Issue link: http://resourceworld.uberflip.com/i/294363
54 www.resourceworld.com A P R I L / M A Y 2 0 1 4 MININGWORLD With pristine Arctic environments at stake and climate concerns growing, there's renewed interest in collapsible fuel tanks compared to traditional fuel storage options such as drums, barges and steel tanks. Collapsible fuel tanks have been used by the military for years to rapidly deploy fuel in remote sites during times of conflict and, today, the military still uses collapsible tanks to sustain training or search and rescue activ - ities in the north as well as help clean-up abandoned fuel drums in the Arctic – rem- nants from the cold war's DEW line. In fact, many companies working on DEW line site clean-up operations use collapsible fuel tanks as a temporary fuel storage option while they remove millions of left behind, half-empty, rotting fuel drums from decades gone by. "When managed correctly, collapsible fuel tanks can be more environmentally- friendly than any other method of temporary storage," says Paul Reichard, Remote Site division manager for SEI Industries Ltd., a leading Canadian manufacturer of collapsible fuel tanks and flexible secondary contain - ment systems. "While these products have been around for 24 years, they've just recently become visible to northern communities and, since collapsible fuel tank technology has changed significantly over time, many people are not aware of the advantages," he says. Unfortunately, most temporary fuel stor - age options harbour the potential to produce a variety of harmful environmental impacts. Barges, frozen in ice, can rupture and spills can occur during fuel transferring. Steel tanks, which require a much larger footprint, are heavy, difficult and expensive to move and, as a result, these tanks are often aban - doned. When steel tanks are moved, they have the potential to cause significant dam- age to the tundra due to their heavy weight. In the past, drums have been a popular choice, but, given that they contain less than 200 litres of fuel, there are no specific spill regulations governing their use or required secondary containment. The regrettable real - ity is that, despite their small size, the sheer number of drums leaking fuel in the Arctic amounts to a significant environmental threat. Fuel drums are also often abandoned or subjected to damage by heavy equipment (causing spills) or to more frequent moves which also adds to the spill potential. As well, operators often re-use drums which are only designed for single-use. This re-use issue contributes to further spills. Additionally, hundreds of drums are required to achieve the same volume of one collapsible fuel tank. "Due to their portable nature, the lower costs associated with removing collapsible fuel tanks encourages proper disposal and reduces costs for companies faced with less funding due to the current economy," says Reichard. Arctic weather conditions also pose some challenges for safe fuel stor - age – one of the many reasons that SEI Industries developed a special fabric for its collapsible Arctic King tank which is purpose-built for liquid fuel storage in sub-zero climates. Constructed from a proprietary high-durability material unique to SEI Industries, the Arctic King exceeds all US military specifications and has excellent UV and hydrolysis resistance for a longer life expectancy than any other urethane collapsible fabric tank. Arctic King tanks have a low cold crack temp below -50º C, low diffusion rates well below CCME and ULC requirements and were developed to withstand long duration fuel exposure at unmanned remote winter locations. Collapsible Arctic King fuel tanks combine portability and versatility with economy and are available in a full range of sizes from 250 to 30,000 USG and larger. Multiple Arctic King tanks can be connected together through a manifold system to create a cost-effective tank farm with unlimited capacity. Nancy Argyle is one of Canada's most expe - rienced disaster communicators. Based in Calgary, she is a university lecturer, print reporter and strategic communications con- sultant who writes on a variety of topics. She also holds a commercial fixed-wing pilot's license. n An installation of Arctic King collapsible fuel tanks in the Arctic. Photo courtesy SEI Industries Ltd. Collapsible fuel tanks help clean up the Arctic By Nancy Argyle