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EPC Takes Tampa To Task Over Fuel Storage Tank

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By CHRISTIAN M. WADE

cwade@tampatrib.com

Published: January 3, 2009

TAMPA - A 4,000-gallon fuel tank inside the Tampa Convention Center is at the center of a dispute between the city and county over whether the tank poses an environmental hazard.

Hillsborough's Environmental Protection Commission recently notified Tampa officials that the aboveground storage tank, which holds diesel for the convention center's backup generators, is in violation of about a dozen state and county regulations.

The EPC wants the city to take the tank out of service until the violations are resolved.

"They're out of compliance and need to address these violations," said Andrew Zodrow, the EPC's assistant general counsel. "Unfortunately, they're putting up a hard line."

EPC officials say there's no public health or safety risk from the tank, but say the city must comply with the demands or face up to $10,000 a day in fines for each violation.

Over the summer, inspections of the tank found numerous violations including a possible fuel contamination from a leaking pipeline and failure to conduct regular inspections.

Several of the violations have been resolved, including a demand that the city register the tank, pay about 20 years in registration back fees and begin monthly inspections.

But the EPC said the inspections indicate the fuel pipe from the tank to generator is failing and must be replaced, a move that would require taking the tank out of service.

City officials say that would cost too much money and create a major risk by leaving the convention center without a backup generator in the event of a hurricane or power outage.

"There are significant safety concerns for the city with its sole emergency generator being out of service," Assistant City Attorney Cathy Ginster wrote to the EPC.

Ginster and other city officials couldn't be reached Friday.

Reporter Christian M. Wade can be reached at (813) 259-7679.

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