Effects on Living Resources 



An onshore oil storage facility has the following characteristics 

 of particular concern to fish and wildlife: (1) oil storage tankers; 

 (2) usually a marine terminal with channels and a berth; (3) service 

 roads; (4) dikes; (5) cleared, level land; and (6) crude oil or petroleum 

 product transfer. 



Location : Usually an onshore oil storage facility is closely 

 associated with another operation, such as an oil refinery or petro- 

 chemical plant. While a coastal location is not imperative for a storage 

 terminal, economics have generally dictated a waterfront site. The 

 ecological problems associated with such a facility usually concern 

 pollution of the adjacent waters , Thus many of the adverse effects to 

 fish and wildlife could be better controlled, or eliminated, by location 

 at an inland site. 



Locations at the mouths of bays and estuaries would aid the flushing 

 and dispersal of silts stirred by boats approaching the facility and the 

 dispersal of petroleum discharges from engines and other sources. Channels 

 and harbors, which will require little initial and maintenance dredging, 

 should be considered as the best choices for the location of the facility. 



Design : If a marine terminal is part of the facility design, then 

 effects on fish and wildlife will be minimized by using waterfront prop- 

 erty. This would avoid the loss of fish and wildlife habitat from the 

 filling of wetlands. 



The need for adequate channels and a turning basin will cause 

 dredging problems of turbidity and sedimentation, which may lead to the 

 smothering of clams, corals, and other organisms. Oxygen depletion is 

 also associated with dredging. Channels should be designed to limit the 

 amount of initial and maintenance dredging. The channel route should be 

 the shortest distance to the facility for dredging with minimum disruption 

 of fish and wildlife habitat. The type of bottom material should also be 

 considered. Loose, unconsolidated material requires maintenance dredging 

 more often than does a solid substrate. 



Dikes around the storage tanks should be high enough to hold all 

 the contents of the tank if it should rupture. Every tank must have 

 access by a service road to allow safe and effective fire protection 

 along the dikes. 



Construction: Open pile piers and floats should be built instead 

 of sheet steel bulkheads for marine terminals. In the construction 

 of steel bulkheads shores are often dredged to create a berth and to 

 obtain fill to place behind the bulkhead. This alters the natural 

 configuration of the shoreline and robs areas down the shore of needed 

 sand by interrupting littoral drift. In addition, solid fill structures 



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