PEI RP600-24

Overfill incidents are the most common cause of releases to the environment from aboveground tanks. In many cases, the volume of fuel released is small and the consequences are minor, although cleaning up these releases can still be costly. Occasionally, however, the volume of fuel released is very large and the consequences are catastrophic, resulting in fatalities, large fires and extensive property damage.

The transfer of large quantities of fuel into aboveground tanks usually involves a variety of pumps, pipes, valves and controls. The configuration of this equipment is very often unique to each tank facility. Typically, the only person on site to manage the fuel transfer operation is the tank vehicle driver. The lack of industry standards for fuel transfer procedures and equipment and the reliance on a minimum number of personnel to execute the fuel transfer pose significant challenges to reducing the occurrence of overfill incidents.