1
TELECON
Call
To:
George
Papadopoulos
U.
S.
EPA
Region
1
617­
918­
1579
Call
From:
Jill
Lucy,
ERG,
Inc.
Project:
Office
of
Water's
Engineering
and
Analysis
Division
­
304M
Support:
Detailed
Investigation
of
Petroleum
Bulk
Stations
and
Terminals
(
Charge
#
0172.01.005.063)
Date:
October
20,
2003
Subject:
Information
on
Regional
Permitting
of
Petroleum
Bulk
Stations
and
Terminals
Background
The
purpose
of
the
call
was
to
gather
the
following
information
for
petroleum
bulk
stations
and
terminals:

°
Wastewater
sources
and
discharge
volumes;
°
Common
wastewater
problems
state
has
encountered;
°
Current
state
permitting
practices;
°
Site
wastewater
treatment,
pollution
prevention,
and
recovery
practices;
°
Discharge
status;
°
Obtain
available
permits,
fact
sheets,
and
data;
and
°
Identify
PBSTs
for
site
visits.

Call
Summary
I
spoke
with
George
Papadopoulos
who
drafted
the
template
PBST
permit
for
Massachusetts.
He
has
visited
six
or
seven
petroleum
bulk
stations
and
terminals
(
PBSTs)
in
the
state.
Currently
approximately
six
renewal
permits
are
being
drafted.
The
last
permits
(
issued
in
1996/
1997)
focused
on
best
management
practices
(
BMPs).
Jonathon
Britt
(
617­
918­
1563)
is
currently
working
on
the
draft
PBST
permits.

Treatment
and
Monitoring
PBSTs
primarily
treat
wastewater
with
oil/
water
separators.
The
treatment
is
performed
as
a
batch
(
corresponding
with
storm
events).

Sites
typically
monitor
for
benzene,
ethylbenzene,
toluene,
and
xylenes
(
BETX)
and
polycyclic
aromatic
hydrocarbons
(
PAHs).
Massachusetts
requires
monitoring
of
approximately
half
a
dozen
PAHs;
however
these
pollutants
are
primarily
not
detected
in
the
discharged
wastewater
2
Telecon
­
PBST,
EPA
Region
1
from
PBSTs.

If
the
PBST
stores/
handles
gasoline,
the
site
also
analyzes
for
MTBE.

Mr.
Papadopoulos
did
not
know
of
any
examples
of
monitoring
for
ammonia.

Any
available
monitoring
data
that
the
region
has
is
in
the
EPA
Permit
Compliance
System
(
PCS)
database.

Types
of
Wastewater
Discharge
The
main
wastewater
discharge
at
Massachusetts
PBSTs
is
stormwater.
The
stormwater
undergoes
oil/
water
separation
prior
to
discharge.
Some
sites
also
have
groundwater
remediation
discharges.
Sites
are
prohibited
from
discharging
tank
bottom
waters
to
their
outfalls.
The
sites
have
the
tank
bottom
water
hauled
off
site
(
not
to
POTWs).

For
hydrostatic
testing,
sites
usually
do
not
use
clean
water.
Instead,
they
use
petroleum
products
that
are
then
returned
back
to
the
proper
tanks
when
testing
is
complete.

Sites
collect
all
the
stormwater
possible
following
storm
events.
Most
PBST
facilities
directly
discharge
their
stormwater
following
treatment.
PBSTs
are
currently
required
to
develop
a
storm
water
pollution
prevention
plan
(
SWPPP).
The
state
requirements
are
included
in
an
attachment
to
the
permit.

Types
of
Petroleum
Products
at
PBSTs/
Fact
Sheets
Mr.
Papadopoulos
noted
that
the
permit
fact
sheets
for
sites
discuss
the
type
of
petroleum
products
stored.
He
stated
he
could
send
a
few
from
1996/
1997.
The
fact
sheets
also
discuss
the
basis
of
the
permit
limits.

Wastewater
Problems
at
PBSTs
The
most
common
problem
at
PBSTs
are
spills.
The
Irving
Oil
Facility
in
Revere,
MA
had
a
spill
in
July
or
August
2003.
The
spill
occurred
at
the
loading/
unloading
area.
Mr.
Papadopoulos
was
not
sure
the
cause;
however,
BMPs
are
implemented
at
PBSTs
to
avoid
spills.
If
there
is
a
spill,
sites
make
sure
to
collect
and
treat
any
contaminated
wastewater
prior
to
discharge.

Mr.
Papadopoulos
noted
that
the
Chelsea
Creek
area
is
problematic
due
to
a
large
number
of
PBSTs
in
the
area.

Other
Region
1
States
Another
contact
who
has
worked
on
PBST
permits
for
South
Portland,
Maine
is
Doug
Corb
(
ext.
1565).
