Throughout the years of providing secondary containment systems and solutions for utility companies, we’ve realized that the only constant in the design of Geomembrane Liner with Barrier Boom systems is that there is no constant. Each site is unique, and requires a customized solution.
We hear this question often, generally regarding older substations that need to be retrofitted for secondary oil containment systems. Routine maintenance procedures allow workers to drive vehicles very close to the oil-filled electrical equipment on site. Ideally, the utilities prefer to incorporate oil containment systems that don’t require them to adjust standard maintenance processes. We understand, so on that note, the short answer is yes, our secondary containment solutions would accommodate frequent drive over use.
Concrete containment is a fairly common permanent solution used by utility companies to prevent a transformer oil leak from polluting the ground, and offers some obvious benefits when used for secondary containment. It is strong and durable, and requires low maintenance. It has a long life expectancy and is fire-resistant.
We all want to do our part in taking care of this wonderful, sustainable eco-system known as Earth. As Halloween approaches and a kaleidoscope of colorful leaves slip toward the ground, we are reminded that our time wandering over her landscapes will be brief, in the grand timeline of the universe, but that doesn’t mean we should be inconsiderate as we pass through. As humans, limiting or minimizing the ecological footprints we create should be something we strive to do. After all, are we not but caretakers of our great-great-great-great grandchildren’s home?
Another major drawback of earthen berms is that maintenance workers have to step over the mound or dike, and they can’t drive their trucks over them. For these situations, we recommend constructing a vehicle ramp of finely crushed, packed limestone on the earthen berm, so workers can easily drive up to the equipment. Driving over a berm without the ramp could crush the Barrier Boom panels and cause product failure. Just be sure to discuss this request with your engineer during the initial planning phase.
Below-grade secondary containment solutions are able to remove two of the three elements in transformer and substation fire situations. Transformer fires are of serious concern, as they seem to happen more and more. Perhaps this is in part due to aging equipment in older substations, but that’s not always the case.
After weighing the options, the utility decided to rebuild it. This meant taking the substation offline during a year or more of construction. But how could they ensure all customers in the area would have power, without increasing the demands on the grid? The best solution was to reroute power through a temporary mobile substation.
The oil and gas industry processes large volumes of flammable and hazardous materials. This industrial sector has stringent safety and environmental controls. But, incidents still occur. Refineries, drilling rigs, pipeline networks and dispensers must all be equipped and prepared to handle spills and releases.
A hazardous material release poses many environmental threats. It’s important to capture, contain and cleanup any contamination. Hazmat decon berms play a critical role in emergency response clean-up operations.
