oEPA
               United States
               Environmental Protection
               Agency
            Office of
            Solid Waste and
            Emergency Response
DIRECTIVE NUMBER: 9560.10-85

TITLE: Detection of Gasoline Contamination in GW and
     Dectection of UJST ' N
                APPROVAL DATE: 06/03/85

                EFFECTIVE DATE: 06/03/85
                ORIGINATING OFFICE:

                H FINAL
               osw
                D DRAFT

                 STATUS:
               A- Pending OMB approval
               B- Pending AA-OSWER approval
               C- For review &/or comment
               D- In development or circulating

REFERENCE (other documents):     headquarters
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  OSWER      OSWER      OSWER
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MISCELLANEOUS
                                                DOC:   9560.10(85)
Key Words:    HSWA, LUST, Tanks

Regulations:
Subject:

Addressee:


Originator:

Source Doc:

Date:

Summary:
Detection of Gasoline Contamination in GW and Detection of LUST

Mark C. Pusinelli, Director of Public Services, Village of
Willowbrook, 7760 Quincy Street, Willowbrook, Illnois 60521

Michael B. Cook, Deputy Director, Office of Solid Waste

See Miscellaneous [9560.10(85)]

6-3-85
     The memo describes two basic approaches for detecting ground-water con-
tamination and leaks from underground gasoline storage tanks.  One is to apply
tests within the tanks themselves, the other is to test for evidence of releases
outside of the tank.

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                                                              9560.10 (85)
           UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

                      WASHINGTON, D.C. 20460      •*
                            Ml c
                                                       OFFICE OF
                                              SOLID WASTE AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE
Mr. Mark C. Pusinelli
Director of Public Services                                              <:
Village of Willowbrook                                                   7
7760 Ouincy Street                                                       <£ J;
Willowbrook, Illinois  60521                                             <-n-
                                                                         ~£* <
                                                                        \-
Dear Mr. Pusinelli:                                                      9'"
                                                                         v * f
     This is in gesponse  to your May  7,  1985  letter  requesting
information on the detection of gasoline  contamination  in  ground
water and the detection of leaks from underground  storage  tanks.
                                                                        XJ
                                                                        C •_
    .As you may know, the Hazardous and  Solid Waste  Amendments  of      |;
1984 mandate the Environmental Protection  Agency  (EPA)  to  develop        c
regulations establishing  requirements for  existing underground          ^x
tanks and performance standards for new  underground  tanks.   This       £"
mandate applies to underground tanks  storing  petroleum  and  other       x?
chemical products.                                                      "§•£'
                                                                        c
     Two basic approaches can be used to  detect groundwater            o^
contamination and leaks from underground  gasoline  storage  tanks.       "?
One approach is to apply  tests within the  tanks themselves.            ^_
Numerous techniques for internal tank tightness testing are pre-       M *
sently available commercially.  Some  of  these testing .systems           ^_
attempt to measure liquid level changes  within  the tank, and           ^fc
others attempt to measure the effects of  leaks on  characteristics      -j
such as changes to pressure or sound  (measured acoustically)            ^-
within the tank.  (Currently, we estimate  that approximately 30        £2
to 40 methods of tank tightness testing  are commercially available.)    XT
                                                                        Ol '
                                                                        i  r
     The second approach  is to test for  evidence of  releases           w"-'
outside of the tank.  Several different  techniques are  available.      i  c
An example is soil organic vapor sampling.  This technique              5-
involves analyzing gas from soil surrounding  the tank with  a
portable gas chromatograph.  This  test is  specifically  for  the
presence of volatile organic compounds that would  be found  in
the soil gas in the event of a release of  gasoline into the
underground environment.

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     Based on the law's mandate that regulations for petroleum
underground storage tanks (new and existing) bp, completed by
February 1987, EPA is currently undertaking extensive research to
evaluate the leak detection methods that may be used at under-
ground storage tanks.  The technical reports generated by our
research will be available to the public as they are completed.
Preliminary reports on leak detection systems will be available
by the end of this year.  More detailed evaluations of individual
leak detection techn4ques will follow as the Agency's work is
completed.           x

     Additional information and reports regarding testing of
underground gasoline storage tanks is available presently through
the petroleum trade associations (e.g., American Petroleum
Institute).  The State fire marshal may also have tank testing
experience.

     Please contact Steven Way of my staff (202-475-6675) if you
have any questions concerning EPA's efforts in the area of leak
detection at underground tanks.  He can also answer any questions
you may have concerning the methods that are available.

                                   Sincerely ,
                                   Michael B. Cook
                                   Deputy Director
                                   Office of Solid Waste

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