Book Description

Abandoned underground storage tanks (USTs) that have not been properly closed at formerlC used defense sites (FUDS) may present potential leaking problems, spilling their hazardous contents into nearby soils, groundwater, and well water. The leaking USTs are potential sources of contaminants generally classified as containerized hazardous, toxic, and radioactive waste (CON/HTRW). CON/IITRW includes petroleum, oil, and lubricants (POL), benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene (BTEX), and radioactive waste products. The risk to the environment and population associated with the leaking USTs depends not only on the source, but on the migration pathway factor (MPF) (i.e., the ability of the medium of transport such as soil or water-to effectively transport the contaminants to the "receptor") and finally on the relative vulnerability of the potential receptor. Thus, the assessment of the relative risk begins with the calculation of the potential of the UST to leak. A method of predicting the risk of leakage of these USTs is therefore desirable. presently, however, leak prediction index (LPI) models (which are used to predict the age at which a UST will leak or the probability of a UST leak at any given age) require soil data that are not readily available, or not easily and economically obtained by LPI.model users. The Warren Rogers leak prediction model was developed circa 1981, and has been used for USTs and incorporated into leak prediction models for other types of underground steel structures.