Leaking or overfilled tanks containing chemicals, fuel oil, sewage or hazardous materials can cause environmental problems, contaminate drinking water and cost a company millions of dollars in fines and lawsuits. TV and newspapers frequently run stories about tanks that leaked and the expensive ramifications that resulted. For example, a recent leak of 4-methylcyclohexane methanol at Freedom Industries in Charleston, WV, USA, resulted in 31 lawsuits and the company filing for bankruptcy.
With a few precautions and a relatively minor investment, this event could have been identified early on, and action could have been taken to mitigate the leak and its destructive aftereffects.
Instrumentation exists that will monitor the contents of a vessel and provide an alarm in the event of a leak or overfill event. These products have been used for years and are well established and reliable. This white paper describes instrumentation and controls that companies need to install on their tanks and vessels.