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Indiana Senate Bill 312 addressing above ground storage tank reporting and water threat minimization has gone through several changes since its introduction in January 2015.  Bill 312 was sent back to the Indiana Senate for a vote after several amendments were made by the House. Major Bill Amendments The definition of an above ground storage tank (“AST”) has been altered from the original version submitted.  An AST is now defined as a device (1) with at least 10% of the outer surface above ground; and (2) can hold more than 660 gallons of a liquid product. The size of

In Greeley, Colorado, lightning struck an aboveground storage tank used for waste water in a hydraulic fracking operation, causing quite a reaction.  After the lightning struck around 1 pm, several explosions were heard and a fire broke out.  According to an AP report posted by the Weather Channel, one of the aboveground storage tanks was launched into the air by the force of an explosion.  (See AP Photo) The liquid storage tanks at the site contain the waste water from the fracking process.  After the water mix is injected into the fracking well site, the waste water is recovered and

Internal tank liners are less expensive options for satisfying secondary containment requirements in many states.  For installation purposes, a crane is needed for each install to place the PVC liner in the tank.  Many types of cranes exist for transferring significant weight loads to varying heights.  For installing PVC liners, a crane with a smaller capacity and reach can be used based on the installation details. Crane Requirements Heartland Tank Services, Inc. normally recommends a crane that has a weight capacity of 5,000 pounds or more and a boom lift minimum between 40 and 45 feet. 

An above ground storage tank located in south-central Washington state recently leaked as much as 1,500 gallons of used motor oil into a creek that flows into the Yakima River, a water source crucial to the state’s agricultural status as an apple-growing hub. According to a March 2 Reuters article, the cause of the spill is still under investigation. Steel storage tanks with capacities exceeding 1,100 gallons are required to have corrosion protection in place on the tanks’ floor during storage tank construction. The tank is located at a former feed lot near Sunnyside; evidence of the leak was found in the water as

On Sunday, April 12, a 3.3 magnitude earthquake rumbled the town of Cushing, OK. This low-magnitude tremor certainly wasn’t the first to hit Oklahoma in recent months — or even that day. According to Oklahoma City’s News 9, the Cushing earthquake was the eighth earthquake above a 2.0 magnitude to take place that Sunday throughout the state. Many experts believe hydraulic fracturing is one reason for earthquakes being more common than ever before in Oklahoma. But in Cushing, a town of 8,000 people that is also a known hub of above ground storage tanks that contain 87 million barrels

A new ban on shale drilling waste pits in Pennsylvania — and on federal land — could soon change the way waste from hydraulic fracturing is stored and disposed. According to a March 17 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article, the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) recently announced plans to ban temporary waste pits at shale gas well sites in the Marcellus and Utica shales. On March 20, the Obama administration announced a similar ban on these waste pits, prohibiting them from federally-owned lands. This will effectively ban the use of waste pits, a practice that has long been commonplace until

Two years after a serious flood in Colorado, the state’s Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) has instated stricter rules for the oil and gas facilities in floodplain lands. Coloradoan reports that the commission issued these rules on March 2nd despite the protests from the local oil and gas industries and some politicians, deeming them unnecessary. “The amount of oil that got into the floodwater was literally and figuratively a drop in the bucket compared to the trillions of gallons [of floodwater] that came through our county,” said Barbara Kirkmeyer, Weld County Commissioner. “The [previous] rules worked….You’re rewarding

Above ground storage tanks (ASTs) provide the backbone for several industries in the United States and beyond. Liquid fertilizer tanks, for example, hold in bulk the substances farmers depend on to grow their crops. ASTs store the oil both people and factories use, for automobiles and industrial purposes respectively. Steel storage tanks store the heavy (and toxic) industrial chemicals used to make countless products. ASTs even store the water we drink and many liquid based food products or ingredients we consume every day. This makes reputable stainless steel tank manufacturers critical to many industries. Depending on

The Andersons, Inc. recently announced its acquisition of Kay Flo Industries Crop Nutrient Group. The Kay Flo Industries acquisition comprises Nutra-Flo, PureGrade Liquid Fertilizer, MicroSolutions, and Nulex. The animal nutrient portions of Kay Flo were separated and not a part of the deal. With The Andersons’ plans to expand its wholesale and specialty fertilizer business, the Kay Flo Industries purchase is aligned with The Andersons’ strategy. Nutro-Flo alone is the leading American manufacturer of premium liquid starter fertilizers and a formulator of micronutrient enriched plant nutrients. Included in the purchase are three plant nutrient manufacturing and distribution assets of

Liquid fertilizer tanks are tightly regulated by the federal government. Federal environmental, health, safety, and security regulations can be daunting to comply with. Many proprietors of liquid fertilizer tanks (i.e. farmers) become frustrated when complying with them on their own. Fortunately, there are sources out there that help farmers with these regulations. One of them, ResponsibleAg Inc., is a non-profit organization founded last year that promotes the public welfare by assisting farms and agricultural businesses in complying with these rules. Any business that stores, handles, or sells fertilizer products can enroll in the ResponsibleAg Certification Program. The program lasts several years