Code issues addressed at airport fuel farm and buildings (Printed Oct. 25, 2007)
By Renee Worthing
Register Reporter
Southern Maine Aviation, Sanford Regional Airport’s new east ramp fixed base operator (FBO) is sinking more than $300,000 into improvements at the airport in order to bring the buildings and the town-owned fuel farm up to code. In exchange, Southern Maine Aviation will have a 20-year lease, which will allow the FBO to recoup its investment while providing revenue for the town.
The council voted unanimously to authorize Town Manager Mark Green to enter into a fixed base operator lease and operating rights agreement at the Sanford Regional Airport with Southern Maine Aviation.
Southern Maine Aviation owner Jim Knowles said the “buildings are out of code, the fuel farm is, too.”
He said when he walked through the buildings in March, there were “obvious serious fire issues,” including the absence of fire exit lights, furnaces that are not properly protected and walls constructed of plywood.
Despite the issues in the buildings, it is the condition of the above ground fuel pumps that raised the most concern.
Sanford Regional Airport Manager Evan McDougal said the above-ground pumps and separator are the problem while the two existing 10,000 gallon underground storage tanks, which were replaced in 1988, “are good for another 12 years.” He said the warranty expires after 30 years at which time they must be removed.
McDougal said the above-ground pumps were installed in the mid-1960s and are “way out of date” by National Fire Protection standards.
McDougal said the state fire marshall controls above ground components while the Department of Environmental Protection controls below-ground components.
Among the issues, he cited rust on the filter separator and “piping that is wrong.”
Westbrook-based Tanks Unlimited, Inc. President John Mahar, referred to multiple violations when he inspected the fuel farm recently.
“This is a disaster, quite frankly. I have a list of violations that pertain to this system. We have a number of violations and unanswered questions and safety violations,” he said, addressing the Sanford Town Council on Oct. 16.
“We cannot determine when the filter was last changed,” Mahar said, noting when the filter is changed, it should be marked on the tag.
The filter is supposed to be changed annually, but the filter vessel, which he said was painted four years ago, bears no evidence of having been opened.
“I was unable to find a crack in the paint or any other indication a wrench was put on a nut or a bolt,” he said.
Mahar also said he wasn’t able to determine if the jet fuel tank or lines are lined.
Not lining it allows for algae growth which effects the efficiency of fuel flow, he said.
He also cited the “direct drop deliveries” as being against code and a spill containment “out of compliance.”
“The five- gallon spill container should (hold) 15 gallons as of three years ago,” he said.
Mahar also said there did not appear to be a “floating suction” in the jet fuel, which he described as a mechanism which floats on top of the fuel and features a “goose neck-type” of piping that extends down into the fuel. The floating suction device “sucks out fuel not water,” he said.
Councilor Brad Littlefield wanted to know why the substandard fuel system was not brought to the attention of the council before.
“In the previous lease, the tenant (Sanford Air, Inc.), was responsible for above-ground components, all of them, so I have no information on inspections, inspection results or dates of filter changes,” McDougal said. “I do have every inspection of the underground reports that DEP requires.”
Chairman Anne Marie Mastraccio inquired about the town’s liability, but McDougal said the system has not been in use since July 1.
“It is locked out and tagged out. It is not being used to pump fuel into any airplanes,” McDougal said.
He also said the fuel supplier performs the inspection.
“The town never got copies of those inspections,” McDougal said. “It was never in the lease that they (FBO) had to provide it and they didn’t. The FBO (Sanford Air) and the fuel supplier were apparently comfortable in their relationship that they could safely pump fuel out of that system. I don’t want to make it sound like we were sending planes up that were ready to crash because that’s not the case. It’s more important to move ahead.”
The 20-year-lease lease with Southern Maine Aviation, which was signed Oct. 17, includes a clause which requires the FBO to supply copies of the inspection reports to the town, McDougal said.
“When there is a transition between tenants these things come to light. We’ll take care of the building – get that up to code, and the fuel farm. Sanford will have a first class FBO and we’re really looking forward to that,” Knowles said.
Register Reporter
Southern Maine Aviation, Sanford Regional Airport’s new east ramp fixed base operator (FBO) is sinking more than $300,000 into improvements at the airport in order to bring the buildings and the town-owned fuel farm up to code. In exchange, Southern Maine Aviation will have a 20-year lease, which will allow the FBO to recoup its investment while providing revenue for the town.
The council voted unanimously to authorize Town Manager Mark Green to enter into a fixed base operator lease and operating rights agreement at the Sanford Regional Airport with Southern Maine Aviation.
Southern Maine Aviation owner Jim Knowles said the “buildings are out of code, the fuel farm is, too.”
He said when he walked through the buildings in March, there were “obvious serious fire issues,” including the absence of fire exit lights, furnaces that are not properly protected and walls constructed of plywood.
Despite the issues in the buildings, it is the condition of the above ground fuel pumps that raised the most concern.
Sanford Regional Airport Manager Evan McDougal said the above-ground pumps and separator are the problem while the two existing 10,000 gallon underground storage tanks, which were replaced in 1988, “are good for another 12 years.” He said the warranty expires after 30 years at which time they must be removed.
McDougal said the above-ground pumps were installed in the mid-1960s and are “way out of date” by National Fire Protection standards.
McDougal said the state fire marshall controls above ground components while the Department of Environmental Protection controls below-ground components.
Among the issues, he cited rust on the filter separator and “piping that is wrong.”
Westbrook-based Tanks Unlimited, Inc. President John Mahar, referred to multiple violations when he inspected the fuel farm recently.
“This is a disaster, quite frankly. I have a list of violations that pertain to this system. We have a number of violations and unanswered questions and safety violations,” he said, addressing the Sanford Town Council on Oct. 16.
“We cannot determine when the filter was last changed,” Mahar said, noting when the filter is changed, it should be marked on the tag.
The filter is supposed to be changed annually, but the filter vessel, which he said was painted four years ago, bears no evidence of having been opened.
“I was unable to find a crack in the paint or any other indication a wrench was put on a nut or a bolt,” he said.
Mahar also said he wasn’t able to determine if the jet fuel tank or lines are lined.
Not lining it allows for algae growth which effects the efficiency of fuel flow, he said.
He also cited the “direct drop deliveries” as being against code and a spill containment “out of compliance.”
“The five- gallon spill container should (hold) 15 gallons as of three years ago,” he said.
Mahar also said there did not appear to be a “floating suction” in the jet fuel, which he described as a mechanism which floats on top of the fuel and features a “goose neck-type” of piping that extends down into the fuel. The floating suction device “sucks out fuel not water,” he said.
Councilor Brad Littlefield wanted to know why the substandard fuel system was not brought to the attention of the council before.
“In the previous lease, the tenant (Sanford Air, Inc.), was responsible for above-ground components, all of them, so I have no information on inspections, inspection results or dates of filter changes,” McDougal said. “I do have every inspection of the underground reports that DEP requires.”
Chairman Anne Marie Mastraccio inquired about the town’s liability, but McDougal said the system has not been in use since July 1.
“It is locked out and tagged out. It is not being used to pump fuel into any airplanes,” McDougal said.
He also said the fuel supplier performs the inspection.
“The town never got copies of those inspections,” McDougal said. “It was never in the lease that they (FBO) had to provide it and they didn’t. The FBO (Sanford Air) and the fuel supplier were apparently comfortable in their relationship that they could safely pump fuel out of that system. I don’t want to make it sound like we were sending planes up that were ready to crash because that’s not the case. It’s more important to move ahead.”
The 20-year-lease lease with Southern Maine Aviation, which was signed Oct. 17, includes a clause which requires the FBO to supply copies of the inspection reports to the town, McDougal said.
“When there is a transition between tenants these things come to light. We’ll take care of the building – get that up to code, and the fuel farm. Sanford will have a first class FBO and we’re really looking forward to that,” Knowles said.
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