Maple News: "Beware of the Burueacrats"

[peckfarm]

I read with interest a piece by Peter Gregg regarding some EPA suits visiting sugarmakers here in VT. Handing out $10,000 fines for lack of a "spill containment system" for oil tanks. What is the overall consensus on such issues? Shall we as an industry roll over and continue to allow these breaches of state sovereignty? Or do we protect what we have worked to hard to create?

[ennismaple]

Was this a fine after a spill or just a warning that they could fine the producer?

Producers around Ontario are having similar difficulties with TSSA regarding certification of their oil-fired evaporators. If the evaporator is not TSSA certified the fuel suppliers cannot deliver fuel oil. It's costing most people $4k to $5k to get certified.

[wiam]

No spill. This was for lack of a containment system and lack of a spill plan.:rolleyes: The same article told about the EPA going after a dairy farmer for not having spill containment for his milk tank.

[gmcooper]

There have been requirements for spill containment for years on oil/gas storage. I do not know what the volume is to need a containment system but for heating oil storage in a house 1000 gallons is limit. A few years ago some of the bigger producers up north were trying to skirt the storage laws by buying used oil tankers for storage at the sugarhouses. It might have worked for a while but I did hear some got in trouble with DEP over them.

[Thad Blaisdell]

I believe the limit of oil you can store in one location is 1400 gallons without permits and such. Anyone with a simple 1000 gal tank should be fine. that is my understanding.

[eagle lake sugar]

I bet if you guys switched to "organic" soy diesel, they'd leave you alone.:lol:

[maplecrest]

as i have read the law. all oil stored on your farm shall not exceed 1350 total gals. now this includes 5 gal pails of hyrdo oil, engine oil as well as heating and fuel oil.so in order not to have to have a containment or spill plan you have to keep all your total "stored" oil under 1350 gallons.

[Greenwich Maple Man]

I read with interest a piece by Peter Gregg regarding some EPA suits visiting sugarmakers here in VT. Handing out $10,000 fines for lack of a "spill containment system" for oil tanks. What is the overall consensus on such issues? Shall we as an industry roll over and continue to allow these breaches of state sovereignty? Or do we protect what we have worked to hard to create?

Soon they will have a permit that you can "buy" that will allow you to store more than what is normal ! This whole deal is a bunch of bull. People had better start standing up for there rights or there won't be any to stand for.

[buckeye gold]

I know a few years ago the recommended standards for oil storage was going towards all storage of any quantity having spill containment or at least having a spill plan and materials for businesses. Individuals may be exempt up to a limit. I see some of that information is already posted. When I was working we converted all our fuel storage to double walled containment tanks, as we were told the old free standing tanks were no longer allowed. There was a period that we had to make the switch, but I don't remember how long it was. Now this was a government facility and we were held to different and stricter standards than the public.

Having a long career in natural Resources I believe that over all the regulations are are a good thing. I have watched the water quality of streams and ground water improve drastically since the 70's when many of our country's water ways were hazardous sewers. With that said I have also seen the overzealous stupidity of some EPA agents. I was state's witness in a case once and done tons of lab work on water quality for the EPA. The week after my work was done an agent showed up and cited me for storing lab reagents in a sealed 5 gallon bucket, the kicker was.....IT WAS THEIR CHEMICALS FOR THEIR CASE and they weren't seriously dangerous! I promptly called the regional director and discussed his ancestry with him. Instead of citations they often need to give directions as many people simply set up systems not knowing the regulations and standards. It pays to get information before you do something. Generally any time your handling what is obviously volatile chemicals in anymore volume than can be easily moved you should check regulations, I think that is just good business. Still I understand the anger over getting nailed with a huge fine. It seems like more would be willing to contact the EPA, for advice, if they thought they could just get advice instead of a ticket, what's wrong with telling a producer what he needs to do to be in compliance and giving him a reasonable time to comply?

[KenWP]

Buddy in Springfield Mass had a tank in his back yard that turned out had leaked for years. He had to have his whole back yard stripped down and hauled away.Cost him a fortune. My tank is in the basement here but it never gets filled anymore as the furnace dosn't work.
Out west new service stations have gone to above ground tanks as the inspection is $1000s a year cheaper then underground tanks.

[Greenwich Maple Man]

I know a few years ago the recommended standards for oil storage was going towards all storage of any quantity having spill containment or at least having a spill plan and materials for businesses. Individuals may be exempt up to a limit. I see some of that information is already posted. When I was working we converted all our fuel storage to double walled containment tanks, as we were told the old free standing tanks were no longer allowed. There was a period that we had to make the switch, but I don't remember how long it was. Now this was a government facility and we were held to different and stricter standards than the public.

Having a long career in natural Resources I believe that over all the regulations are are a good thing. I have watched the water quality of streams and ground water improve drastically since the 70's when many of our country's water ways were hazardous sewers. With that said I have also seen the overzealous stupidity of some EPA agents. I was state's witness in a case once and done tons of lab work on water quality for the EPA. The week after my work was done an agent showed up and cited me for storing lab reagents in a sealed 5 gallon bucket, the kicker was.....IT WAS THEIR CHEMICALS FOR THEIR CASE and they weren't seriously dangerous! I promptly called the regional director and discussed his ancestry with him. Instead of citations they often need to give directions as many people simply set up systems not knowing the regulations and standards. It pays to get information before you do something. Generally any time your handling what is obviously volatile chemicals in anymore volume than can be easily moved you should check regulations, I think that is just good business. Still I understand the anger over getting nailed with a huge fine. It seems like more would be willing to contact the EPA, for advice, if they thought they could just get advice instead of a ticket, what's wrong with telling a producer what he needs to do to be in compliance and giving him a reasonable time to comply?

Of course there are different horror stories that can be told . So were does it end with these regulations? They will always be "justified" by the makers of them.

[FameFlower]

On a related note, I had to install a custom built-double walled insulated chimney on our new oil-fired evaporator becuase the building inspectors would not allow us to install the one provided by the manufactorer. I haven't got the bill for it yet, but I had do it if I wanted to make syrup with our new system. It was thousands of dollars more expensive than what the manufactor provided. It is safer, but...

[PerryW]

The old SPCC Plan(Spill Plan Control and Countermeasures Plan). I have prepared many of these plans over the years for aboveground tanks. Also worked on the permitting for Bascoms Underground Tanks in NH,

Used to be any Aboveground Oil Storage over 1320 gallons has to be registered and have an SPCC prepared by a Professional Engineer. From my understanding Biodiesel is NOT exempt. NH used to also require any facility with a single tank larger than 660 gallons must also be registered.

[Michael Greer]

You can whine about the regulations all you want, but if you have a leak,(and it will happen when you're not around to notice), it will cost tens of thousands to clean it up. Burn wood.