ERROR 1
ERROR 1
ERROR 2
ERROR 2
ERROR 2
ERROR 2
ERROR 2
Password and Confirm password must match.
If you have an ACS member number, please enter it here so we can link this account to your membership. (optional)
ERROR 2
ACS values your privacy. By submitting your information, you are gaining access to C&EN and subscribing to our weekly newsletter. We use the information you provide to make your reading experience better, and we will never sell your data to third party members.
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.
Join the conversation
Contact the reporter
Submit a Letter to the Editor for publication
Engage with us on Twitter