Last Underground Single-Walled Storage Tank Removed

Last single-walled UST

On April 8, BNL marked a major milestone in its ongoing efforts to protect the environment when the last single-walled underground storage tank on the property was excavated and sent off site for recycling. The 3,000-gallon tank used to store diesel fuel was in good condition and had never leaked. It did not, however, meet today's stringent codes for underground fuel-oil storage in Suffolk County.

The Laboratory has been upgrading tanks for over three decades. To date, Brookhaven has removed approximately 65 underground storage tanks and spent well over $30 million to bring other tanks into conformance with the Suffolk County Article 12 standard. BNL currently maintains 55 tanks storing petroleum products that are subject to Article 12 and New York State requirements, which call for secondary containment, leak detection and other safety systems to protect the environment.

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