4.2 The following groups of users may find the guide particularly helpful:
4.2.1 Storage tank system designers;
4.2.2 Storage tank installers;
4.2.3 Storage tank maintenance contractors;
4.2.4 Storage tank removal contractors;
4.2.5 Storage tank inspectors;
4.2.6 Federal, state or local regulators, including departments of health, departments of environmental protection, and fire departments;
4.2.7 Storage tank release detection installers;
4.2.8 Storage tank testers;
4.2.9 Petroleum release remediation consultants;
4.2.10 Storage tank equipment manufacturers;
4.2.11 Insurance adjusters;
4.2.12 Storage tank owners and operators;
4.2.12.1 Retail fuel service station owners and operators;
4.2.12.2 Small businesses or enterprises;
4.2.12.3 Service industries;
4.2.12.4 Waste managers, including liquid and solid waste haulers, treatment, recycling, disposal and transfer;
4.2.12.5 Non-regulatory government agencies, such as the military;
4.2.12.6 Specific industrial sectors such as dry cleaners, printers, photo processors, laboratories; and
4.2.13 Consultants, auditors, inspectors, and compliance assistance personnel.
4.3 This guide is intended to assist in the development of protocols for the investigation of a malfunction or failure of storage tank systems and the implementation of said protocols. This guide outlines steps that may be necessary and include, but are not limited to initial evaluation of the UST system to determine the malfunction(s); preparation of samples of failed equipment for laboratory analysis; and document the investigation. The guide provides a series of investigation options on which the user may design failure investigation protocols. The guide describes common investigation techniques in the order in which they might be employed in an investigation.
4.4 A user may elect to utilize this guide for a number of reasons, which include, but are not limited to:
4.4.1 To differentiate new releases from new discovery of old releases;
4.4.2 To establish malfunction and failure rates of various storage tank equipment components;
4.4.3 To determine expected life spans of various storage tank equipment components;
4.4.4 To identify opportunities for improving the performance and reliability of storage tank equipment;
4.4.5 To focus inspection and maintenance efforts on those portions of the tank system that are most prone to malfunction and failure;
4.4.6 To identify those components of the storage tank system that require more frequent maintenance;
4.4.7 To reduce remediation and equipment replacement costs;
4.4.8 To prevent petroleum releases;
4.4.9 To identify those conditions that may cause or contribute to the deterioration or cause the malfunction and failure of various components of the UST system; and
4.4.10 To comply with environmental regulations that require the investigation of release detection alarms and the source of releases.
4.5 This guide may be used to establish a framework, which pulls together the common approaches to investigation. The framework will allow the user to establish an investigation protocol to meet their specific requirements. Specific user requirements will vary depending upon the purposes of the data collection and the decisions that the investigation is intended to support. This guide does not provide methods to establish specific user investigation requirements nor does it establish minimum levels of documentation.
4.7 This guide is focused on the identification, documentation, and preservation of underground storage tank system equipment problems. It does not provide guidance on establishing root causes of malfunction or failure. The identification of root causes of malfunction or failure may require further expert analysis of the data and equipment collected during the failure investigation.
4.8 This guide does not address all the safety measures that must be taken when removing and disassembling underground storage tank systems. Because most underground storage tank systems have contained flammable or combustible liquids special precautions should be taken to prevent fire, explosions and exposure to toxic vapors. API standard STD 2015 and RP 2016 address some of the safety considerations as do many of the procedures available from fire departments.
