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Safety

Report Warns Of Tank Hazards

by Jeff Johnson
November 7, 2011 | A version of this story appeared in Volume 89, Issue 45

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Credit: CSB
CSB investigated this 2009 tank explosion at a Mississippi natural gas well site leased by Delphi Oil.
Tank accident in Mississippi in 2009 at a natural gas well site leased by Delphi Oil.
Credit: CSB
CSB investigated this 2009 tank explosion at a Mississippi natural gas well site leased by Delphi Oil.

Since 1983, 44 people have been killed in fires and explosions at oil and natural gas storage tanks that dot the countryside in much of the U.S., says a report released Oct. 27 by the Chemical Safety & Hazard Investigation Board (CSB). The report identifies 26 incidents and calls for new measures to protect the public from accidents at these sites. The report finds there are more than 800,000 remote exploration and production tank sites in the U.S. that store natural gas and crude oil. Many sites lack full fencing, warning signs, locked gates, locks on tank hatches, and other physical barriers. CSB also finds that children and young adults frequently socialize and play at the tank storage sites, unaware of their potentially hazardous contents. It recommends that EPA issue a warning about the hazards of these tanks, stressing the importance of limiting access. CSB recommends that regulators consider requiring storage facility owners to use inherently safer tank design features such as flame arresters and pressure vacuum vents.

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