1. Scope
This Guide is an organized collection of information and series of options for industry, regulators, consultants and the public, intended to assist with the development of investigation protocols for underground storage tank facilities in the United States. While the Guide does not recommend a specific course of action, it establishes an investigation framework, and it provides a series of techniques that may be employed to: identify equipment problems; in some cases prepare samples of failed equipment for laboratory analysis; and document the investigation. The Guide includes information on methods of investigation, documentation, taking samples of problem equipment; preservation of equipment samples; chain of custody; storage; shipping; working with equipment manufacturers; and notification of regulators and listing laboratories. The goal in using the Guide is to identify the appropriate level of investigation and to gather and preserve information in an organized manner, which could be used in the future to improve system design or performance. While this Guide may act as a starting point for users with limited experience in failure investigation, the user is encouraged to consult with failure analysis experts for specific investigation procedures that may be needed for certain equipment and the investigation should be conducted by a qualified professional. As users develop their specific investigation protocols, they may find that the investigations can be streamlined for certain types of facilities.
This Guide provides a framework for the development of procedures and directions for the investigation of equipment problems associated with petroleum underground storage tanks and releases. It gives the user practical suggestions of how to investigate equipment and installation problems, document findings, and in some cases prepare samples of failed equipment for laboratory analysis. Use of this Guide may result in the identification of equipment and installation problems that can be corrected in future tank system designs and equipment maintenance programs to prevent releases to the environment.
Keywords
corrective action; environmental assessment
The title and scope are in draft form and are under development within this ASTM Committee.
Citing ASTM Standards
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