Climate Change, Extreme Events, and Their Potential Effects on Aboveground Storage Tanks
Citation:
Smith, Raymond L., J. Terriquez, E. Thoma, Michael A. Gonzalez, D. Johnson, H. Buenning, F. Kremer, Jacob D. Carpenter, AND N. Clark. Climate Change, Extreme Events, and Their Potential Effects on Aboveground Storage Tanks. EM: AIR AND WASTE MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION'S MAGAZINE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGERS. Air & Waste Management Association, Pittsburgh, PA, , 1-6, (2023).
Impact/Purpose:
This effort researched Aboveground Storage Tanks (ASTs), climate change, and extreme events and the interactions among them. ASTs commonly hold chemicals and petroleum products, which can be released to the environment. This effort considers how climate change and extreme events might lead to AST integrity issues and increased releases. The results of the effort appear in two forms: one is text describing how these interactions might occur, and two is through calculations of predicted emissions using software that replicates the equations in EPA's AP-42 Chapter 7 on Liquid Storage Tanks. These emissions are functions of tank components and maintenance levels, as well as temperatures and wind velocities. As temperatures and wind speeds increase during climate change and shorter-term extreme events the predicted emissions increase. The results also point out that emissions can increase due to a lack of maintenance. These results, both the text describing interactions and the calculations, are intended to raise awareness for anyone managing or in communities nearby ASTs.
Description:
Environmental managers responsible for the oversight and management of aboveground storage tanks (ASTs) can benefit from increased awareness of vulnerabilities, risks, and increased environmental impacts associated with climate change. In this context, we are focused on the physical and environmental vulnerabilities, however, with an understanding that additional vulnerabilities can exist due to economic and social conditions. The physical condition of ASTs can vary by equipment type, age, inspection status, maintenance, components stored, geographic location, and so forth. This physical state is further stressed by environmental conditions, potentially comprised of increased heat, wind, rain, and flooding that may be exacerbated by climate change. Climate change can also result in cold snaps where they are unexpected, with models predicting global warming leading to disruptions of the arctic polar vortex and stronger winter weather in mid-latitudes.1 Another rarely considered aspect is the effect climate and extreme weather can have on the physical properties of products stored, including interactions with infrastructure such as ASTs.
