Safe handling of fuel is Portable Fuel Containers

everyone's How much fuel do you buy and store? Safe Storage responsibility. It is best to buy and store small quantities of fuels. Never store more than you can of use in one month. You can take steps to ensure that your Liquid Fuels own health and safety, as well as that of Do you store fuels in approved those around you, are protected. containers? at Improper handling of fuel can result in Store fuels in UL-approved containers: serious injury or death caused by fire, red for gasoline ; Home explosion, or asphyxiation. blue for kerosene; yellow for diesel. Fuel released into the environment can contaminate soil and groundwater Make sure the container is clearly labeled resulting in costly cleanups. You may and is fitted with a spout or other device even contaminate your own well. As for easy pouring. little as 1 gallon of gasoline can contaminate ground water above For extra spill protection your can place health advisory levels. Petroleum the approved container inside a bucket or products and fuels contain many toxic other container. compounds some of which can cause cancer (carcinogens). Are containers stored i inn an a safe place? Your storage area should be well Contaminated groundwater supplies ventilated and secure. This type of may sicken people and animals who storage can prevent fuel vapor build up unknowingly drink the polluted water. which is a health hazard and fire danger. Gasoline vapors are harmful to human health even at low concentrations and Storage in an unattached shed or garage Tips for Heating are potentially dangerous at high is safer than storage in an attached concentrations. Some very simple steps garage or basement. Keep containers off Oil, Kerosene, can alleviate many of these problems. the floor. Keep containers out of the reach of children. Gasoline and This brochure contains tips on what you can, and should, do to ensure safe fuel This Brochure is brought to you by the Cortland Diesel Fuel handling. In addition, an excellent County Water Quality Coordinating Committee website on home fuel tank inspection is: (WQCC). The WQCC is a committee dedicated to Storage Tanks w w w . i n s p e c t - n y . c o m / o i l t a n k s / protecting the water resources of Cortland County tanks.htm through education of the general public and local government officials . 2001 Storage Tank Do You Own an Tank Abandonment Management Aboveground Tank? and Removal.

Check for signs of trouble Do you have the right kind of Unused tanks pose numerous Is the soil around the tank stained with aboveground tank for your location? problems. They may pose risks to petroleum? Is their a strong smell of Tall, vertical tanks are designed for indoor your health, the environment, and petroleum near your tank? Are there fuel use. They are subject to tipping and even your financial assets. odors in your home? Have you or your should be located on a solid, stable base neighbors noticed fuel odors in your or footing, such as a concrete basement Inactive tanks are an environmental basements or drinking water. floor. If your tank is located outside, you threat until they are removed. should be using a horizontal tank or a skid Underground tanks should be Is your underground tank old and tank. Both these tanks are stable in an cleaned and removed from the possibly leaking ? outdoor environment and will not tip ground or filled in place with a sand Is your tank over 15 years old? Older over. They should also be placed on a or concrete slurry. Soils samples are tanks have a greater chance of leaking. Is concrete pad or stable footings. recommended. They are often your tank metal? Most older tanks are required at time of property sale. not corrosion resistant. Are your tanks protected from accidents and damage? Remember to remove all piping Have you checked the pipes, valves ? Tanks should be placed on a solid, stable associated with the tank at time of Piping, valves and fittings connected to base. Do not store items near tanks and closure. Problems have occurred tanks can be a major source of leaks. piping. Protect your tank from vehicular when fill pipes have been left in Leaks are easy to miss if the piping is damage. place and fuel deliveries are made to underground. unmarked pipes. In this situation, How do you prevent spills ? fuels can be pumped directly into the Should you check for leaks? The most common cause of spills is ground. A similar situation can occur YES! An inexpensive way to check for overfilling. Spills from overfilling basement with aboveground tanks located in a leaks is to check the fuel level over time. tanks can be prevented by installing a basement. Failure to remove fill and Check tanks once a month and compare vent whistle or fill level indicator where vent pipes has resulted in deliveries readings to deliveries and use. Tanks the driver can see it. For tanks installed spilled to the basement floor. used for heating fuels are best tested in outside of your home a fill-level gauge is the summer. Check tank twice a month also recommended. to see if levels remains constant during the non-heating season. Are your tanks contained? Your best choice for containing an above You can normally see leaks from ground tank is a dike. A dike is a box-like aboveground tanks, however, if your tank structure that can prevent leaks, spills and is in contact with the ground, you may overfills from spreading. A dike may be miss that leak until it is too late. prefabricated from steel or built out of concrete. Do not use concrete blocks.