over-pressurised. OFCERT Licensed plastic tanks are now leaving factories with 'local and remote gauging equipment' supplied as standard and additionally, all OFCERT Licensed plastic bunded tanks will also be supplied complete with a factory fitted overfill prevention device. Given that the changes to tank manufacturing standards take effect from this week, plastic and steel tanks manufactured to the new standards should be appearing in a merchant or fuel distributor near you within the next few weeks.
USA, Wash, Aberdeen, March 1 2005. Worker injured at petroleum company in Aberdeen Fire officials are investigating the cause of a fire at a petroleum company in west Aberdeen Tuesday. The two alarm fire started around 4 p.m. at Masco Petroleum as a fork lift operator was moving a container with 100 gallons of petrol. One employee was taken to Grays Harbor Community Hospital, but his injuries weren't believed to be serious. A loaded tanker was in the area when the fire started but workers were able to drive it away from danger. Fire crews used foam to extinguish the fire. The flammable liquid also ran into a storm pipe and ignited a second fire in a ditch in front of the building.The fire's cause is unknown.
Press Releases Energy in the UK on the cusp of change This year's Guest of Honour and speaker at the International Petroleum Week's 91st Annual Dinner was Mr Lee
Lee Raymond, Photo: Jim Four/EI
R. Raymond, Chairman and CEO of Exxon Mobil Corporation. Mr Raymond provided the key note address commenting on the world's energy needs, discussing where global energy trends are leading, and what this implied for energy policies and practices specifically to the United Kingdom. He began by looking out to the year 2030 saying, "The three most important elements in how much energy the world will need are population, economic growth and the development and penetration of advanced technologies. As global population increases and economies expand, so will energy needs, moderated primarily by progress made in the efficiency of energy use. The combination of economic growth and population increases can be expected to lead to a rise in primary energy demand of about 50%." He continues, "And let me reiterate that this growth will be considerably higher if we as energy consumers do not continue to make wise choices and effective investments to improve the efficiency with which we use energy. We estimate that four-fifths of the energy needs in 2030 will be met by fossil fuels, reflecting the scale of these resources, their flexibility in application, and their cost-competitiveness. Factoring in the natural decline of current fields, about 80% of the oil that will be needed in 2030 will have to come from new production. Finding and producing this energy will obviously be a tremendous challenge, and one that will occupy our industry for the next generation. It is very likely that alternative forms of energy will begin to make more of a contribution to energy supply over this period. But here is where an
understanding of scale is so important." Mr Raymond spoke on the expected rapid growth rate for wind and solar energy but concluded that their contribution to global energy will still be in the 1% range in 2030 because these alternative energies start from a very low base, and because the global energy market is so huge. Therefore the key issue in energy will be how to find and produce enough conventional energy to support global economic activity and prosperity for a growing world population. Overall, Mr Raymond believes that the key change that will emerge is that Europe will provide less and less of its own energy, and will become a larger importer, dependent even more than it is today on the global energy marketplace. He says, "Our industry's focus for the UK is to meet the growing demand for energy while moderating the rate of production decline. Doing so will mean ensuring that exploration continues to be conducted and that production from existing brownfield resources is maximized. For these goals to be accomplished, there must be a willingness to take steps to control costs on remaining production, including those related to taxes and regulatory requirements, as the UK has to compete with other jurisdictions around the world for investment funds. The costs of operating in the UK Continental Shelf are among the highest in the world, and we should not be distracted by the current rise in oil prices, which have as recently as a few years ago been as low as $10 per barrel." Mr Raymond believes that accelerated conservation will be insufficient, a large expansion of nuclear energy would probably be unpopular, expensive and unattainable in the time frame and renewable energy simply does not have the scale required. Therefore he feels that consumption of natural gas will continue to rise and will need to if the UK is to continue to meet its Kyoto obligations and the challenging carbon dioxide reduction targets it has set itself. A key consideration however is that the UK will not be alone in needing more gas. It will face international competition for the available supplies and therefore Europe will have to be competitive to attract the increased imported gas that 21
News it will need. There are important environmental implications that arise from growth in energy. He thinks that there is a need to be realistic about environmental targets, saying, "While the political commitment to the Kyoto process and targets is quite strong in Europe, attaining those targets is going to be very challenging, given the energy supply and demand realities." Mr Raymond concludes, "Overall, the United Kingdom, and Europe more generally, is entering a period where the energy structure that has existed for several decades will see increasing change. Those changes will challenge the industry as we seek to find and deliver energy supplies, and they will challenge European governments as these governments seek to maintain local production and to establish the framework for new energy investments. Resolving the challenges will take time, money, new technologies, facing up to the hard truths regarding energy, the political courage to enact wise policies, as well as some restructuring of expectations. None of these will be easy nor will their course run entirely smoothly, but as in other periods, our industry has met the challenges we have faced successfully. We will do so now also." For further information, please contact Katie Crabb at the Energy Institute on +44 (0) 20 7467 7173 or email kcrabb@energyinst.org.uk
Shell Selects Gilbarco Veeder-Root As A Strategic Supplier for Fuel Dispensing Equipment Six-Year arrangement includes the US, Europe, Latin America GREENSBORO, NC – February 14, 2005 – Gilbarco Veeder-Root, a leading supplier of systems and services for retail fueling, announced today that it has entered into a six-year arrangement with Shell Oil Products as a strategic supplier for fuel dispensing equipment in the US, Europe, and Latin America. “We are looking to develop a strategic partnership with a global supplier with the capabilities to support Shell’s plans 22
for growth in key world markets,” said Allen Kirkley, Shell’s vice president for purchasing, based in London. “Gilbarco Veeder-Root is an excellent fit for meeting this need.” “We are very pleased that Shell has given us the opportunity to extend our business with them in these key regions. We are confident that the technology behind Gilbarco’s dispensers and the global support and service that our organization can provide will allow us to further cement our partnership with Shell worldwide,” said Martin Gafinowitz, president of Gilbarco North America. Gilbarco-Veeder-Root continues to be a leading supplier for Shell. In July 2004, the company announced its Passport POS was selected by Shell Oil Products US as a strategic point-of-sale system – part of Shell’s program to standardize POS equipment across its entire network of branded locations. Shell has over 1100 sites under contract with Gilbarco Veeder-Root’s Fuel Management Services (FMS). VeederRoot has been under contract with Shell to supply automatic tank gauging equipment, on a worldwide basis, since 1999.
Daily Flow Monitoring maximises site efficiency using existing Veeder-Root ® TLS-350R™ and dispensers Automated on-line service from Gilbarco Veeder-Root helps keep flow at peak rates for single and multiple sites Richmond, Surrey UK – March 30, 2005 – Retailers now have a new tool to help prevent low flow rates from eating into profits. Daily Flow Monitoring, a new on-line service now available from Gilbarco Veeder-Root, leverages installed Veeder-Root ® TLS automatic tank gauges along with most dispenser brands to measure daily flow rates for an entire fueling network. Daily Flow Monitoring data enables site operators to precisely measure flow and low flow occurrences so they can take corrective action before flow problems impact fuel sales.
“Daily Flow Monitoring helps retailers maximise profitability in two ways,” explains FMS Marketing Manager Greg Sears. “First, it helps make sure each fueling position is operating at peak flow for maximum throughput. And just as important, it helps operators reduce maintenance costs by changing dispenser filters only when needed, instead of at arbitrary pre-scheduled intervals, which can be wasteful and unnecessary.” A simple startup kit is all that’s required for retailers to initiate Daily Flow Monitoring. The system relies on existing technology contained in TLS tank gauges, then applies sophisticated algorithms, along with data supplied by dispensers to provide easy-to-read daily flow reports. Daily Flow Monitoring provides daily flow reporting by fueling position and grade. It also generates automatic email alerts if any fueling position’s flow rate slips below the retailers’ predesignated threshold. “With this level of flow rate management capability,” Sears adds, “Retailers can enjoy more uptime with maximum flow rates even during peak flow periods. This adds up to better profits and greater customer satisfaction.” About Gilbarco Veeder-Root Gilbarco Veeder-Root is a leading global provider of retail and commercial dispensers, point of sale systems, automatic tank gauges, management services, submersible pumps, site and retail management and environmental compliance. Its integrated systems are designed to reduce cost of ownership, enhance environmental integrity, and improve performance and profitability for petroleum marketers, private and commercial fleets, and high-volume retailers. Business line brands include Gilbarco, Veeder-Root, UstMan, SIR, Red Jacket, and Gasboy. Headquartered in Greensboro, NC, the companies have manufacturing, sales, distribution, and service locations in North and South America, Europe, Asia and the Pacific Rim. (www.gilbarco.com , www.veeder.com, www.gasboy.com) Contact: Alex Blamire Gilbarco Veeder-Root Phone 0044 (0)20 8392 8122 Fax 0044 (0)20 8878 6642 Email: alex_blamire@veeder.co.uk
News
TESCO fined over £6,000 for illegal petrol sales Retail giant TESCO pleaded guilty of selling petrol in illegal containers in a case brought by Suffolk County Council's trading standards department. TESCO was fined £2,000 for each of the two offences and had costs of £2,800 awarded against the company. Britain's biggest supermarket chain admitted to selling petrol into unapproved containers at the TESCO store at Martlesham, Suffolk on 4 March 2004 and again four days later at the TESCO store at Copdock, Ipswich. Both were the result of undercover checks carried out by trading standards officers who, posing as members of the public, had served themselves petrol in containers that did not comply with current safety standards. Magistrates heard that this was a repeat of an exercise which had been carried out in March 2003 where again the Martlesham store had failed by selling petrol in unapproved containers. After the first lapse of safety standards in 2003 the trading standards service had written to TESCO with advice concerning the law. Welcoming the guilty plea, County Trading Standards officer for Suffolk County Council, Steve Greenfield said: "The safety of the public is our top
priority and there is no excuse for firms, no matter how big they are, not to stick to the laws that are there to protect us all. At no point in the tests were the public or officers put in any danger. However, we must remember that the cashiers on the day did not know that these were fully trained officers and had this sale been to a member of the public the results could have been fatal. He continued: "We'd visited TESCO before and advised the firm on what they needed to do to abide by the law, yet they failed these basic safety breaches again when we checked a few months later. This shocking lapse in safety standards is not acceptable with a product as dangerous and volatile as petrol. This is why we carry out these inspections, advise businesses and take legal action with persistent offenders". At every site visited the officers drove onto the forecourt parked in safe marked areas. Although unapproved, the metal container concealed within the box was safe and the officers ensured the operation posed no risk to the public. For health and safety reasons the container was taken immediately to the car after the test purchase had been undertaken and the petrol was poured safely into the cars tank using a funnel. The result is the last in a series of high profile illegal petrol sales shown up by trading standards undercover
checks in March 2004 during which over £10, 000 of fines were levied. Date of checks, venue, charges, fines and costs: 2nd March 2004 BP Newmarket Hyperion one charge dispensing fuel illegally £400 fine two charges relating to training £1,600 fine £2,000 costs 3rd March Fuel Force, Tollgate Service station, Bury St Edmunds Two charges dispensing fuel illegally £1200 fine £2,000 costs 4th March BP Martlesham one charge of dispensing fuel illegally £400 fine two charges relating to staff training £2,600 fine £2,000 in costs 4th March Tesco Martlesham one charge of dispensing fuel illegally £2,000 fine 4th March Tesco Copdock one charge of dispensing fuel illegally £2,000 fine £2,800 costs Total £19,000 25
Articles
Plastic Retractable Pipework Systems, the Future By François Meersseman, Managing Director TCI Environment nv
20 years ago our Industry had several concerns regarding steel and GRP fuel pipe systems. It was agreed that corrosion issues with steel tube, numerous joints exposed to the environment and ground movements affecting rigid systems; were driving the industry toward flexible, joint-less pipework systems. TCI US, in partnership with Exxon, were the first Company in the world to develop a secondary contained, flexible and fully retractable fuel pipe system to answer these concerns. TCI Environment nv (TCI-E), founded in 1992, specialises in the design and marketing of non-metallic, flexible fuel pipe systems and accessories for the underground storage and conveyance of hazardous liquids. We bring more than a decade of experience to the fuel, chemical storage and transportation industries. Focusing on the downstream sections of the petroleum and chemical industry in Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia, TCI-E is able to list thousands of installations operating to the satisfaction of multi-national oil companies, local operators, authorities and maintenance contractors. Our distribution network has experts 26
available to give technical advice and training to building contractors and installers. Today, when analysing the experiences acquired over these years and watching the rapid developments in fuel design; one can only conclude that the pipework material selection is again an important issue. The article in The Bulletin of March 2005 highlighted some important issues and experiences in the US States of Florida and Mississippi.
None of today's pipe system outer covers, whether flexible braided or PE thick wall pipes, were designed to be immersed, over long periods, in hydrocarbons; as until now the outer skin has been seen solely as a protective layer. Unfortunately, although against all
official regulations, we discover that in these States, significant amounts of fuel are allowed to stand for extended periods of time in access chambers. As the regulatory authorities are understaffed, it is not possible to enforce the tougher inspection and maintenance regulations required to police this situation. This has led to the revision of the UL971 standard (for non-metallic fuel pipe), resulting in the lowering of the maximum permeation levels allowed to 1gr/m²/day, for both primary and secondary pipes. The most stringent of the changes instigated by UL is the long-term immersion test of the pipe. Only very small dimensional expansion limits are now tolerated and none of the pipes actually on the market meets these requirements. Also the European EN14125 guidelines call for immersion tests but not to such high standards. Materials and technologies are available to meet these stringent requirements. The question is: Are the end users willing to pay the higher prices? The Pipe Liner The chemical resistance and low permeation level of the inner barrier
Articles layer, or liner, are of utmost importance. The concerns are: • Is the polymer resistant to Methyl Ester present in the new bio-diesels?
- Operating temperatures up to 120°C - Extremely low permeation; far below the EN14125 0,2gr/m²/day - Flame retardant properties
• Are the liners also resistant to additives, such as methanol / ethanol, MTHF (Methyl Tetra Hydra Furan) already now or soon replacing the polluting MTBE, AdBlue ? • Why do current official requirements not even test pipe liners for chemical resistance to some of these new additives? • Many liner materials in use will not meet the permeation levels newly imposed by UL and EN.
- Excellent fatigue properties to withstand continuous pressure cycles. FORTRON® is also used to replace metal fuel distribution parts in car engines and to produce pump impellers, valves and injector components. FORTRON® is now used in the construction of velocity strings installed in oil and gas wells. Primary pipes
Pipe Strength layer Today's fuel pipework is either of multi-layer, braided construction or has a PE extruded thick wall to give it its strength. The PE thick wall pipes are cheaper but far less easy to handle and to install. Their major disadvantage however, is that the PE wall will expand over time, both in thickness and length. This often causes very serious fitting deformation problems in access chambers. TCI-E in co-operation with Polyflow Inc. USA; who specialise in plastics extrusion and chemical bonding of polymers: anticipated the problems previously stated. They introduced FORTRON® (Polyphenylene Sulphide PPS) as an internal liner material in all its primary pipes in 2001; and also developed the option to use Nylon for its outer cover: to be introduced in 2005.
FORTRON® has unique physical and chemical properties including: - Long term resistance to substances such as Ethanol / Methanol, Methyl Ester, Urea based AdBlue, Methyl Tetra Hydra Furan, Toluene, etc…
TCI's primary pipe is of braided construction. The obvious advantage of the braiding is the flexibility; offering very easy installation and long-term resistance to hydraulic chock. All TCI's pipes are constructed using the FORTRON® liner. To meet the new UL971 requirements, Polyflow inc. USA currently has primary pipes, with nylon outer cover instead of polyethylene, under test and expects to be able to launch them into the market by second half of 2005. Secondary pipes To meet the new UL971 requirements, Polyflow inc. USA has also redesigned their Secondary pipe into a multi-layer construction to meet the maximum permeation levels allowed. It should be noted that DEFRA in the UK (Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs) in their latest document concerning the Ground Water Protection Code for Petrol Stations and
Other Fuel Dispensing Facilities involving UST states that it is good practice is utilize double skin pipework. It is our understanding that leakage from single skin pipework could possibly lead to the prosecution of the station owner. What remain unchanged are the most powerful benefits of the TCI-E concept:
Secondary contained, fully retractable pipework installations Secondary containment, with the ability to retract the primary fuel pipe without excavation and long station down time; is the least expensive environmental and operational insurance you can buy! Whist no one can predict the precise composition of the future fuels; "retractability" insures peace of mind for station owners, operators and regulators alike. TCI Environment nv Kontichsesteenweg 59, Unit 13 B-2630 Aartselaar - Belgium T: F: M: E: W:
+32 3 4598076 +32 3 4598082 +32 475 267052 francois.meersseman@tcie.com www.tci-e.com 27
Articles
FPS Concerned at continuing above-inflation duty rises on red diesel By Federation of Petroleum Suppliers FPS is concerned that the freeze on
scheme, a major part of the Strategy,
Customs on a monthly basis.
road fuel and rebated fuel duty
has put in place a rigorous system to
Media enquiries to:
announced in today's Budget masks
eliminate fraudulent use of red diesel.
continuing penalization of red diesel
Its implementation has caused great
Federation of Petroleum Suppliers Ltd
users.
cost and inconvenience to legitimate
Rod Prowse, Media Representative
industry. Any increase in duty to the
Office 01295 264544, Mobile 07770
vigorously on this point and, whilst it
same
575940
applauds the decision to defer duty
confidence in the RDCO scheme on the
rises
part of Government.
FPS
has
and
been
to
campaigning
maintain
the
duty
end
indicates
a
lack
of
Email rodprowse@tiscali.co.uk. Federation of Petroleum Suppliers
differential between road fuels and NOTES
(FPS)
September will amount to a 53%
Note 1
Established in 1979, the Federation of
increase in red diesel duty in under 12
The duty on red diesel was increased in
Petroleum Suppliers Limited is the
months, compared with a 2.6% rise in
the April 2003 Budget from 3.13p per
trade association for oil distributors and
ULSD and ULSP duty.
litre to 4.22p, a rise of 35%. The March
ancillary interests in the UK and the Republic of Ireland.
rebated fuels, the 1.22p per litre duty rise due to come into effect on 1
The increase will come on top of
2004 Budget announced a further
substantial increases in the price of oil,
increase from 4.22p per litre to 6.64p,
which have already taken red diesel
due to come into on 1 September 2004,
It provides members with a collective
prices to their highest levels since the
a rise of 57%. However, this rise was
voice for the industry at national levels,
Yom Kippur war, over 25 years ago.
deferred and then replaced by a duty
services
rise to 5.22p from 1 December 2004.
optimising their business efficiencies
Susan Hancock, Chief Executive of
assist
members
in
and promotes best practice in the
the Federation of Petroleum Suppliers,
industry.
said, "The increased crude oil prices
Note 2
have already provided the Treasury
In addition to excise duty, VAT is
with unexpected additional revenue
charged on red diesel.
from the North Sea. These high crude
charged on the excise duty element.
VAT is also
Membership
is
organised
geographical
basis
with
on
a
regional
activities, and the Federation also
prices have also increased prices of red diesel to end users, to the point
Note 3
holds an Annual Conference and
where it will affect the economy of rural
Red diesel, also termed 'gas oil', is a
Exhibition.
communities
vital fuel for the agricultural industry. It
and
niche
industry
markets that use the fuel.
is also used in industry, construction
Governance is through Council, to
Government's
and commerce and powers diesel rail
which
pollution reduction targets, red diesel
traffic. UK consumption of red diesel
representative.
consumption is insignificant compared
and marine diesel oil for 2004 was
with road fuels and so has minimal
6.35m tonnes, compared with 38m
For
overall environmental impact.
tonnes of road fuel.
Federation, please contact the office at
"In
terms
of
the
The
more
region
nominates
information
about
a
the
website www.fpsonline.co.uk
users who have no access to natural
Note 4
gas."
The RDCO (Registered Dealer in
With far more effective measures
each
the address given below, or visit its
increase is just another blow to those
28
to
Controlled
Oils)
scheme
requires
already in place as part of Customs'
sellers of red diesel and kerosene to
Oils Fraud Strategy, the Federation of
register as a dealer with Customs and
Federation of Petroleum Suppliers Ltd
Petroleum Suppliers, which represents
to
3 Slaters Court, Princess St, Knutsford,
the oil distributors who supply red
customers have a legitimate use for the
Cheshire, WA16 6BW,UK
diesel, does not believe that the
fuel they buy.
Tel: 01565-631313
increase due in September will have
required to record and report details of
Fax: 01565-631314
any effect on oils fraud.
sales, customers and delivery sites to
Email office@fpsonline.co.uk
The RDCO
assure
themselves
that
their
Dealers are also
Articles
Environmentally Friendly Liquid Waste Disposal Route for Interceptor Wastes By Helen Fazakerley, Oceans-ESU Ltd Introduction Since we last wrote an article for this paper, the weight of environmental legislation affecting operators of petrol filling stations has shifted from pollution control and prevention (The Environmental Protection Act of 1990 and the Water Resources Act of 1991) to waste treatment and control measures; as inadvertent or careless spillage has been brought under control, the diligent and careful disposal of the controlled pollutants has become more pressing. On petrol stations, this shift in focus was expressed in the previous millennium by the installation of oil-water separators to control inadvertent release of hydrocarbons into the environment and is being expressed in this millennium by increasingly demanding standards of what to do with the oily waste byproduct. The costs to the operator are likely to be astronomical. Oceans-ESU Ltd, who first replaced the oil-water separator in Northampton with a reed bed for BP have been developing an alternative, environmentally friendly and costeffective route. Environmental limitations of oilwater separators Oil water separators are a popular technology for minimising the amount of hydrocarbons in urban runoff. However, they do not treat the oil, they only save the problem for later. Consequently, they have the following environmental drawbacks:
separated hydrocarbons, into the waterways during high rainfall events · There is a high environmental cost of tankering the waste oil and sludge around the country to disposal points. As disposal points have been reduced in number, the miles travelled by dirty oil has increased. · The waste oil, which was disposed to landfill, is now routinely incinerated. An Alternative: Reed beds on Petrol Filling Stations Regular readers will remember that a reed bed system designed by OceansESU Ltd was installed in Northampton for BP in December 2000 to replace the forecourt oil-water separator. Storm water from the site is directed through a reed bed and then into a storm water basin prior to final discharge to a local watercourse. The reeds also treat the foul drainage from the petrol station and a McDonalds on the same site. Since the reed bed replaced the forecourt oil-water separator, HELA LACOTS PETEL 65/45 was composed and issued to Petroleum Officers in 2001 to advise on the measures that should be in place to control the risks of fire or explosion. This has now been incorporated into the new Blue Book. Subsequently, reed beds, rain-water harvesting and water recycling
technologies designed by Oceans-ESU Ltd were adopted by BP at several sites across the country in an effort to achieve a virtuous water cycle as in the illustration. None of these sites have oil-water separators. Two of them have succeeded so far in attracting newts to breed in the ponds. Why reed beds? Reed beds are a solution to wastewater treatment that incur comparable capital costs to mechanical methods, provide reliable and robust treatment performance and have very low operations and maintenance requirements. They are particularly popular for remote locations, without a cost-effective sewer connection. Their added benefits of wildlife habitat creation, and the PR possibilities afforded by their installation have made them an attractive alternative. When treating hydrocarbon-contaminated water on petrol filling stations, they treat all of the contaminants to a higher standard than oil-water separators and do not produce intractable by-products. The maintenance costs, when the reeds are established are therefore very much cheaper. The draw-back of reed beds, of course, is that they occupy a larger footprint than an oil-water separator (about the area of one car-parking space to treat the high risk areas under the canopies). It is therefore unlikely
· The discharged water is not clean, it contains high levels of dissolved phase organics · The above is particularly true where the vehicle wash separator is (incorrectly) installed upstream of the forecourt separator because the surfactants dissolve more hydrocarbons into the water · The by-pass separator is actually designed to discharge all the untreated pollutants, including Laying soil bed
29
Articles reed bed result in an extraordinary water cleaning capability.
Pumpherston
that they will be adopted for small inner city sites. How do reed beds work? Reed bed treatment systems are self-contained, artificially engineered, wetland ecosystems. They are designed to optimise the microbiological, chemical and physical processes naturally occurring in the wetland. Wetland plants, such as reeds, transfer atmospheric oxygen down through their roots in order to survive in waterlogged conditions. This creates both aerobic and anaerobic soil conditions, allowing extraordinary microbial species diversity to flourish. These bacteria and fungi can use organic pollutants as a food source, breaking down a wide range of organic chemical products. So, chemicals are not simply stored in the reed bed; they are actually degraded into harmless components. Soils adsorption capacity also provides a buffer for peak or shock effluent loads. The complexity of microbial life and powerful reactions within the root zone of the soil based
30
Environmental controls on petrol filling stations in the new millennium The burden of disposing of waste oils from oil-water separators is becoming increasingly difficult and expensive. For a start, the DETR has scrapped the existing special waste definition and replaced it with "hazardous waste" as defined in the Hazardous Waste Directive. Many more contaminants, including oil, are now defined as hazardous and regular producers of hazardous waste may in the future have to register themselves with the Environment Agency. Meanwhile, the number of sites able to receive hazardous waste has been reduced from around 280 throughout the UK to around 11. More importantly for the petrol station operator, in July 2002, disposal of liquid waste to landfill became illegal under the Landfill Directive. Since oil is very costly to process for recycling, it became common to process it by removing water and solid contaminants and to use as a Reprocessed Fuel Oil (RFO). At present RFO is used in the UK in power stations, cement & lime kilns, quarries, industrial furnaces and smaller boilers and space heaters.
However, from 2006 the Waste Incineration Directive will prevent most current RFO users from burning it. What will petrol station operators do with their waste oil then? Well, there are two alternatives. The waste oil can be processed for recycling, the bills for which will be astronomical. Or the petrol station operators may start looking at reed beds with renewed interest. In addition to small reed beds for individual sites, Oceans-ESU Ltd, with partners, Scott Engineering and Impetus, is exploring the possibility of establishing a large, central reed bed that will be licensed to treat many hazardous liquid wastes from several sources, such as hydrocarbons, phenols and amines. This innovative proposal is in its early days. It has so far met with approval from the Environment Agency, a very substantial reed bed has been secured and the prototype administrative procedures are being developed. In addition to the liquid and reed beds facility, Oceans-ESU Ltd is promoting a separator inspection service. This service will assess whether the separator needs emptying, rather than routinely gulping. The service costs a fraction of gulping and will reduce the amount of oily water that is needlessly being tankered around the country.
If you would like to learn more, contact Helen Fazakerley, OceansESU Ltd 01273 403978
Articles
Full Coverage for Leak Detection from OPW By Paul Reyner, Regional Manager - OPW UK With the highly competitive market in fuel distribution, companies today are concerned not only with environmental compliance and leak detection but also with tighter control of fuel inventory. High volume retailer demands have dramatically changed the performance requirements of today's automatic tank gauge systems. Emphasis at these high volume sites is focused on monitoring and controlling fuel usage from a central location. Huge increases in volume dispensed require constant attention to avoid fuel run outs. The volume of fuel dispensed has increased dramatically from 600 to 700 thousand liters a month to as much as 2 million or more liters a month for high volume locations. There is increased demand to automate manual processes as well as improve the accuracy of the data collected. Leak detection is a small component of fuel management today. The total picture of fuel management consists not only of detecting leaks to the environment and eliminating the loss of product through inaccurate meters, theft of product and inaccurate deliveries, but also ensuring the business does not run out of fuel as the volume pumped grows. This demand for automation and greater accuracy has driven the continuous development of OPW fuel management products to include PC based software to manage fueling operations from a central location and precision inventory reconciliation within the automatic tank gauge for greater accuracy and lower operating costs. OPW SmartTalk™ PC based software integrates the functionality of the OPW Galaxy and Site Sentinel Series of automatic tank gauges into the PC environment and provides real time access to data. SmartTalk provides the owner/operator of the facility with a graphical representation of all tank inventory levels as well as the associated height/volume information in a text format. All reports that were printed in the past on the system printer can now be printed out on the PC's printer. Polled information is automatically saved in the database and can be easily exported to other management programs. OPW Galaxy Precision Inventory
Reconciliation feature integrates automatic calibration of tanks and automatic reconciliation of liquid fuel inventory into the Galaxy automatic tank gauge. It highlights discrepancies in delivery and sales data, qualifying the data and eliminating sources of errors for the station owner. The Precision Inventory Reconciliation reports quickly enable the owner/operator to view inventory trends and spot exceptions. Additionally, it saves hours each day, each week and each month from manually collecting data and filling out burdensome reports to account for fuel being sold, fuel being delivered and the remaining fuel in the tank. Additional costs savings associated with tight, more accurate, control of the liquid inventory are eliminating stock outages, return loads and rush orders. This real time measurement and collection of data provides maximum performance in the ability to accurately measure the amount of fuel in the tank and the fuel being pumped through the dispensers. Data Collection The data used in the reconciliation process is collected, processed and
converted from raw heights & temperatures to volume. The resulting volumes are then compared to the opening volumes to calculate an observed or measured (physical tank) sales volume. Meter readings are compared to the opening meter readings to calculate metered sales volumes. The metered and measured amounts are added to the daily cumulative volumes and are used to generate the monthly inventory control (MIC) reports. Additionally, the data is checked to see if a delivery or water removal has occurred. If so, the delivery or removal amounts are calculated and stored for the reports. The reconciliation reports are available in either net or gross volume. These are also available on a current month or stored months' basis. The Monthly Inventory Control report provides for each day the opening volume (physically measured), the metered sales, calculated volume (opening-metered), the ending volume (physically measured), and a corresponding over/short (ending volume-calculated volume). In addition, it provides a total delivery and
35
Articles total other adjustments line, which can be water removed from the tank or fuel added back to the tank because someone has performed a meter calibration. Further, it provides a total monthly sales, total monthly over/short, over/short as a percentage of sales, 30day average over/short, a 30-day average over/short as a percentage of sales, and an allowable over/short indication. Tank Strapping The tank-strapping feature, which is a key feature in Precision Inventory Reconciliation, provides the ability to accurately measure the amount of product in the tank as well as what is dispensed during the course of doing business daily. This feature attempts to develop or adjust a tank chart for converting fuel heights to volumes and minimizing the over/short net values. The original tank chart can be entered by any number of methods, including choosing a pre-built fiberglass chart, entering the dimensions for a steel tank, or manually entering tank points at selected locations. Regardless of the input method, the internal Galaxy software creates a tank chart that stores a volume for every inch. Metered sales and measured sales are compared statistically to produce a more accurate tank chart in the system. Meter Mapping Key to the process of tank strapping or tank calibration is mapping the meters to the tanks. Mapping the meters to the tanks is an integral component of the operation of Precision Inventory reconciliation and this process determines which dispenser meters are linked to which tank for an accurate account of fuel dispensed from each tank. This process can be performed automatically through the Galaxy Console or by manually entering the information into the Galaxy Console. Volumetric Tank Leak Detection In Tank Leak Detection is available on all OPW tank gauges because the in tank probes are designed to produce the maximum accuracy to achieve the 0.4 lph standards required. For Sites that do not operate on a 24-hour basis the ability to perform a volumetric tank test enables the site to monitor their tanks for very small leaks this ensures that any stock losses from the tanks can 36
be quickly detected and action taken. This is particularly important where the site has single skin steel or fiberglass tanks where older dealer sites tend to have. The OPW Site Sentinel 1 performs the test as and when the tank is inactive for a minimum of 2 hours although it is possible for the system to produce a result in less time. With the OPW Galaxy system the timing of the test can be preprogrammed to suit the operational requirements of the site. For those sites that have to operate continuously 24 hours a day 7 days a week the OPW Galaxy SLD (Segmented Leak Detection) software features an advance method of leak detection for the Galaxy tank gauging system. Taking advantage of the Galaxy systems in-tank leak detection capabilities, SLD provides the ability to collect data from the tank and conduct an EPA certified 0.8 lph leak test without shutting down the tanks. The Galaxy with the SLD feature continuously collects product height and temperature information from the tank, determining when idle periods in the tank begin and end. The idle period information is evaluated qualified and only the best information is stored to form a highly accurate database of information. Highly evolved analysis techniques in SLD constantly evaluate new and existing information the database to perform a leak test on only the most highly qualified information. A leak test is performed each time idle period information is added to the database. Since the idle period information is always being updated, the leak tests performed by SLD are always current
and accurate. Test results are provided every 24 hours by either the press of a button to access up to the minute leak test results or automatically by programming the system. These can be printed, faxed or remotely retrieved electronically every 24 hours. There are four different automatic reports available for SLD. Greater accuracy reduced false alarms SLD's algorithms qualify all of the available leak tests data, using only the highest quality data to perform its leak detect test. False alarms are greatly reduced because invalid data is thrown out and only the best data is used. Because leak test data is collected continuously and updated frequently, the response time to detect leaks is shorter than that of a scheduled static leak test. SLD is simple and very easy to use. The owner or operator doesn't have to program in a scheduled leak test time, since the tests are continuously run and the results are automatically printed. SLD is an advanced, accurate and reliable method of leak detection, important to the profitability of every business or company regardless of the size. As well as tank based leak detection system OPW Tank Gauges can also provide leak detection for Interstitial Spaces in double wall tanks, Sump leak detection monitoring, both liquid and vapour, sensors for Monitoring wells and For those with pressurized pumping systems OPW can provide highly accurate Line Leak Detection Systems.
Articles
APEA Annual Conference, Exhibition and Dinner Thursday 13th October 2005 By Brian Baker, APEA Chairman This year's theme looks to the future of what will be coming into the downstream Petrol Filling Station Market. Research is taking place all over the world in the pursuit of alternative energies and fuels. The APEA will be reflecting some of these changes with an interesting and though provoking schedule for this year's Conference Conference/Exhibition There is also our interesting Exhibition to show the very latest technology that is available in our industry and experts on hand to explain their wares and what is on offer. Doors to the exhibition hall open at 10:00 am when visitors can enjoy tea or coffee whilst registering and then have the opportunity to visit the exhibition stands which compliment the conference. The conference session begins at 11:00 with a welcome by Brian Baker, Chairman of the APEA. Following Brian's welcome, Brian will introduce the speakers covering this years theme of ‘What’s Coming Next?’. Speakers are eminent in their respective fields and will be explaining ground breaking issues that will soon affect the industry. Whether you are a contractor, supplier, specifier, regulator, oil company, supermarket, dealer book your place now to attend. You are also welcome to bring a colleague along to see what your Association does for the industry. Dinner To compliment the exhibition and conference the APEA is holding its ever popular Dinner in the Kings Suite at the Metropole. Pre dinner drinks are being served from 19:15 with dinner guests taking their places at 20:00. For your entertainment Brian Newbold will be giving an after dinner speech. Accommodation The APEA have also reserved 80 rooms on 13th October at the hotel at discounted rates should you wish to stay overnight. Rooms can be booked directly with the hotel on 0121 780 4242 quoting the APEA event.
What the day offers LIVELY EDUCATIONAL CONFERENCE SESSION OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS DURING THE Q&A SESSION OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH COLLEAGUES, FRIENDS & SUPPLIERS
EXHIBITION OF INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS AND SERVICES OPPORTUNITY TO REMAIN ABREAST OF AND UNDERSTAND ADVANCES IN TECHNOLOGY AS THEY HAPPEN IF REQUESTED, CERTIFICATE OF ATTENDANCE IN ACCORDANCE WITH PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME WILL BE ISSUED
‘What’s Coming Next?’ Conference and Exhibition - Westminster Suite 9.30 - 10.30
Arrival/refreshments
10.30 - 11.00
Renewable Energy in the Building Industry Ray Noble UK Commercial Manager BP Solar
11.00 - 11.30
UK Hydrogen Speaker from BP
11.30 - 12.00
Nano-technolgy for Petrol Filling Stations Professor Kerry Gardiner
12.00 - 2.00
Lunch
2.00 - 2.30
Stage 2 Vapour Recovery Speaker TBC
2.30 - 3.00
Stage 2 Vapour Recovery Paul Vierhout, ExxonMobil
3.00 - 3.30
Stage 2 Vapour Recovery Mike Jennings, Gilbarco Veeder-Root
4.00
Exhibition closes
Dinner - Kings Suite 7.15 - 8.00
Pre - Dinner drinks
8.00
Dinner with after dinner speaker Brian Newbold
What to do if you wish to attend? Conference - If you wish to attend the conference and exhibition please contact Jane Mardell on 01799 502929 or by email at admin@apea.org.uk at the APEA office to register. Named badges will be available on the day. Exhibition stand booking/Dinner bookings - Please complete the enclosed booking form, accompanying this issue of the Bulletin and either post or fax to the APEA office or call Jane Mardell on 01799 509292. 37
Articles
Swift action saves watering hole By Paul Craven, Trading Standards Officer, Suffolk County Council A leak from an underground tank is a major concern for any petrol station owner.
This nightmare became a
reality for one petrol station in Suffolk. The situation could have been a lot worse had it not been for a swift, direct, joined up response from Suffolk County Council's
Trading
Standards
department, the Environment Agency and Suffolk & Essex water. In June 2004 Trading Standards received a call from Bob Smith the owner of Crisps Paramount Garage, Knodishall.
Agency and Suffolk and Essex Water to let them know about the situation. An inspection of the tank revealed a hole around 10mm in diameter caused by Microbial Induced Corrosion (MIC). MIC thrives in a dormant environment where it has water, air, food and hydrocarbon to help it multiply.
The
tank on Mr Smith's site was an ideal breeding ground as it had lain unused, containing enough product to keep a liquid seal, since he stopped selling LRP (lead replacement petrol) earlier in the year. The tank was sound prior to the delivery of the 9,000 litres but the He believed over 8,000 litres of diesel stored in one of his underground tanks had disappeared. Suffolk's trading standards officers knew immediately the seriousness of the situation as the garage was close to three water boreholes.
The nearby pumping
station that supplied the boreholes pumped around 5 million litres of drinking water a day. Without swift action the boreholes would become contaminated and be out of action for a very long time, perhaps forever. This would
have
caused
significant
disruption to the local water supply. After speaking to trading standards Mr Smith contacted the Environment 38
Articles To
reduce
the
contamination,
the
risk soil
of
further
down
to
groundwater level around the tank had to be dug out.
Officers also felt it
necessary to remove the faulty tank to allow access to underlying soil and ground water. The removal of the tank and contaminated soil helped with the installation of the recovery pipe work and
deep
sump
for
longer-term
monitoring and recovery work. The pumping station will now be out of action for about a year as a purely precautionary measure. pressure put on the shell by the delivery pierced a hole through the corroded bottom of the tank. Once the underground leak had been confirmed work began immediately to try and safeguard the nearby borehole. Fourteen monitoring holes were positioned around the petrol forecourt and the pumping station to establish the extent of contamination and to give early warning if the diesel was threatening the borehole. MIC
has
not
been
traditionally been linked with underground storage tanks on filling stations. However, in the last few years a number of cases have occurred on tanks as young as five years old. Mr Smith's insurance policy covered him for the leak, as it was deemed the leak had been caused by natural elements. If it had been caused by a lack of maintenance the insurance cover would not have been effective. Mr
Smith's
insurance 39
Articles carry out checks to ensure the same problem doesn't happen to them" To limit the risk to underground tanks site operators should carry out regular internal checks to ensure bacteria isn't present, the bacteria is easily treated once detected. If tanks lay dormant for any length of time, as they will do with LRP being phased out, they need to be internally examined and appropriate work carried out before they are used again. Double skinning tanks can help to
safeguard
inspections
tanks
are
still
but
regular
vital.
The
responsibility rests with the licensee didn't cover him for loss of earnings. Mr Smith said: The situation has caused me extreme worry and financial cost. With the help of trading standards and other authorities involved a major problem was diverted. Without their
expertise
and
quick
intervention the damage would have been a lot more severe. He continued: "It is sad that I have had to call time after 28 years
but
upgrading
the
equipment on the site was just not financially viable.
I would
advise all forecourt owners to and with prosecution a
possibility
thorough checks are advisable. Through working
joint Trading
Standards,
the
Environment Agency and
Mr
Smith
ensured what could have
been
catastrophe
a was
avoided. Due to the distress caused by the leak Mr Smith has sadly decided not to renew his petroleum license. 40
Articles
BEN - Motor and Allied Trades Benevolent Fund By Kirsten Galvin, BEN BEN is the Motor and Allied Trades
and the nationwide efforts, including
Benevolent Fund - the automotive and
raffles, dress down days, cycle rides
related industries' own charity & the
and sponsored events, raised a
very heart of our industry. This July BEN
staggering £18,000 for our less
will celebrate its 100th birthday and
fortunate colleagues.
mark a Century of providing care and
As this year sees BEN celebrate its
support to the men, women & children
100th birthday we hope that even
connected to the one of the 20 industry
more of our industry colleagues will
sectors it encompasses. Employees
want to take part in celebrating this
past & present and their immediate
momentous
family can turn to BEN in times of need
supporting National BEN Week. With
&
charity's
your help we hope to make this year's
celebrations will include National BEN
success even bigger and better than
Week - a campaign designed not only
last year's and to encourage more of
to raise much needed Funds but also to
our colleagues to find out about the
extend
charity
vital work their charity does. National
amongst the our industry colleagues
BEN Week will run from 18-24th July,
whilst having FUN!
inclusive of BEN's actual birthday on
crisis.
Part
of
awareness
the
of
the
Last year hundreds of our industries'
achievement
by
July 19th and to mark 100 years of encouraging your colleagues to join in the celebrations this July, either by holding
their
own
fundraising
or
awareness building event. BEN has put together a Fundraising Pack, which offers a comprehensive guide to planning
and
sponsored
putting
activities
on
events,
and
other
fundraising activities. Included in the pack are items such as the A-Z of Fundraising, which is full of interesting ways to raise money for your charity, legal information and even posters and press release templates.
To request
your copy or for more information on National BEN Week please contact Lorna Russell on 01344 294 714 or Staff at Camberley Auto Factors enter into the spirit of the occasion by staging a back to school fancy dress day
email lorna.russell@ben.org.uk
members took part in the 99th birthday
care and support BEN is launching the
pack by visiting www.ben.org.uk
celebrations and joined in the '£99 for
'£100 for 100 years' campaign.
National BEN Week is a great way to
Industry
As member organisations of the
show your support for your charity and,
employees were asked to simply raise
APEA, BEN is your charity, so we
even better, it's an excuse to have
£99 for BEN by whatever means they
would hope that you would help us in
some FUN!
99
years'
determined
campaign.
as
fun
in
the
week
beginning July 19th, BEN's actual birthday. The support was phenomenal 42
Alternatively you can download the
Articles
Case Study Highlighting the Perils of Inadequate Wetstock Control By Steve Jones, Fairbanks Environmental Ltd the
• The site is unusual in so far as the
reconciliation process was completed
experiences of one site operator whose
tank farm is located behind a
at grade level, rather than at tank
site closed following the catastrophic
retaining wall, with the tanks being at
level.
failure of one of the tanks on site. The
a higher level than the forecourt.
- This is not unusual for a site with a
The
case
study
highlights
pressure
site operator has given his permission to publish this article in the hope that others will learn from his experience
• The tanks were installed between 1959 and 1963.
and
prevent
them
from
going
undetected for a long period. The site operator was making use of his POS sales data, tank gauge stock levels and back office PC to record wetstock reconciliation data. He was not using any 3rd party SIR system. A review of this wetstock data was conducted in order to determine if the losses could have been detected prior
where
the
dispenser units are fed from all tanks. When using this method of reconciliation, if a problem with a
and ensure they have systems in place that will give early warning of tank leaks
system,
• The forecourt is supplied by means of
particular grade is identified then
a pressure system; with each tank
individual tanks or pumps could be
having a submersible pump within
isolated by means of the shut-off
the tank top man chamber.
valves, in order to identify the
• There is a series of shut-off valves
likely cause of the problem.
that could allow individual tanks or pumps to be isolated should the need arise.
• Due to the sudden and dramatic levels of loss experienced from Tank 1, following a tank overfill, this course
• Oil Company supplies the site from its
of action was not appropriate. As
Supply Terminal, with the tanks being
soon as the problem was identified
fed from a below ground offset fill.
Tank 1 was isolated, with the product
to the catastrophic tank failure.
being transferred to the other tanks.
In order to protect the identity of the
• The site has an above ground, high-
site the following changes have been
level manifolded, vapour recovery
• A tank test was arranged, and the
made to this report:
system, with a vapour-balancing
tank was found to be unable to hold
valve.
pressure.
The site name has been replaced with the name 'Leaking Garage Ltd.'
• A physical investigation of the area
The oil company name has been replaced with 'Oil Company' The Supply Terminal name has been
• The tank contents are measured by
around Tank 1 was performed, by
means of a hydrostatic gauge with
breaking
analogue read-out.
inserting a sampler into the sand
replaced with 'Supply Terminal'
out
the
concrete
and
back-fill.
Some dates have been changed
Findings • Following the identification of the problem a spreadsheet showing the
• There was no evidence of product detected by this method.
daily wetstock reconciliation data for
• A site audit was performed in order to
the period 01/04/03 to 06/11/04 was
assist with the quantification of
sudden wetstock loss following a
sent for analysis.
wetstock loss. All meters were within
delivery on the 30th October 2004.
- The fact that this data was so
trading standards guidelines, but all
There were reports of high levels of
readily available indicates that the
were found to be under dispensing.
vapour in a disused well some 60
information was being collected
- When taken into account the
meters off site.
and recorded in an appropriate
meter settings have the effect of
manner, rather than having to be
increasing
reconstructed
experienced.
Introduction Leaking
Garage
experienced
a
The purpose of this report is to identify
the
effectiveness
of
the
from
disparate
actual
losses
manual records. • Following the audit, and the results of
wetstock reconciliation procedure in place at Leaking Garages.
the
• The
data
showed
that
the
the both the pressure test on Tank 1
Site Details 43
Articles and the physical investigation, a
would be difficult for the site operator to
data following the tank leak has been
second tank test was arranged to
identify any trends within the data.
disregarded.
confirm the likely position of the tank
Although the loss levels are fairly
These levels of wetstock loss are not
leak.
consistent the site operator is unable to
typical for a site being supplied by Oil
- It was found that the tank was
take account of the effect of meter
Company from Supply Terminal. Taking
leaking from near the bottom of
inaccuracy, and has no control site
into
the tank, and that water was now
against which wetstock loss levels
average year to date wetstock loss for
entering
could be compared. A comparison of
sites supplied from Supply Terminal is
one period against another shows that
0.49%, with a maximum of 0.77% and a
the levels of wetstock loss were
minimum of 0.38%. These figures
consistent over the period analysed.
compare with the 0.62% reported by
For the purposes of this analysis the
Leaking Garage in the period 01/04/03
the
tank
in
small
quantities. Levels of Wetstock Loss From the documents provided it
account
meter
settings,
the
to 29/10/04. Period
Average Daily Loss Average Daily Loss Average Daily Loss For Period (Litres) For Most Recent 60 For Most Recent 30 Day Period (Litres) Day Period (Litres)
Percentage Loss For Period
Percentage Loss For Period (Taking account of meter settings)
01/04/03 to 29/10/04
33
28
19
0.54
0.66
01/04/04 to 29/10/04
34
28
19
0.50
0.62
01/06/04 to 29/10/04
24
28
19
0.35
0.47
01/08/04 to 29/10/04
35
28
19
0.49
0.62
01/09/04 to 29/10/04
27
27
19
0.37
0.49
Conclusions Tank Age
in order to check that the ullage
pumps in isolation, necessitating the
reported is accurate. One of problems
opening and closing of the shut-off
associated with the hydrostatic gauge
valves
The tanks are very old and are single
is that, prior to delivery; any imbalance
operational difficulties, and the Health
skin steel. The site operator has been
within the tank system can cause
& Safety implications of doing this
aware of the problems associated with
inaccurate ullage space to be reported.
make it impractical to do unless as part
having tanks of such an age and has
This may lead to a tank overfill.
of a wetstock loss investigation.
Sales Volumes
Additional Analysis Using SIR
on
a
regular
basis.
The
instigated a regime of annual tank testing. Prior to this incident all spirit tanks were tested and passed on August 3rd 2004. Tank Gauging Perhaps this is the most significant area
of
weakness
within
the
reconciliation process. The hydrostatic gauges
are
susceptible
to
Following the initial investigation the
reference to the mechanical totalisers
data was processed using an approved
on the dispensers. This offers the site
SIR system. The system used the data
operator an accurate reference of the
from a number of sites supplied from
usage and protects against fraud and
the same supply source to generate an
failures within the dispensing unit or
'acceptable' loss characteristic, and
pump controller.
then used statistical tools to analyse
large
variances, and, although the vapour balancing valve goes some way to
how 'Leaking Garage' differed from this Wetstock Control
norm.
It appears that the site operator had
The chart below plots the cumulative
reducing these variances, the gauges
been
are liable to reporting tank contents
reconciliation
Leaking
percentage of the cumulative sales for
with a significant degree of inaccuracy.
Garage Ltd. Although reconciliation was
the period of time for which data was
only being performed at grade level it is
supplied. As can be seen the suspect
not unusual for sites with pressure
tank is consistently below the other
It is important that the vapour
systems to do this. The alternative
tanks supplied from this same supply
balancing valve is used prior to delivery
would be to run individual tanks and
source.
Deliveries
44
Sales volumes are recorded by
keeping
adequate records
for
wetstock
wetstock
loss,
expressed
as
a
Articles
Once the effect of the dispenser meter inaccuracies are taken into account the difference between the suspect tank and its peers is even more evident.
The SIR system flagged the data as being outside acceptable tolerances from the first 30 day period, suggesting that the tank leak had been present for an extended period of time, albeit at a low level (i.e. less than the US EPA standard of 0.1gph) The chart below shows the spread of a group of tanks supplied from the same source, as you can see each tank is within ±0.05% of the terminal norm.
47
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The suspect tank is in excess of 0.5% away from the terminal norm, a factor of 10 difference.
The site operator in this example had an inventory control system in place and diligently recorded his stock variances. The fact that his site had a low level leak for an extended period of time lulled him into accepting the figures he recorded as normal an acceptable. It was only when the tank finally failed that the true situation became apparent. The tank failed catastrophically, allowing in excess of 4,000 litres of fuel to go to ground and migrate to a drinking water well some distance from the site. The site operator was unable to meet the cost of replacing or relining the tanks an as a direct result the forecourt ceased trading. It should also be noted that the tank that failed had been tested 3 months before the catastrophic failure. The test failed to pick up the low grade leak that was clearly present when viewed using SIR analysis.
48
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APEA 2005 AGM, 5th April 2005 By Jane Mardell, APEA Business Manager The AGM was well attended with around 70 delegates and I would like to thank all of you, that were present, for taking the time to contribute. Detailed below are the minutes from the AGM meeting held at th held at the Marriott Northampton 5th April 2005. 1. Chairman's Welcome The Chairman, B Baker welcomed everyone to the meeting. 2. Apologies In the absence of the Honorary Secretary, B Baker noted that apologies had been received and that they would be minuted. Apologies were received from: W C R Dale, Clifford Page - Walter Page (Safeways) Ltd, Reigate and Banstead Council, Duncan Smith North Lanarkshire Council, David Jones - Dragon Pump Services Ltd, Phil Monger Petrol Retailers Association, Terry Rogers, Annie Risbridger - Risbridger Ltd, James Luke, James Harrigan - Harrison Electrical, Barry Jenner Cameron Forecourt Ltd, Tony Jenner - Cameron Forecourt Ltd, Alan Inglis, Tom Armstrong - Armstrong and Associates, Geoff Oldham - Suresite Ltd. 3. Minutes of previous meeting B Baker reviewed the minutes from the previous AGM on 26th April 2004 and it was agreed that the minutes were correct. B Baker asked for the minutes to be accepted. Rob Tunnicliff proposed the motion and this was seconded by B Conlin. B Baker requested a show of hands. There were no hands against. 4. Matters Arising from Minutes 26th April 2004 There were no matters arising. 5. Correspondence No correspondence had been received. 6. Chairman's Report B Baker presented the following report: 'I wish to start my address by thanking the members for an interesting year and have thoroughly enjoyed my
time at the helm. It is always great to work with like-minded individuals who are professional in all they do and the experience has been very rewarding. I say to anyone thinking of standing for Council go for it. It is definitely worthwhile! To look back over an incredible quick year is somewhat daunting but I am pleased to say that the revisions to the "Blue Book" are complete and you will hear more about the changes later today but the exercise involved many across our industry. Not everyone agreed with each other but when you think of all the "man hours" devoted into the project, freely given by some of the leading lights it is no more than a minor miracle. You will hear about the publication date shortly with all our members receiving their free copy - another benefit of membership I hasten to add. Looking at what is going on around us, we should look no further than sustainable and renewable fuels. The opening of the first Hydrogen site at Hornchurch, Essex is imminent. We are now seeing Wind Turbines on canopies, Nano-technology is emerging where microscopic biocides can be used to monitor just about anything a site requires. The bio-fuels are still being introduced. In fact behind the scenes, much research is taking place all around and soon to be with us. This pace of change is something this Association must keep pace with, as reflected in the selection of speakers at both Branch and National level. This is a sure way for members to pick up early on developments. Our membership has fallen slightly, mainly as a result of introducing a new corporate structure to subscriptions last year. That said it is consistent with our industry as we further contract with another 170 sites closing last year, the lowest annual figure for 7 years. What we are seeing here is a reflection of convenience shopping though average annual throughputs across all remaining sites has marginally increased. Recently, one regional area of the country has introduced a central reporting system to gain a handle on incidents. As a Petroleum Officer myself (that does go to site to inspect or investigate!) I am often called on wet
stock variances, leaks, spillages and indeed fires. In fact only yesterday I was at a site in my area where they had sustained a second identical arson attack in a fortnight - by the same individual at the same time of night! Needless to say the culprit is now in custody but illustrates just how often safety is critical on the sites we work on and for the companies we work for. Moving closer to home and to friends on Council, we are in the wars at the moment. Paul Craven our Secretary cannot be with us due to a very important meeting on the future of petroleum enforcement in his county of Suffolk that is taking place today. Ian Taylor cannot be with us as he is recovering from a serious operation and our thoughts and prayers are with our Editor, Tony Jenner who only 2 weeks ago he and his lovely wife Vanessa received some very distressing news. To all absent brethren - our best wishes are with you. I will close now by simply stating a very big thank you to Council for their support and willingness to answer my constant stream of questions, for putting up with the fact that I am an MK Dons Fan and to you the membership for listening to me - I thank you kindly'. 7. Secretary's Report In the absence of the Honorary Secretary, B Baker presented the written report from P Craven. 'I do sincerely apologise that I am unable to be with you today but the AGM coincided with a very important meeting within Trading Standards of Suffolk County Council;, my employers 49
Articles that involved the future of petroleum enforcement throughout the county. As a Senior Officer I was expected to attend and contribute to the debate. That said I have enjoyed my first year as Secretary of the APEA for which much has been spent on learning the role and receiving sound advice from those on Council. To them I say a special thank you. I am not aware of any matters arising nor have I received any matters of correspondence to report on. Jane will have received any apologies to this meeting and remind everyone to try and attend our Conference & Exhibition on 13th October 2005 at the Hotel Metropole, Birmingham. A quiet year by recent standards and wish every one well'. 8. Treasurer's Report M Silmon presented the following report 'Good morning all, I present for your approval the audited accounts for 2003/2004. You will see that that again we show a financial loss, which has been compensated for by use of our reserves. There are several items that I would draw to your attention. In order to bring the Yearbook income into line with the treatment of other sources of income, monies received in respect of the 2005 Yearbook have been treated as deferred income. Similarly the costs associated with the production of the Yearbook have been included as payments in advance. The majority of the 2004 Yearbook income or costs were included in the 2003 accounts thus there is very little income or costs shown in these accounts. As in previous years monies received relating to the next year activities (the year we are in now) for 2005 membership subscriptions, Bulletin advertising and training courses are treated as deferred income and not included as income in the 2004 accounts. A related transaction note has been included to cover the training fees paid to 4 directors. All of these payments have this year been processed through the payroll. Seminar and exhibition income is higher this year, the costs attributable to these events have also increased, so we show an overall loss of just over £9000 on each item. All the website design development costs have been written off in the year. This has had a significant effect on the results of the Association in the year. Once again we have run training courses at realistic prices, for the benefit of all members who wish to be 50
involved. These are also available to outside bodies and there-by help us run our Association. I commend these accounts to you and ask you later in the meeting to approve them. Bearing in mind that I am an engineer not an accountant, if there are any queries I will try to answer them now and if I don't know now, I will get an answer for you.' J Thompson proposed that the accounts be accepted. Robbie Robson seconded the motion. A show of hands accepted the motion and there were none against. 9. Editor's Report B Baker introduced J Thompson to cover the Editor's report in the absence of T Jenner. B Baker explained the reasons for T Jenner's absence but emphasised that he wished to carry on the role of Editor. T Jenner thanked everyone who had contributed to the Bulletin in the last 12 months but emphasised that more contributors were required to submit articles. J Thompson asked everyone at the meeting that if they had anything to submit to the Bulletin then to email the item to the APEA office for consideration. T Jenner had requested that thanks be recorded for J Mardell for the work she had done on the Bulletin and Yearbook. 10.
Election of Officers
B Baker presented the election of officers and that nomination forms had been received as follows and were nominated unopposed for office: Chairman Vice Chairman Hon Secretary Hon Treasurer Hon Editor
Mr Brian Baker Mr Bob Conlin Mr Paul Craven Mr Mike Silmon Mr Tony Jenner
Council Members Mr Brian Humm, Mr Rob Tunnicliff, Mr Jamie Thompson B Baker went onto propose that Anton Martiniussen should be awarded a Fellowship to the APEA. This was seconded by Gareth Bourhill. There was a show of hands with none against and the motion was passed. 11. Any other Business J Thompson said that on behalf of the Honorary Secretary he proposed a change of articles for the Association regarding the definition of Corporate membership. J Thompson read out the following: APEA Council propose change to article 3.3.5 (d) of the Articles of Association From A Corporate Member shall be entitled to receive only one copy of "The Bulletin", to only one place at Member's rates at functions and courses and other events (without limitation (subject to the arrangements for the particular function course or other event) to the number of places which may be taken up at non-members rates) to A Corporate Member shall be entitled to receive five copies of "The Bulletin", to only one place at Member's rates at functions and courses and other events (without limitation (subject to the arrangements for the particular function course or other event) to the number of places which may be taken up at nonmembers rates). J Thompson asked for the change of articles to be accepted. This was seconded by Robbie Robson. There was a show of hands for and none against. The motion was passed. B Baker said that the Association wished to recognise the amount of voluntary work and contribution that Anton Martiniussen had made to the APEA as Eastern Branch Secretary. B Baker said that he personally knew how much work Anton contributed
Articles to finding speakers and organising meetings for the Branch. B Baker invited Anton to accept the award of Fellow of the APEA. Anton said that it was a great honour to accept the award and noted that the APEA is a unique Association and well respected overseas and that his colleagues in Germany had great respect for the APEA. Anton Martiniussen thanked B Baker and noted that the APEA were always looking for speakers and said that the APEA serves the members and is only as good as you and encouraged the delegates to attend branch meetings and support the Association. The Chairman concluded the Business session and introduced the following speakers during the day. Tony Jenner, Joint Chairman of the APEA/IP "Blue Book" Review Group 'Blue Book' - general overview of revisions B Baker introduced J Thompson to speak in the absence of T Jenner.
John Dallimore, John Dallimore & Partners 'Blue Book' - overview of revisions to Electrical section Jay Wright of Polyflow Inc. USA
Flexible, retractable pipe systems: Still the best solution underground conveyance of hydrocarbons Ernst Olav Strutz, Yara UK Ltd AdBlue - A Suppliers Explanation
Design, Constructions, Modification, Maintenance and Decommissioning of filling stations Chapter 14 - Electrical Section By John Dallimore, Dallimore & Associates Unlike other Chapters in the Guidance Document, Chapter 14, Electrical Installations, follows almost exactly the format adopted in the first edition. A number of new clauses have been added to cover specific topics and remaining clauses renumbered accordingly; however, the main headings remain the same throughout the Chapter. The Annexes, with the exception of 14.3 and 14.4, covering PME and the use of the Test Socket, have been largely rewritten as a result of the significant changes made to Section 14.10, Inspection and Testing. Incidentally, the Annexes no longer follow the Chapters to which they refer (a mistake in the opinion of the writer) so be warned. The Annexes to Chapter 14 contain much vital information and must not be overlooked. The main revisions to Chapter 14 may be grouped under the following headings: · Changes to Legislation, e.g. ATEX and DSEAR. · Updating of British and European
Standards; for example, those relating to Fuel Pumps and Dispensers. · Autogas (previously LPG), which is far more common on forecourts than it was when the first edition was published. · Cathodic Protection, this is also far more common on forecourts, largely as a result of the introduction of underground Autogas tanks. · Underground cable ducts; the recent explosion at a site near Bristol, caused by flammable vapours migrating through ducts, emphasised the need to improve the sealing of ducts. · Inspection, Testing and Certification Without doubt, this section of the original guidance caused a great deal of controversy and indeed, some significant elements of the industry had reverted to the use of the Inspection and Testing forms in HS(G) 41, despite this document having been withdrawn
by the HSE. From outset the Electrical Working Group were determined to ensure that the revised guidance would be acceptable to all interested parties. In the remainder of this article I have endeavoured to highlight the most significant changes to Chapter 14; however, there are many other revisions that time and space do not permit me to cover here and all readers are strongly encouraged to study their own copy of the guidance document. The introduction to the Chapter, Clause 14.1 has been expanded to stress the need for compliance with DSEAR and to explain the new guidance on inspection, testing and certification of electrical installations at filling stations. Clause 14.2 Hazardous Area Certification. There has been a tendency to follow blindly the well known diagrams showing typical hazardous areas on filling stations. This clause has been revised to stress the need for persons installing and maintaining electrical installations have a thorough understanding of hazardous area classification. The Clause also refers to the need to have knowledge of 53
Articles the construction and zoning of pumps and dispensers in order to understand the internal zoning of the equipment. The Clauses under 14.3 have been amended to include reference to Autogas and a new clause has been added to deal with specific risks associated with earthing where Autogas is present on a site. 'Exchange of Information', now Clause 14.3.8, has been revised to stress the need to include provision of mechanical seals in ductwork and to ensure that documentation includes details of the methods and locations of duct sealing. This clause also introduces the expression 'Volatile organic compounds' (VOCs) to describe liquids or vapour produced by petroleum or Autogas. The expression is used in later clauses in Chapter 14 and is also used in PETEL Notice 65/54a, issued in July 2004 to provide guidance on minimising the migration of liquids and vapour through ducts. Clause 14.4.1 'Equipment in Hazardous areas', has been revised to reflect changes in standards, e.g. BS EN 60079-14 and European Directives, e.g. ATEX. It also includes reference to the new European Standard for pumps and dispensers (now BS EN 13617-1). For clarity, a separate clause has been introduced detailing the requirements for the Test Socket. The clause covering Cathodic Protection (CP), now 14.4.8, has been revised and expanded considerably, since it is now relatively common to find filling stations with CP installed, particularly those sites with Autogas. Reference is made to 'Guidance on external cathodic protection of underground steel storage tanks and steel pipework at filling stations', published by the IP. I would add my own recommendation that all contractors involved with sites having CP should make themselves familiar with this document, in addition to complying with the guidance in Clause 14.4.8. Only minor amendments, such as references to Autogas and the omission of non-electrical information, have been made to Clauses 14.5.1 - 9. Clause 14.6.4 now includes guidance on emergency switching for Autogas installations and sites with a DCD facility. It also removes the requirement for the external emergency switch, except at attendant operated, unattended or partially unattended sites. Reference to the use of mechanical seals for cable ducts, rather than the use of compounds, is added to Clause 54
14.8.6. The clause also refers to mechanically ventilated ducts, of which, more later. The need to ensure that metallic screening or armouring of data cables must be sheathed overall and not exposed at any point is added to 14.8.7. 14.8.11 is now titled 'Autogas installations' and has been rewritten. Reference to CNG, now outside the scope of the Blue Book, has been omitted. Apart from revisions to Inspection and Testing requirements, the most significant changes to Chapter 14 have been made to Section 14.9. Clause 14.9.5 has been rewritten and three new clauses have been added. The changes largely reflect recommendations made in PETEL Notice 65/54a, regarding underground duct systems and sealing against the migration of VOCs. Electrical contractors and designers are strongly recommended to study these recommendations, since the effect of their application is likely to be the need to increase the number of cable ducts. The recommendation to consider terminating ducts above ground level at buildings will also have a significant affect on planning of the site. The electrical contractor or designer will need to provide an input at an early stage in the site design, if the recommendations are to be successfully implemented. A completely new clause, 14.9.8, has been added to detail requirements for force ventilated ducts. Forced ventilation is frequently used for ducts associated with Autogas installations and in view of the number of such installations now in existence, contractors and designers should be familiar with the requirements. The final clause in this section, on Labels, now 14.9.11, has been expanded to include Autogas and Cathodic Protection. Since much of the labelling is likely to be provided by the electrical contractor, examples of the various labels have been included. As explained in the introduction to the article, the major difference between the first and second editions of Chapter 14 is in relation to the Inspection and Testing requirements. Despite the best efforts of the original Working Group, the Inspection and Testing requirements set out in the first edition were misinterpreted by many and resulted in defects, which had nothing to do with the Petroleum installation, being recorded on documentation issued to the Licensing Authorities. This led in turn to operators being required to rectify these defects or risk
losing their Petroleum Licence. The revised guidance has been rewritten to make a clear distinction between Annual Inspection, Testing and Certification required for a) Licensing Purposes and b) for compliance with Electricity at Work Regulations (EWR) mainly areas of increased shock risk, e.g. car washes, vacuum machines and portable equipment. The third element of Inspection and Testing covers the remainder of the electrical installation, for example, the power and lighting in the Sales Building, where Inspection, Testing and Certification may be carried out at reduced frequencies to satisfy the Operators' duties under Regulation 4(2) of the EWR. All of this is described clearly, I hope, in Clause 14.10.1, which has been almost completely rewritten. This clause also contains a useful warning on the precautions to be taken at sites where Cathodic Protection is installed. Clause 14.10.2 details the PreCommissioning and Initial Verification tests for new and refurbished sites. The requirements are very similar to those detailed in the first edition; however, high current testing is now given as an option, rather than the only method, when measuring R1. Incidentally, the table of conductor resistances (Table 14.1) has been moved to Annex 14.2. Periodic verification required for existing sites remains in Clause 14.10.3, however, there are now only two Periodic Verification Programmes, since insulation resistance tests are no longer required between line and neutral conductors. There is also a reminder in this Clause that annual inspection and testing to satisfy Regulation 4(2) of EWR is recommended for portable equipment, car washes and other equipment used by the public. A further note reminds readers that this inspection and testing does not relate to that required for Licensing purposes. Annex 14.1, which gives guidance on Periodic Inspection and Testing, has been significantly revised to reflect the revised recommendations in Clause 14.10.3. (I note from my copy of the Blue Book that there is a series of errors in Clauses A14.1.8.2 and A14.1.8.4 where megohms has been written as MW - I trust that no competent readers will be confused by this typo!) Reporting and certification, described in Clause 14.10.4, is similar to the first edition, but with the inclusion of references to DSEAR. A new clause 14.10.5 Reporting documentation, has been added to
Articles describe the documentation required to be issued under various circumstances. In summary, the documents are, as follows · Certification of Electrical Inspection and Testing and Defect Report (Annexes 14.5A and 14.5B) It is intended that the Certificate and where necessary the Defect Report are issued for all initial and periodic inspections and are the ONLY documents required to be issued to the Licensing Authority. Furthermore, the Defect Report is required to list only those defects related to statutory requirements. · Pre-Commissioning Test Record (Annex 14.6) for new and rebuilt sites - similar to the first edition - for issue to the Site Operator only. · Inventory Check List (Annex 14.7) -
a dangerous or potentially dangerous situation requiring immediate attention.
for new or rebuilt sites, to achieve compliance with EWR. · Filling Station Electrical Installation Completion Certificate (Annex 14.8) for new or rebuilt sites - for issue to the Site Operator only. · Filling Station Electrical Periodic Inspection Report - for issue to the Site Operator only, following the periodic verification required under the Licensing Conditions. Note that it is not intended that this report is issued to the Licensing Authority - the Certificate and Defects Report (Annexes 14.5A and 14.5B) provide all information necessary to comply with the LACORS Standard Conditions of Licence. · Electrical Danger Notification (Annex 14.10) - this is a totally new document to be issued to the Site Operator where inspection and testing reveals
The Electrical Working Group have spent a considerable amount of time developing the documentation described above and there has been much consultation with interested parties in the industry. It is to be hoped everyone will now adopt the new recommendations for electrical inspection and testing so that, arguably for the first time, all sites will be verified to the same standards. I hope this article will be of assistance to readers in finding their way around Chapter 14 and the associated annexes. More information will be available on the APEA Electrical Training Course, which is currently being updated to reflect the recommendations contained in the second edition of the Blue Book.
SCR Technology and How to get AdBlue By Ernst.Olav.Strutz, Yara Industrial The following article represents a summary of a recent presentation given to the APEA AGM by the AdBlue Group Technical Director of Yara Industrial; Ernst Olav Strutz. It represents the details of a new vehicle emissions technology which will require a new vehicle operating fluid called AdBlue.
Yara represents what was previously the agricultural division of the large Norwegian conglomerate; Norsk Hydro. The division was floated out of the group on 25th March 2004 and was named Yara and employs over 7,500 personnel globally. Yara is therefore a chemical company which converts energy and nitrogen into useful products for the agricultural and industrial sectors, with fertilizer applications as the largest market. A product which Yara already manufactures for the fertilizer, cosmetic, food, chip board and pharmaceutical
markets is urea. However, an important use that has been developed for a high purity urea is as a commercial vehicle operating fluid used to reduce NOx emissions in line with European legislation. This operating fluid is called AdBlue and the system that is to be employed on most trucks, buses and coaches that will use AdBlue is called SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction). The background behind this technology is European legislation which was initiated in the early 1990's to introduce stages of reduction in emissions from what are termed heavy duty vehicles (onroad trucks, buses and coaches). The stages were; Euro 0 - 1990 (1.1 g/kwhr particulates and 1.4g/kwh NOx) Euro 1 - 1992 (0.36 g/kwhr particulates and 9 g/kwh NOx) Euro 2- 1995 (0.15 g/kwhr particulates and 7 g/kwhr NOx) Euro 3 - 2000 (0.1 g/kwhr particulates and 5 g/kwhr NOx) Euro 3 is therefore the standard to which vehicles are currently manufactured. However, Euro 4 (0.02g/kwhr particulates and 3.5g/kwhr NOx) is to be fully implemented in 2006 (and Euro 5 in 2009) and the commercial vehicle industry have all agreed these limits cannot be achieved using current
engine tuning methods and therefore need some form of after treatment. Most manufacturers have opted for the aforementioned SCR technology. SCR requires AdBlue to be injected into the exhaust stream at the point where catalyst hardware has been installed within the exhaust system of the vehicle. The resulting chemical reaction initiated by the injection of AdBlue converts the NOx emissions into harmless water and nitrogen. Benefits of an AdBlue based SCR system include; compliance with Euro 4 and 5 NOx and PM emission limits, reduction of ozone at ground level, improvement in fuel consumption, reduction in greenhouse gases, reduction in the combustion odour and there is no need to install a DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter). AdBlue is essentially a high quality urea solution which meets the standard DIN 70070 (is currently being converted to an ISO standard). Urea is produced in high quantities already but at a grade suitable for fertilizer as well as some other industrial applications - if this grade of urea is used in commercial vehicles instead of AdBlue then operators run a high risk of poisoning the vehicle catalyst resulting in expensive replacement and/or warranty invalidations (as well as polluting the atmosphere and running illegally in the meantime). Yara produces AdBlue by taking a 55
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stream from existing urea production plants at a point where it is a very pure liquid. This stream supplies at least two large bulk tanks where it is mixed with demineralised water with each tank representing a batch which is analysed with resulting full traceability as the product is distributed. There are 12 urea production plants in Europe of which Yara operates 4 making it the largest producer of urea in Europe. Yara have been involved in the Euro 4 SCR/AdBlue project since it's infancy having already become established as a supplier of urea for
large SCR applications of the technology for power generation, incinerators and ships it was a natural development to apply its expertise in the commercial vehicle SCR sector. One of the sizeable questions that the industry is asking is that of AdBlue availability. While it will not immediately be available on relevant forecourts and truck stops this is a key ambition. However, Yara being the largest European urea/AdBlue producer has established a pan-European agreement with the largest chemical distributor in Europe called Brenntag. Under the brand name Air1, the two companies supply a total service package of AdBlue in 1000 litre Intermediate Bulk Containers (IBC's) which can be exchanged on a "full for empty" basis and bulk tanks (similar to fuel tanks), both options supplied with appropriate dispense equipment. These supply options are particularly suitable for operators yard's where home depot
fuel may already be stored. Another option includes 10 litre canisters which are viewed as a "get-you-home" package which can be carried on a vehicle and/or made available at more remote retail outlets. Important points to summarise with include; 1. SCR are coming and are here to stay. 2. SCR technology has many benefits. 3. AdBlue is available now. 4. Yara and others will secure expedient supply of AdBlue and related services. Finally within Yara there is a lot of expertise which can be accessed by interested parties (operators, equipment suppliers etc) via the AdBlue alpha dial helpline; 0700 4 ADBLUE. This line was recently launched so technical and operational advice can be accessed by the commercial vehicle sector - this is all part of the Air1 package.
EN 14125: a new European standard for underground pipework at petrol stations The publication of EN 14125 at the end of 2004 introduces a new Europewide standard entitled "Thermoplastic and flexible metal pipework for underground installation at petrol stations". Plastic and flexible metal pipework was introduced during the 1990s to replace rigid steel and fibreglass and has been adopted widely. The advantages include lighter weight for transport, ability to coil, speed of installation, and the ability of pipes and joint to flex in response to ground movement with a much reduced risk of leakage. In 1996 the Institute of Petroleum issued a performance standard for these new pipes which was accepted by the relevant legislative and approvals authorities throughout the UK and much of the world. It was updated in 2001 to include, among other things, a surveillance scheme to ensure consistency of manufacturing quality. Some European countries, notably Germany and the Netherlands, had their own standards and were particularly restrictive concerning possible permeability of fuel though the polymer pipe wall, although in all cases 56
special hydrocarbon barriers included to minimise this.
are
EN14125, developed and written by the UK led working group CEN TC221/SC2/WG6, presents a unified European standard. Those familiar with the Institute of Petroleum specification will find numerous changes. The permeability limit for the pipes has been reduced to zero with a tolerance band of +0.2 grams per square metre of pipe surface per day. Pressure testing is now required at the maximum service temperature of 50 ºC, and a special temperature class has been introduced for which the low temperature brittleness tests, normally performed at -20 ºC, may now be performed at -40 ºC where the pipes are to be used in the coldest regions. Long-term pressure testing has been introduced, as has a weathering test. MTBE has been added to one of the test fuels, reflecting current concerns with this additive. Two classes of secondary containment are defined, one simply as a leakage containment and the other capable of resisting the full pressure or vacuum of the delivery pipe which it surrounds. On the other hand, some testing has been
simplified such as the requirement to perform impact and bending tests at the lowest temperature alone. EN 14125 covers the quality of the pipes and connectors themselves and not the method of installation. Although not directly subject to European law ("mandated"), it should be adopted across Europe and beyond. With North America adhering to the parallel Underwriters' Laboratories standard UL971, however, it may take some years before we have a single specification acceptable worldwide. EN 14125 may be purchased as a British standard (BS EN 14125) from the British Standards Institution (www.bsi-global.com).
Contributed by John Greenwood, ERA Technology Ltd, Convenor of CEN T C 2 2 1 / S C 2 / W G 6 (john.greenwood@era.co.uk). ERA Technology provides consultancy and testing of pipes and connections to this specification and can issue certificates of compliance.
Articles
BTEC professional qualifications for petroleum officers By Chris Churchouse, Director of Training, Fire Risk Management Ltd The Background to the Qualifications The BTEC Professional Certificate and Professional Diploma in Petroleum Regulation have been developed to provide a medium for the in-depth study of the principles and practice of petroleum regulatory procedures and petroleum risk management. Introduced in September 2002 by Fire Risk Management Ltd., an approved centre to offer Edexcel qualifications, the syllabus was drawn up by former senior petroleum officers in consultation with a number of leading regulatory authorities, including the Environment Agency. Due to the high profile of the issue of competence, an increasing number of regulatory authorities throughout the UK and Northern Ireland are adopting the BTEC qualifications as a means of training their petroleum officers as they provide a nationally recognised yardstick for the measurement of the student's knowledge and understanding. The qualifications do not require students to provide evidence of an encyclopaedic knowledge of the subject matter. Rather, emphasis is placed on enabling them to acquire the ability and confidence to carry out their duties as petroleum officers stemming from: · the capacity to research, assemble and present information relating to all aspects of petroleum regulation in a cogent, methodical manner · a secure knowledge of the law relating to petroleum regulation and the scope and limitations of their powers · adherence to enforcement procedures based upon the best practice of HSC guidelines · the application of sound principles of risk management · the ability to keep abreast of regulatory and technical developments Qualification is not by examination but by continuous assessment and a pass must be obtained in every unit of the syllabus. In order to achieve the standard required to pass each unit the student must be able to demonstrate an ability to carry out predetermined tasks or fulfil certain criteria in the completion of assignments. These "assessment requirements" are laid down in the syllabus, together with the unit content and prescribed set reading. Guidance notes provide both direction and information relating to the study of each unit. The Structure of the Qualifications BTEC qualifications are modular in form, consisting of a number of units of learning. Each unit is accorded a nominal
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number of hours that the candidate might reasonably be expected to take to complete the necessary study, including the preparation of assignments. The total number of study hours accorded to a qualification determines whether it is an Award (30 to 90 hours), Certificate (120 to 180 hours) or Diploma ( 240 to 360 hours). The level of BTEC qualifications range from Introductory or Entry level, to level 5, Advanced Professional. The Professional Certificate and Diploma are level 4 qualifications. The Diploma consists of two parts as follows: Part 1: (Professional Certificate) Unit 1: Petroleum Legislation Unit 2: Enforcement Procedures Unit 3: Risk Management Unit 4: Inspection and Monitoring Part 2: Unit 5: Site Construction Unit 6: Road Tanker Deliveries Unit 7: Safety Procedures Unit 8: Petroleum and the Environment Unit 9: Investigative Study in Petroleum Safety It will be seen from the above that Part 1 of the Diploma is a qualification in its own right, namely the Professional Certificate. Candidates successfully completing Part 1 are awarded the Professional Certificate and then may elect to take Part 2 in order to complete the Diploma. The Units which comprise Part 1 (Professional Certificate) are regarded as being core essentials for the role of the Petroleum Officer, hence the value of Part 1 as an individual qualification. Great emphasis is placed on the HSC Section 18 Guidance to Local Authorities as being best practice. In addition, guidance is given on report writing and students are required to consider layout and presentation when submitting their assignments. The assignments associated with Part 2 differ from those in Part 1 in that students are required to carry out their own in-depth research to produce technical papers, presentations and surveys. The purpose is to prepare the student for a senior position in petroleum regulation, which may include participation on technical and regulatory working parties, as well as validating
suitability for a training role. Successful Diploma students may also be approached to become assessors for the qualifications. Study and Assessment Candidates for the qualifications undertake an open learning course with full back-up being provided by the FRM training team. Most candidates submit type-written scripts and there is facility for the submission of assignments by e-mail, subject to the observance of procedures approved by Edexcel. Following the assessment of the assignments the candidate receives a progress report by e-mail incorporating the assessor's comments. Where an assignment fails to achieve pass standard it is referred back to the candidate with reasons for the referral. The candidate is then able to revise or remodel the assignment which is then resubmitted. FRM is able to report that the overall standard of work submitted is of high merit. Students who initially feared that they were disadvantaged by not having an academic background or who had not taken any form of qualification for many years have proved to be amongst the most competent. Many assignments which have been submitted are of such high calibre that they are worthy to be regarded as reference works in their own right. In addition, much of the research work carried out by candidates engaged in Part 2 of the Diploma has proved to be revelatory and incisive. (All assignments remain the copyright and intellectual property of the student). In keeping with the requirements of Edexcel, the timescale for the completion of each part of the Diploma is one year from receipt of the assignments. In practice, the time taken to obtain the qualifications depends largely on the degree of application on the part of the student. A candidate recently completed Part 1 (Professional Certificate) in just under three months, all assignments being of a very high standard. In general terms, candidates benefit from the momentum of adhering to a selfgenerated schedule and timescale. Candidates report that they find the course work challenging in its attention to detail, but that they enjoy the stimulus of gaining a qualification which enhances their professional status and approach to work in the field. Further details regarding the qualifications may be obtained from Fire Risk Management Ltd. Tel: 01494 532113 E-mail: info@fireriskman.co.uk www.fireriskman.co.uk
Branches Eastern Eastern Branch meeting and AGM 17th March 2005 The APEA Eastern Branch meeting and AGM took place at the George Hotel, Huntingdon on March 17th 2005. An election of branch posts took place and voted on (notice for nominations advised to members in notice dated February 2005). The following individuals were duly elected and welcomed to serve for a further year. The accounts were submitted to the members attending and approved as true and correct and duly approved. The auditor was reappointed. Chairman Brian Baker Milton Keynes County Council
Charles Marshal of Pumptronics and Trevor Mason of Purfleet
phones. Nick Payne Mercury Petroleum Systems -, Nick gave an overview of the Torex Group who he works for and the recent acquisition of Flexiline. He talked about Torex's leak detection system, Probe 4tech which measures by weight. Bob Townsend of Magic-cote talked about his product when applied onto the
Secretary & Treasurer Anton Martiniussen ELAFLEX Ltd Branch Representative Ian Taylor Hytek Ltd Auditor Mike Alston - Essex County Council Jean Finken and Audrey Hazelton
Events Committee: Paris Johnston Liquid Cargo Management Paul Craven Suffolk Trading Standards Jamie Thompson The following speakers came and gave excellent presentations on interesting subjects. Helen Fazakerley of OCEANS ESU talked on designing of reed bed drainage systems, as a means of cleaning up industrial waste. BP has introduced a number of these on their service stations and bigger systems are also used in the country of Sudan Richard Coates. BP Group Fire Adviser Talked on Mobile phones a fire risk on forecourts? a presentation vis-àvis fires on forecourts in the USA and presumed association with mobile
forecourt surface prevents ingress of liquids. This as well as being easy to apply has a particularly long service life as well. We are grateful to the speakers for giving up their time to coming to give their presentation and thank them for this.
The next meeting is planned for September 2005 once the schools return. Watch this space for updates. We are planning to meet at the Shuttleworth Collection, Old Warden Park, Near Biggleswade, Bedfordshire. Its just a few miles off the A1 so easy to get to. This is a museum as well as engineering work shop for vintage aircraft, cars and motorcycles. We hope to visit the engineering workshop as well as looking at the fuelling facility. At the branch meeting it was agreed that future meetings would be on a workshop basis. We have yet to decide on future topics. Please let me have suggestions or details of interesting events you may have been involved in that could be shared during a future meeting. The APEA provides a forum for debate as well as sharing of experience and knowledge. We in the Eastern Branch aim to uphold the founding principles of the association. All members are encouraged to participate in branch meetings. It is understandable that sometimes it might be difficult to find the time because of job pressures or other commitments. We believe that the branch offers exceptional good value both in money terms and knowledge, so do come along. It was suggested by members that future events should take place on a workshop basis with the aim on providing some recognition that participation have taken place. This is a good suggestion which has been adopted and more news on this will follow. The Branch is always looking for members to make themselves available to participate in its activities. If you are interested do let me know. It also looks good on your CV!
Paris Johnston
Early confirmation that you will be attending the Eastern Branch workshop at Shuttleworth in Hertfordshire in September would be much appreciated other branch members are welcome to join in. Just email me now your interest. 59
Branches Anton Martiniussen Branch Secretary APEA Eastern Branch c/o ELAFLEX LTD Hoddesdon Herts EN11 0PA Mobile 07831 595 620 Office 01992 452 950 Fax 01992 452 911 www.elaflex.co.uk Southern At the 2005 AGM the following members were elected to serve the branch. Geoffrey Wheeler (chairman) Robbie Robson (vice chairman) David Sommers (secretary) Simon White (treasurer) Phil Monger (branch representative on Council) Steve Foley, Paul Reyner, Barry Jenner. (Committee members) Ray Blake & Martin Window were elected as auditors. 2004-5 was a good one for the branch in that we achieved our target of 4 branch meetings in the year, at the same time we managed to cover our area geographically very well. A very successful event was the meeting held at the Fleet Air Arm Museum at Yeovilton. The combination of the good speakers, the excellent show and the museum made for a very enjoyable day. In October the branch met at the Grasshopper at Westerham. The members enjoyed a good meeting with a superb sit down meal. Our last event of the 04-05 year was an experiment in running the January meeting in conjunction with BEN at their home in Ascot. The meeting enabled us to make a substantial donation to BEN by using their excellent facilities without incurring the branch in any extra costs over using a more commercial venue. The AGM was held at on the 19th April 2005 at Tormarton near to Badminton in South Gloucestershire. The meeting was well attended and members enjoyed three excellent presentations. Phil Monger of the PRA and Barry Jenner of Cameron Forecourt jointly spoke on the legal impact of DSEAR on retail site operation and the impact DSEAR should have on routine site maintenance. Martin McTague of eGas Station Europe provided a very 60
informative presentation on the possibilities provided by Enhanced Wetstock Reconciliation and Jaginder Singh Mudhar of Drivestop practically demonstrated the Drivestop Security Stinger and explained it's use in combating forecourt drive-offs. At the present time we are planning a special summer meeting for the 13th July involving the celebrations for the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar at Portsmouth this summer. Watch this space! David Sommers Southern Branch Secretary
Election of Officers with Steve Devine of Roncol Ltd being voted in as Mel Churn's successor as Branch Chairman. Bob Conlin of Fairbanks Environmental Ltd continues as Secretary and Steve Jones of Fairbanks Environmental Ltd continues as Treasurer. Joanne Bradley of the Environment Agency was re-elected Committee Member and David Sutch of Geodelft was elected as a new Committee Member. The Branch representative is, once again, Geoff Oldham of Suresite Ltd. An interesting technical session followed the AGM.
North West As usual the format of the NW Branch meetings was a morning meeting concluding with lunch and an opportunity to network. The Branch AGM and Technical meeting, held on 17th March in Skelmersdale, Lancashire was well attended. Bob Conlin opened the meeting by welcoming everybody on behalf of the branch. Bob reported that Mel Churm, Cameron Forecourts Ltd has retired from his position as Branch Chairman and expressed the committee's thanks to Mel for his contribution to the branch over the many years that he has been making the trip from one side of the Pennines to the other. The minutes of the previous AGM were accepted without matters arising and the meeting progressed to the Officers' reports. Bob Conlin presented his Branch Secretary's report, highlighting the continuing success of the technical sessions held within the branch over 2004, and looking forward to an informative session to follow the AGM. Steve Jones presented his Branch Treasurer's reported and stated that the branch was keeping it's head above water, but that the capitation fees paid from National Council were scarcely enough to cover the venue costs and administration overheads. He felt confident, however, that should there be the need for any extraordinary expenditure National Council would look favourably on such a request. The financial statement was accepted by those present. The meeting proceeded to the
Scotland The Scottish Branch held the annual general meeting on 14th April. As last year this was at the same venue on the same day as the Scottish Forecourt Roadshow. A healthy number of members enjoyed a visit to the exhibition to see innovations in equipment, services and marketing which they can sometimes only read about in the Bulletin. Reports were received from the Chair, Secretary and Branch Rep. Gareth highlighted his first year as Chair particularly how he enjoyed the post, our visit to the Compex facilities at Falkirk College and the future developments in the retail sector. Ian provided a summary of his branch activities and the important issues raised nationally. Membership issues were highlighted by Ian and Peter Lennon who will be writing to all branch members with details of their membership as there appears to be some confusion. The formal business of the day provided a committee very similar to the one from the year before. Gareth Bourhill is Chair with Peter Lennon as Secretary. As last year the Treasurer duties will be split between these posts. Both Alan Hamilton and George MacNeill agreed to continue as committee members. The committee encouraged other members to consider becoming a committee member to enable more input and opinion at committee meetings. Ian Hillier continues his involvement as Branch Representative and David Shaw was appointed again as auditor.
Branches There were two presentations at the meeting and the theme was underground storage. Paul Brooks of Corrpro Companies gave a very interesting presentation on cathodic protection. This effective method of corrosion protection is little used in Scotland and the benefits of such a system were of great interest to the meeting. Mareike Feast of Fairbanks Environmental presented a shortened version of the wetstock management course run for the association. This was much appreciated by the meeting and hopefully will encourage some to enrol for the full day course. The meeting ended with a buffet lunch.
Branch Representative Contact Details Ian Taylor - Eastern Hytek (GB) Ltd, Delta House, Green Street, Elsenham, Bishops Stortford, Herts CM22 6DS Tel: 01279 815600 Fax: 01279 812978 iantaylor@hytekgb.com Tom Hocking - Midlands D Berry & Co (PFS) Ltd Unit 130 Middlemore Ind Estate Kentish Road
Peter Lennon Branch Secretary
Birmingham B21 0AY Tel: 0121 558 4411 Fax: 0121 555 5546
Yorkshire & Humberside Nothing to report at present Midlands Nothing to report at present North East Nothing to report at present
enquiries@dberryandco.co.uk Mike Silmon - North East
Fax: 0191 224 0707 associationtreasurer@apea.org.uk Geoff Oldham - North West Suresite Ltd, Slaters Barn, Whittingham Lane, Goosnargh, Preston. PR3 2JJ Tel: 01772 861400 Fax: 01772 861600 geoff.oldham@suresite.co.uk Ian Hillier - Scottish Inverclyde Council Municipal Buildings, Clyde Square, Greenock PA15 1LY Tel: 01475 717171 Fax: 01475 712747 ian.hiller@inverclyde.gov.uk Philip Monger - Southern Petrol Retailers Association Meadowside, West End, Sherbourne St John, Basingstoke, Hants. RG24 9LE. Tel: 01256 850164
W O Silmon Ltd
Fax: 01256 851273
Industry Road, Heaton, Newcastle
philmongerpra@ukonline.co.uk
upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear. NE6 5XB. Tel: 0191 224 0777
TBC - Yorkshire & Humberside
Training
Delegates at the Petrol Filling Station Construction and Environmental Awareness course in Canterbury on April 12/13 and is the first one using the 2nd Edition of the "Blue Book", all the changes in the book have been catered for in the new course and the handouts and presentations are new.
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Training
2005 Course Dates Petrol Filling Stations Construction and Enviornmental Awareness 2005
Electrical Installations An Awareness 2005
24/25 May
Dublin
20 Jul
Manchester
21/22 June
Manchester
20 Sep
13/14 Sept
Bristol
18/19 Oct
Birmingham
22/23 Nov
Glasgow
Petrol Filling Stations Audit and Inspection 2005 17/18 May
Wetstock Management 2005 26 May
Bristol
21 Jun
Canterbury
Bristol
20 Sep
Edinburgh
27 Oct
Canterbury
11 Oct
Ipswich
24 Nov
Leeds
08 Nov
Dublin
Fireworks and Explosives 2005
LPG Installations 2005
Manchester
7/8 June
Canterbury
26/27 Jul
Dublin
27/28 Sep
Glasgow
25/26 Oct
Gloucester
15/16 Nov
Norwich
26 Jul
19 Jul
Dublin
14 Sep
London
22 Sep
Edinburgh
Norwich
29 Sep
Glasgow
25 Oct
Dublin
27 Sep
Birmingham
06 Dec
Canterbury
13 Oct
Manchester
Courses will be designed around the new TCB Document, Guidance for Design, Construction, Modification and Maintenance of Petrol Filling Stations.
Non-members can purchase copies through either the APEA Business Manager, via the APEA website www.apea.org.uk or at course venues at £90.00 each or £30.00 each to APEA members, plus £6.00 p+p (UK) if posted. It is strongly recommended that attendees have access to this document during courses.
All courses can be booked online at www.apea.org.uk on the ‘Training’ page.
Bespoke courses can be made available provided the minimum number of Delegates is 8. This offers a discount. For details of this and any other training enquiry, please contact: Jane Mardell - Training Coordinator, (contact details on page 3) or Brian Humm, Training Chairman 84 Dunblane Road, Eltham, London SE9 6RT APEA Training Team
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Mobile: 07818 097141
e-mail: brian.humm@london-fire.gov.uk
Gareth Bourhill
John Hills
Senior Incorporated Electrical
Project Engineer
Jamie Thompson
Engineer
BP Bovis Alliance
Independent Consultant
The DH Morris Group
Paul Craven
John Dallimore
Petroleum Officer
Independent Consulting Engineer
Director
Suffolk County Council
John Dallimore &Partners
Fairbanks Environmental
Brian Humm
Richard Wigfull
Tom Armstrong
Petroleum Officer
Consulting Engineer
LFEPA
J. Wigfull & Son
Brian Baker
Phil Lambeth
Eddie Furniss
Fire Safety & Petroleum Officer
Senior Engineer
Independent Trading Standards
Milton Keynes Council
BP Global Alliance
Consultant
Bob Conlin
Senior Project Engineer
