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Community Vulnerabilities at Aboveground Storage Tanks Due to Climate Change and Extreme Events
Citation:
Smith, R. AND M. Gonzalez. Community Vulnerabilities at Aboveground Storage Tanks Due to Climate Change and Extreme Events. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, 2022.
Impact/Purpose:
This effort summarized research on 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 summary text describing how these interactions might occur, and two is through a few 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. These results, both the text describing interactions and the calculations, are intended to raise awareness for anyone managing or in communities nearby ASTs.
Description:
Communities interested in the oversight and management of aboveground storage tanks (ASTs) can benefit from increased awareness of an AST’s vulnerabilities, risks, and increased environmental impacts associated with climate change. This fact sheet focuses on these physical and environmental vulnerabilities and associated vulnerabilities arising from existing economic and social conditions. ASTs are affected by many factors ranging from the type of equipment, its age and components stored, to the inspection status, maintenance history, and geographic location. The physical conditions of an AST are influenced by its environment, which in light of climate change and extreme events could include increased heat, wind, rain, and flooding.