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OVERVIEW OF EPA RESEARCH ON UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANK LEAK DETECTION
Citation:
Rosenberg, M., J. Nault, AND A. Tafuri. OVERVIEW OF EPA RESEARCH ON UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANK LEAK DETECTION. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/D-90/058.
Description:
Research for leak detection at underground storage tank systems (USTs) is being carried out at two Offices of Research and Development (ORD) laboratories within EPA's organization. he Edison, New Jersey lab -- the Risk Reduction Engineering Laboratory -- focuses its attention on internal detection methods. ts primary objective to date has been to determine the performance capabilities of volumetric tank testing devices in terms of probability of detection and probability of false alarm. he Las Vegas, Nevada lab -- the Environmental Monitoring systems Laboratory addresses external detection devices. his work has thus far consisted of the development of test methods to enable manufacturers of external monitoring devices to determine the performance of their equipment in terms of specificity, accuracy, response time, detection limits, drift, and interferences. esults of EPA research efforts have contributed to the development of the Technical Standards for UST regulations, enacted in September 1988. he Edison research results (documented in Evaluation of Volumetric Leak Detection Methods for Underground Stogare Tanks--EPA/600/2-88/O68a, November 1988) have enabled EPA to establish realistic limits of detection. oreover, the Edison results have suggested improvements in test procedure protocols that significantly improve performance of volumetric devices. he Technical Standards, as well as the preamble to the standards, cite the results of ORD's research efforts at the Edison and Las Vegas laboratories in developing rationale for regulatory requirements in the areas of both internal and externalleak detection.