By Todd Neff, M.A., Sc., P.Eng., Stormceptor Group
Hydrocarbon spills have enormous environmental and economic impacts. Consider that 1 ml of oil will contaminate 1,000,000 ml or 1 m3 of water (a tablespoon of oil added to a swimming pool) to a toxic level. Even small releases have significant impacts. Hydrocarbons are released from many different land uses. A study by Shepp (1996) showed that high concentrations of hydrocarbons in stormwater are released regularly from automotive intensive-use areas such as convenience store parking lots, gas stations, streets and all-day parking lots. The study also indicated that hydrocarbons are easily mobilized, even during very frequent light rainfall events.
Spills occur often. Records collected by the Ministry of the Environment in Ontario (population 11,000,000), show that 5,000 spills were reported in 1995. Based on these records, the total volume of spills is estimated to be 11,700,000 litres; 1,580,000 litres of these were hydrocarbon-based. That volume is enough to contaminate the flow passing over Niagara Falls for seven days. The volume of unreported spills has not been estimated.
In addition to environmental damage, spills are costly to clean up. Numerous examples exist, including a fuel oil spill in Essex County, New York, in 1985. In this example, 7,000 US gallons of fuel oil were spilled during the transfer from a tanker trunk to a storage facility. The final cost for clean-up was $589,000. An additional $106,000 was paid in interest and penalties after arguments went through the court system for 14 years.
Spill prevention measures are much less costly than spill clean-ups. The cost of providing an interceptor and containment system for the NY spill described above, would be approximately (US) $50,000, saving the owner 92% of the clean-up costs. When the potential savings in liability insurance premiums, the cost of the lost product, lost time, regulatory fines and the huge potential for civil damages and liability are factored in, the cost for spill protection becomes very economical.
Many different sites could benefit from the application of an interceptor for spill protection including: commercial sites, industrial sites, high volume intersections, gas stations, and convenience and fast food stores.
References
1. D. Shepp, 1996. Petroleum Hydrocarbon Concentrations Observed in Runoff From Discrete, Urbanized Automotive-Intensive Land Uses. Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, Watershed '96.
2. Ministry of Environment and Energy, 1997. Spills Action Centre Summary Report of 1995 Spills. Ontario Ministry of Environment and Energy.
3. New York State News Department of Environmental Conservation, 1999. Business to pay State $695,000 for Adirondack Oil Spill. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
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