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 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 OFCERTLicensed 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 OFCERTLicensing 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

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. Aloaded 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 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. Akey 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

Lee Raymond, Photo: Jim Four/EI

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 AStrategic 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 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

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 BPNewmarket 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 BPMartlesham 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

Plastic Retractable Pipework Systems, the Future

ByFrançois Meersseman, Managing Director TCI Environment nv

20 years ago our Industry had several concerns regarding steel and GRPfuel 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 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

• Is the polymer resistant to Methyl Ester present in the new bio-diesels?

• 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 ULand EN.

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… - Extremely low permeation; far below the EN14125 0,2gr/m²/day

- Flame retardant properties

- 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

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 DEFRAin 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: +32 3 4598076 F: +32 3 4598082 M: +32 475 267052 E: francois.meersseman@tcie.com W: www.tci-e.com

Articles FPS Concerned at continuing above-inflation duty rises on red diesel

By Federation of Petroleum Suppliers

FPS is concerned that the freeze on road fuel and rebated fuel duty announced in today's Budget masks continuing penalization of red diesel users.

FPS has been campaigning vigorously on this point and, whilst it applauds the decision to defer duty rises and to maintain the duty differential between road fuels and rebated fuels, the 1.22p per litre duty rise due to come into effect on 1 September will amount to a 53% increase in red diesel duty in under 12 months, compared with a 2.6% rise in ULSD and ULSPduty.

The increase will come on top of substantial increases in the price of oil, which have already taken red diesel prices to their highest levels since the Yom Kippur war, over 25 years ago.

Susan Hancock, Chief Executive of the Federation of Petroleum Suppliers, said, "The increased crude oil prices have already provided the Treasury with unexpected additional revenue from the North Sea. These high crude prices have also increased prices of red diesel to end users, to the point where it will affect the economy of rural communities and niche industry markets that use the fuel. "In terms of the Government's pollution reduction targets, red diesel consumption is insignificant compared with road fuels and so has minimal overall environmental impact. The increase is just another blow to those users who have no access to natural gas."

With far more effective measures already in place as part of Customs' Oils Fraud Strategy, the Federation of Petroleum Suppliers, which represents the oil distributors who supply red diesel, does not believe that the increase due in September will have any effect on oils fraud. The RDCO scheme, a major part of the Strategy, has put in place a rigorous system to eliminate fraudulent use of red diesel. Its implementation has caused great cost and inconvenience to legitimate industry. Any increase in duty to the same end indicates a lack of confidence in the RDCO scheme on the part of Government.

NOTES

Note 1 The duty on red diesel was increased in the April 2003 Budget from 3.13p per litre to 4.22p, a rise of 35%. The March 2004 Budget announced a further increase from 4.22p per litre to 6.64p, due to come into on 1 September 2004, a rise of 57%. However, this rise was deferred and then replaced by a duty rise to 5.22p from 1 December 2004.

Note 2 In addition to excise duty, VAT is charged on red diesel. VAT is also charged on the excise duty element.

Note 3 Red diesel, also termed 'gas oil', is a vital fuel for the agricultural industry. It is also used in industry, construction and commerce and powers diesel rail traffic. UK consumption of red diesel and marine diesel oil for 2004 was 6.35m tonnes, compared with 38m tonnes of road fuel.

Note 4 The RDCO (Registered Dealer in Controlled Oils) scheme requires sellers of red diesel and kerosene to register as a dealer with Customs and to assure themselves that their customers have a legitimate use for the fuel they buy. Dealers are also required to record and report details of sales, customers and delivery sites to Customs on a monthly basis. Media enquiries to:

Federation of Petroleum Suppliers Ltd Rod Prowse, Media Representative Office 01295 264544, Mobile 07770 575940 Email rodprowse@tiscali.co.uk.

Federation of Petroleum Suppliers (FPS)

Established in 1979, the Federation of Petroleum Suppliers Limited is the trade association for oil distributors and ancillary interests in the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

It provides members with a collective voice for the industry at national levels, services to assist members in optimising their business efficiencies and promotes best practice in the industry.

Membership is organised on a geographical basis with regional activities, and the Federation also holds an Annual Conference and Exhibition.

Governance is through Council, to which each region nominates a representative.

For more information about the Federation, please contact the office at the address given below, or visit its website www.fpsonline.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

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:

· 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 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 BPin 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 PETEL65/45 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 BPat 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

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 reed bed result in an extraordinary water cleaning capability.

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. 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