UST Program - Marina Fuel Storage & Piping Inspection Form

GLOSSARY OF TERMS

Anti-siphon:
Sometimes called a "solenoid valve;" a valve installed at the highest point in the piping to prevent liquid from accidentally siphoning or leaking out of the tank in the event of a piping leak or rupture. An anti-siphon valve is needed when the liquid level in the tank is higher than the elevation of the dispenser or any product piping (which is usually the case at marina fueling facilities).

AST:
Aboveground storage tank. Any vessel that stores a hazardous substance and is located above ground level. Note that this definition includes both federal and state regulated and non-regulated ASTs.

Brackish water:
Water with a salinity level between that of freshwater and seawater.

Connected/disconnected (manually):
To deal with fluctuating water levels, some facilities may be equipped with sections of piping that may be added and removed manually, as necessary.

Double-walled:
Piping or tank that provides secondary product containment. If "secondary containment" is not capable of containing product in the event of a release from the primary containment, it is NOT considered secondary containment. (e.g., Many systems use PVC piping as structural support for primary piping. PVC is not an approved piping material, and is not considered secondary containment.)

Electronic monitoring:
An electrical device installed to monitor tanks and/or piping for leaks. Examples include electronic line leak detectors, and sump or interstitial liquid sensors. Typically electronic monitoring uses an audible and visual alarm system.

Emergency Shut-off (ESO):
An emergency, electrical shut-off. Tripping it (or pushing the button) shuts off power to the system in the event of an emergency. This switch is usually well marked and is usually found on the dock so that anyone can shut off the system. Do not confuse this with regular shut-off valves along the piping run.

Excess flexible piping not on hose reel:
Some marinas may use flexible piping and extend it or retract it as needed, but instead of storing the piping on a hose reel, the owner or operator may store the excess piping on the ground, the dock, or in or on the water.

Facility ID #:
Your agency's unique identifying facility tracking number.

Frequency:
Continuous, hourly, daily, monthly, annually, etc.

Gravity:
The movement of liquid from the tank to the dispenser is caused by gravity. There is no pumping unit.

Hose reel:
A reel upon which flexible piping is rolled while not extended to its full length. Because most marinas must contend with fluctuating water levels, they may have excessive lengths of flexible piping that they extend as necessary. When not fully extended, some owners/operators may store the excess piping on a hose reel. It is the same concept as the reel where a garden hose is stored when not in use, or when not fully stretched out. At marina facilities, this will most commonly be used with rubber hose, but may be used with any type of flexible piping.

Line tightness test:
A test, conducted by an individual, that determines the physical integrity of primary piping.

Marina Fueling Facility:
Any land-based fueling facility that dispenses product over a waterway. This includes storage tanks located over water that are integral with a floating pier (dock), as long as the pier/dock is permanently attached to land. In some cases, both the tank and the dispenser may be on land, but the dispensing nozzle is located over water. This, too, is considered a marina fueling facility for our purposes. (Note that this inspection form does not include fuel transfers at marine oil terminals, where a facility transfers oil to or from tankers or barges.)

Mechanical monitoring:
A mechanical device installed to monitor tanks and/or piping for leaks. Examples include mechanical line leak detectors and mechanical float mechanisms found in some types of under-dispenser containment.

Metallic:
Steel, copper, iron, or other metallic materials.

Non-metallic:
Includes any non-metallic materials such as fiberglass reinforced plastic. For the purposes of this inspection form, "non-metallic" does not include rubber hose.

On-shore fueling:
Dispensing product on land.

Pressurized:
A pumping unit located at the tank that pushes product from the tank, through the piping, to the dispenser.

Rubber Hose:
A flexible tube, made of rubber or synthetic materials, used for conveying liquids. It looks like the rubber hose attached to the dispenser at a typical automobile gas station. This flexible rubber hose can come in various colors.

Single-walled:
Piping or tank that provides only primary product containment.

Shut-off valve:
There are numerous types of valves associated with piping. For the purposes of this inspection form, a shutoff valve is any valve, such as a faucet handle or lever, that an operator anually turns to stop product flow from the valve to the end of the piping run/dispenser.

SPCC Plan:
Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasures Plan. A written document signed by a Professional Engineer which outlines in detail the steps that have to be taken to prevent spills. The plan also outlines the procedures to be followed in the event of a spill. Required for most AST sites and some UST sites.

Suction:
A pumping unit located in the dispenser that pulls product from the tank, through the piping, to the dispenser.

SW (single wall) tank with other secondary containment:
Secondary containment, not integral to the primary containment, that can hold the entire contents of the primary containment, e.g., a concrete basin surrounding an AST or a bladder installed inside a UST.

Throughput:
The number of gallons pumped from the tank (dispensed) annually.

Transition point:
The interface where two different types of piping come together. This consists of a coupling such as a fitting, valve or cam lock. Short lengths of flexible piping are not transitions; they are considered separate types of piping.

Under-dispenser containment:
Also called "dispenser pans" or "dispenser sumps". Containment devices positioned directly beneath dispensers. These containment pans are designed to catch and retain motor fuel that may leak from the piping and valves that connect dispensers to the piping system.

UST:
Underground storage tank. Tank, including piping connected thereto, which is used for the storage of hazardous substances and which is substantially or totally beneath the surface of the ground.

Visual monitoring:
Visually inspecting the exterior of the tank and/or piping system for leaks.