Wet Fueling in Tacoma

When someone wants to gas up their diesel truck, they go to a fueling station that is built like a gas station, with environmental safeguards to protect against those little spills that occur all the time, and the occasional big spill. These include overhead canopies, concrete aprons and oil-water separators, as part of the required environmental safeguards.

A proposal to amend the City of Tacoma Fire Code will circumvent these requirements by allowing mobile on site fueling all over the City, called "Wet Fueling". This will allow fueling on dirt or gravel lots, without overhead cover or drainage protection beyond a drain plug kit carried in the fuel truck and oil absorbent pads to be used in case of a spill. Automatic shut-off nozzles, remote shut-off controls, and other new technology devices will be required. Since this proposal is being watched by other governments in Seattle, Federal Way, and Auburn, this method may be practiced all over the Puget Sound.

About a year and a half ago, the Fire Department was alerted that a number of operators were practicing this wet fueling, which is currently illegal. A team was formed of Dept. Officials, mobile fueling lobbyists, and one of the wet fuel operators to develop sections of Ordinance 26389 under the direction of Deputy Fire Chief Ralph Johns.

The first reading of the ordinance was at the City Council meeting of March 16, when lobbyists and mobile fueling operators spoke in favor of the ordinance. One of the speakers, John Nichols of Nichols Trucking, which operates in the Tide Flats says "There have been only two spills, and they have been very minor". Something that is not clearly defined is what is a major or minor spill, with different agencies setting levels at 20 to 25 gallons as the reporting threshold.

The ordinance will require a pan of three gallon capacity to be placed under the nozzle before each fueling, with absorbent pads of three gallon capacity to be carried on the tanker truck.

By the final reading on March 23rd, opposition had formed, of legally operating diesel fuel providers. One of the opposition speakers, Rob Grenley of Grenley Stewart Resources Inc. states "We used to be in the mobile fueling business but got out of it for economic and environmental reasons". On learning that there were environmental issues, City Council referred the matter to the Environmental Commission for study.

At the Environmental Commission (EC) meeting on April 12, Councilman Phelps, who stated that he could not support this ordinance on March 23, now says "Overall we are very supportive of this issue," and suggested that a one-year trial will be put into effect.

Deputy Chief Johns then addressed the EC, stating that every facet of the industry was involved in writing the ordinance, describing how the Fire Department was unaware of the practice, until alerted by Grenley. "We would rather regulate this than let it go on unregulated," Johns said. He went on to describe how the South Tacoma Groundwater Protection District fueling has to be on a continuous paved area, to prevent ground water contamination. He went on, "There is no quantifiable data on spills". In that same area, the Lawrence Street Station's oil/water separator, an underground vault that keeps spilled fuel out of the water supply, 746 gallons of oil and sludge were pumped out during a regular sixth month cleaning.

In opposition, Grenley said, "It's not the 500 gallon oil spill, that's the exception. We're talking about a couple drops. Multiply that by 45,000 fuellings monthly". Jonathan Hartnett added, "Remember, this is diesel. Gasoline evaporates in seconds. Diesel is an oil, it doesn't go away".

Chairman Markos of the EC asked, "Can you suggest changes to the proposed ordinance?" Grenley replied, "Canopy, concrete base, oil/water separator", and Hartnett included "The things that are implemented are well intended, the concerns are on the side of human error".

To support the ordinance, Bill Stauffacher of Stauffacher Communications stated, "This is by far the toughest regulation of it's kind in the country" and added "Customers want it, and it will save customers money". Tim Adam of Boston Inc. testified, "This ordnance will require a ring installed on each truck to be fuelled. The nozzle will not pump until it makes contact- it's computer driven. This will cost about $15,000 per truck to install".

Speaking as a concerned citizen, Attorney Lynn Johnson asked "What we have is an enforcement issue, this is currently illegal and is not being enforced. How will they enforce a more complex regulation?"

by David E. Freeman

dfremail@yahoo.com

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