Brookhaven report eyes tank problems

Large propane tanks like the one that leaked in Shirley this weekend are required to incorporate a series of safety devices to prevent leaks and mishaps, but owners of such pre-2001 tanks have until July to fully comply with the guidelines, experts say.

A report issued Monday by the Town of Brookhaven's Division of Fire Prevention about the incident states that one measure contained in the 2001 National Fire Protection Association standards might have prevented the Shirley incident. Among other problems, the investigator's report states, "had an excess flow valve been installed in the liquid valve piping, this incident could have been avoided."

The most sweeping changes in the standards for large propane fuel tanks were put in place after a Sept. 8, 1996, leak in Sanford, N.C., when more than 39,000 gallons of propane spewed from a truck and two storage tanks - the largest such release on U.S. soil.

As in Shirley, the gas didn't ignite and no one was injured, but officials at the fire association in 2001 issued new standards for all propane tanks over 4,000 gallons that required three new safety measures on tanks to prevent leaks. The propane tank in Shirley has a 30,000-gallon capacity and, according to an official of Synergy Gas, the tank's owner, it is believed to have been installed about 20 years ago.

The new standards, which are routinely adopted by states, municipalities and gas suppliers, require large propane tanks with internal valves to include devices that detect and stop leaks automatically, or allow remote shut off. Specifically, the measures include an excess-flow protection device to prevent uncontrolled discharge of gas in the event of a pipe separation; a remote shutoff switch or cable; and a heat-triggered shutoff via a mechanism that melts and closes the valve in the presence of high heat.

Bruce Swiecicki, senior technical adviser for the National Propane Gas Association, a Washington D.C. industry group, said states and municipalities typically adopt the National Fire Protection Association 58 "LP-Gas Code," as the industry standard.

"Our members are self-policing, and take the . . . [fire association standards] a step further," said Jack Stallone, president of the Long Island Propane Gas Association, a regional supplier group.

All new tanks installed after 2001 required compliance with the standard in states and municipalities that adopt fire association standards, officials of the propane associations said.

Tanks installed prior to 2001 had 10 years to get into compliance with the standard. The final date for compliance is this July.

Michael Meath, a spokesman for the New York Propane Gas Association, said the tank was "in compliance with standards that applied to it at this point in time."

The Brookhaven report said the tank "will be repaired and brought into compliance with NFPA 58 2011 edition."

Around 25 companies are members of the Long Island Propane Gas Association, said Stallone, adding all members adopt the fire association standards as common business practice. What's more, he said, local municipalities won't issue permits to install propane heating systems if tanks aren't in compliance.

While the market for propane on Long Island pales in comparison to natural gas and oil, it's still fairly large.

Some 8.1 million gallons of propane were sold in New York State last year, according to the New York Propane Gas Association. Around a quarter of that gas was sold on Long Island, according to Stallone. At an average $3.27 retail price, that makes propane a roughly $26 million local industry. Propane is used to heat around 4 percent of Long Island homes, according to the association.