Boat Fueling

Adapted from the Massachusetts Clean Marina Guide

Description

For many marinas, fueling boats is an essential service to boaters and an important revenue generator. Marinas with fueling services must evaluate all aspects of their operation, including fuel station design, delivery, and dispensation, to ensure that their facility complies with safety, fire, and environmental laws. This fact sheet provides marina operators and boaters with information about how to minimize impacts to coastal waters from fueling activities.

The following laws apply to fueling activities. If your marina has a fuel pump, please read the summary of these regulations in Chapter 6 of the Massachusetts Clean Marina Guide.

Clean Water Act - Discharge of Oil
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Multi-Sector General Permit for Industrial Activities, Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasures (SPCC) Plan
Massachusetts Clean Waters Act
Massachusetts Waterways Regulations
Massachusetts State Fire Code

Best Management Practices

Planning & Training

Develop a Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasures Plan: A Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasures Plan (SPCC) is required for all facilities that meet the following three criteria: 1) the facility must be non-transportation-related; 2) it must have an aggregate aboveground fuel storage capacity greater than 1,320 gallons or a completely buried storage capacity greater than 42,000 gallons; and 3) there must be a reasonable expectation of a discharge into or upon navigable waters of the United States or adjoining shorelines. For more information on SPCC regulations or developing a SPCC, please see the following website: http://www.epa.gov/oilspill/spcc.htm
Document All Formal Training Sessions: Keep records of all training sessions for spill response, pumpout use, and other marina pollution prevention procedures. This information will be useful to show the good work your marina is doing.

Fuel Station Design

Fuel stations must be designed to be stable and to decrease the number of accidental spills. Naturally, fuel station design considerations are most effectively included when developing a new fuel station. However, each marina that provides fuel services should consider implementing the following BMPs.

Spill Containment: Design boat-fueling stations with spill containment areas so that spills cannot be released to the water.
Reduce Wakes: Locate fueling stations where they are protected from passing boat wake waves that may cause unstable conditions for fueling. Request that the Harbormaster establish a "no-wake zone" for the area in close proximity to the fuel docks, if not currently in place.
PWC Fueling Floats: Install personal watercraft (PWC) floats at fuel docks to raise PWCs from the water and provide a more stable setting for fueling.
Secure the Fuel Station: Secure and lock fueling stations and oil tanks during non-servicing hours.

Fuel System Components

Practical changes at the pump can improve your fueling system and prevent against all types of fuel spills. If you haven’t yet made changes to upgrade components of your fueling system, consider the BMPs.

Shut-Off Nozzles: To prevent overflow spills, install automatic back pressure shutoff nozzles on fuel pump discharge hoses. The nozzles automatically stop the flow of fuel into a boat’s fuel tank when sufficient reverse pressure is cre- ated by the full tank.
Nozzle Triggers: If automatic shut-offs are not used, then remove fuel nozzle triggers that are used to hold the nozzle open without being held. Nozzles can be purchased through the fuel companies that service your pumps. Prohibit the use of cans or other items to prop the trigger open, especially on large boats with big fuel tanks.
Alternative Fuel Nozzles: Install fuel nozzles that redirect blow-back into vessels’ fuel tanks or vapor control nozzles to capture fumes. Blow-back is when fuel comes back out of the fuel vent when the tank fills up. Consult your fuel pump service provider for more information.

Fuel Delivery

The point of delivery for bulk fuel from your fuel service to the marina has the potential to produce major impacts. There any many requirements under fire prevention and under- ground storage tank design regulations, so consult these regulations to ensure that your system complies with the law. In addition, consider the following BMPs.

Spill Response Training: Train all appropriate staff annually in the implementa- tion of a spill response plan. Document the training. Also, review fueling pro- cedure practices with staff and customers to reduce all small drips and spills. Include information about fueling in your spill response plan.
Fuel Delivery Staffing: Be sure that a member of your staff is always on-hand when fuel is delivered so that the marina staff can be sure that fuel delivery is conducted without incident.
Spill Response Locker: Locate a small locker with spill response equipment near the delivery area so that you can quickly react to a spill. Also post a telephone number to report a spill. Fueling Procedures Precautions should be taken every time someone removes the gas nozzle to fill up. The follow- ing BMPs will reduce frequent small drips and the potential for more serious spills.
Disposal Procedures: Provide for proper disposal of oil absorption materials and rags.
Fuel System Inspection: Regularly inspect the fueling system, and maintain, or replace fuel hoses, pumps, and tanks when necessary.
Fueling Signs and Supervision: Install easy-to-read signs on the fuel dock that explain proper fueling procedures and list the spill reporting phone numbers. Be sure that an attendant is on hand to do the fueling.
Spill Equipment and Reporting: Have a dock box or locker on the fuel dock filled with spill absorption pads and containment booms. Provide a sign that briefly states spill reporting requirements and a phone number for reporting a spill.
Fuel Collars and Absorption Pads: Use oil absorption pads or fuel collars directly at the gas line to catch splash back and small drips during fueling.
Proper Fueling Procedures: Make it a policy to discourage topping off practices. Avoid overfilling boat tanks when selling fuel. Do not fill the tank beyond 95% capacity. Warn boaters not to top-off tanks in summer, since fuel expands when it heats up – an important consideration during the hot boating season. (There is an unfortunate practice among some boaters to keep pumping fuel until it squirts out the air vent indicating a full tank.) Typically even after the pump is shut off and the nozzle removed, fuel can continue squirting out as the boat rocks with waves and as the fuel in the tank warms up and expands.
Reducing Fuel Overflow: Attach a container to the boat external vent fitting to collect overflow. Containers with suction cups used for attaching to the side of the boat directly underneath the fueling port are available from vendors. Pads can also be placed over the vent to catch any overflow.
Proper Nozzle Placement: Hang nozzles vertically when not in use to prevent fuel remaining in hose from draining out after vessel fueling. If the fuel pump is high on a pier and a long hose runs out on a floating fuel dock, an alternative is to lay the nozzle into a shallow pan lined with an absorption pad between uses. In the evening when the fuel dock is closed, the nozzle should be locked in its slot on the side of the fuel pump.
Use In-Water Sausage Boom During Fueling: Place a long sausage boom in the water between the dock and the boat to collect any drips and spills. Because fuel can inadvertently spit of the air vent, the boom will trap and absorb spilled fuel.
Proper Gas Can Placement: Place portable gas cans in an oil absorbent-lined drip pan when filling.
Install Fuel/Air Separators: Sell fuel/air separators at the marina store and pro- vide services to install them. Fuel/air separators are installed between the fuel tank and fume release vent to prevent fuel from exiting the vent during fueling. When installed properly, they allow air to escape but not fuel. These devices can be installed either by marina staff or the Do-It-Yourselfer.

Useful Contacts

Call the State Fire Marshall’s Office at (617) 566-4500 for information about state fire code requirements and spill response. National Spill Response Center — Call (800) 424-8802 to report a spill. U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Office — Boston (Cape Cod Canal to NH border), (617) 223-3000; Providence (RI border to Cape Cod Canal; including Cape & Islands), (401) 435-2300 or (800) 644-0217. Call for information on federal spill response and reporting requirements.