Environmental risk assessment of a diesel fuel tank: A case study

Abstract

The article deals with the application of the environmental damage assessment procedure and H&V index II method to the diesel fuel tank storage facility in a sand mining company using a case study. The procedures enabled the researchers to semi‐quantitatively assess the operated diesel fuel tank’s impact on the selected environmental components and the possible damage risk by the leakage of stored fuel. It was discovered, by assessing the operating conditions, the state of the environment at the mining facility, and the risk of a diesel fuel leakage accident, that it is not necessary for the company to implement further steps in the field of environmental damage minimization. The H&V index II method examined both the impacts of diesel fuel leakage on soil, biotic component, groundwater, surface water, and the impact of flammable substances on the biotic environmental component in six steps. Slight or significant impacts were identified depending on the environmental component during the determination of the accident severity. The accident severity, together with the estimated probability, was plotted in the risk matrix which resulted in acceptable risks for all affected environmental components. The results of both approaches showed that the diesel fuel leakage in the mining company represents an acceptable environmental risk in relation to the countermeasures implemented so far.