A separate container for the disposal of used petroleum products should be accessible to your tenants.
If tenants do not have a convenient means for properly disposing of items like waste oil and fuel, it will undoubtedly end up in the environment. The most popular disposal site, after the storm drain, has been the dumpster. Waste oil in the dumpster can lead to fines if the material finds it way into the water body, or additional removal fees if the hauler considers the material hazardous. The best way to combat the situation is to provide containers that can store this type of material and then be easily disposed of. Designing storage facilities for this material requires the following three key components: (1) substance control, (2) secondary spill protection, and, (3) special hazards, such as fire and flooding:
1. Substance Control
One recurring problem with providing a waste oil receptacle is controlling what is put into the containers. If a container becomes contaminated, then the cost to remove that container escalates. Therefore, installation of collection facilities should not simply be containers placed within the facility and left without management. The marina must carefully regulate what is being placed in the container. To achieve this, the holding facility is usually monitored by a person or is locked. If it is locked, then the tenants leave their waste oil in a closed, sturdy container at a collection site. A member of the marina staff is then responsible for moving the waste from the collection facility and dumping it into the storage facility. This allows the marina to monitor what is being poured into the storage container and limits the amount of open access, decreasing the possibility of contamination.
Holding facilities need to be covered, primarily to keep rainwater from filling up the secondary containment. Also, the area is usually fenced to provide the marina with greater ability to regulate what is being disposed of. It is also important to keep the storage area clean. Keeping the deck clean allows you easily and quickly to identify leaks in the storage containers.
A means for disposing of the oil, once collected, needs to be devised. This usually has to happen in conjunction with a state-certified waste hauler. These operators are available to collect and dispose of waste for a fee. There may be some economies of scale by working with other collection sites in your area to coordinate pickups of waste material.
2. Secondary Spill Protection
All containers used to store this material should have a form of secondary containment. In most cases, this secondary containment must equal 110 percent of the capacity of the primary container. Generally, this backup is provided by constructing a nonleaching berm with an impervious bottom around the containers. Other methods may include a fully enclosed containment facility that provides internal secondary revetment.
3. Special Hazards
When considering the placement of a waste oil reception facility, consider the hazard of flooding. Locate the containment facility in an area that is least prone to flooding. You may also consider keeping the entire facility mobile so that its movement can be part of your hurricane preparedness plan.
Fire is a special hazard that is best planned for in cooperation with your local fire marshal. If you are storing the material in an enclosed area, the fire marshal may request that the outside of the container be marked to reflect the flammability of its contents. Fire-fighting equipment, such as fire extinguishers, may be required to be mounted near the storage facility. In some instances, automated fire-fighting systems may be used. The contents of the storage facility should be kept on record and accessible to fire-fighting personnel, if needed.
A storage facility that has worked well and addresses substance control, secondary spill protection, and special hazards is a retrofitted shipping container. A twenty-foot standardized shipping container can hold multiple 55-gallon drums, provide secondary containment, has only a single access point that is easily controllable, and is wholly moveable.
Properly dispose of used oil spill response equipment.
Much of the currently available oil spill recovery material can be disposed of easily. Nonabsorbing booms can be cleaned and reused. Oil-absorption materials, such as pads, have a low seawater retention rate when fully saturated and can presently be disposed of the same way as other oil-soaked material. An ideal storage technique would be to reserve a container in your storage facility for all oil-saturated material. Once filled, the container can be removed by a certified waste hauler. Some oil-absorbent material can be recycled by pressing the oil out of the boom or pad. Recycling is dependent on the characteristics of the product information that can be provided by the manufacturer. Some facilities have implemented the practice of on-site burning of the oil-laden material as a heat source for indoor workspaces.
Institute a recycling program for used oil filters.
How do tenants who change the oil on their boats in your facility dispose of the old
filters? Ideally, old filters should be drained and crushed before disposal. The objective
of this process is to purge as much oil from the filter as possible. Machinery designed to
do this exists commercially. It may be more cost-effective for a group of marinas to
purchase the machinery for shared use. Perhaps it would be possible to work with an
existing operation that has the machinery, such as an automotive oil and lube station.
Waste oil filters, if not destined for recycling, must be managed as a hazardous waste
under the Rules and Regulations for Hazardous Waste Generation, Transportation, Treatment,
Storage, and Disposal promulgated pursuant to the Rhode Island Hazardous Waste Management
Act of 1978. Waste oil filters may not be disposed of by discarding them in the trash. For
additional information contact RI DEM at (401) 222-2797.
