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 t ] t ] OSWER OSWER OSWER VE DIRECTIVE DIRECTIVE Dl ------- 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. ------- 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. ------- 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 ------- |