NVD joins effort to find

destructive fuel tanks

THE SEARCH for environmentally-destructive under- ground heating fuel tanks on the North Shore resumes

June 24.

Last year, the West Vancouver Fire Department and West Van- couver District teamed up to locate resiGential viderground oil tanks (RUSTs) in that municipali- ty.

This year, North Vancouver District Fire Department and North Vancouver District municipality join the Operation Oil Tank program.

By Michael Becker News Reporter

Vancouver were found to be cor- roded.

Said West Vancouver Fire Department assistant chief Gerry Harrington, ‘This year the stu- dents will be pressing a little harder and ensuring that the tanks

44 There are an

estimated 10,000

abandoned tanks buried in North Vancouver District. 99

The tanks, which are a major environmental threat to local creeks and ground water, were widely installed throughout the Lower Mainland prior to the availability of natural gas as a heating fuel source. All of the abandoned tanks are beyond their average 25-year service life and are the potential source of oil discharges into the surrounding environment.

Of the 750 RUSTs identified by two West Vancouver students working for Operation Oil Tank last year from June 25 to Aug. 29, about 87% contained residual amounts of oi] ranging from five gallons to 250 gallons.

Municipal records show that 4,500 underground oil tanks, ranging in capacity from 250 to 1,000 gallons, were installed in West Vancouver from 1945 until the early 1960s. An estimated 50,000 tanks are still buried around the Lower Mainland.

Once tanks are identified, homeowners are asked either to fill them with sand or have them removed.

Most of the tanks removed from the ground last year in West

are filled (with sand).”’

Meanwhile, there are an estimated 10,000 abandoned tanks buried in North Vancouver District.

Said North Vancouver District Fire Department fire prevention office chief Leo lus, ‘“‘We’re ask- ing that the citizens make these tanks safe because of the en- vironmental aspect.”

North Vancouver District’ and West Vancouver will each have four crovincially-funded En- viropment Youth Corps students at work knocking on doors to Aug. 30 in an attempt to systematically identify abandoned tanks.

West Vancouver will deploy an additional four students funded by the Challenge °9! program.

Each fire department received $5,000 from the Shell En- vironmental Fund for the RUST project. West Vancouver received $1,000 from the Molson com- panies donation fund. And both municipalities have funded the in- tiative.

North Vancouver City is also considering joining the Operation Oil Tank program.

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Saturday and Sunday. cloudy with a chance of showers. Highs 22°C,

Second Class Registration Numb.-

3885

Test drive the new Honda Civic wagon

23

NEWS photo Mike Wekelleid

Harmony Arts Festival

LOCAL SCULPTOR Peter Kiss leads the pack of artists entering their work in West Van- couver’s Harmony Arts Festival, taking place Aug. 12-78. The deadline is today for any artists interested in participating in ArtBeat, which will see Oundarave and Ambleside storetronts transformed into an art gallery. For information calt 925-3605.

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