tend to intercept, divert, and disperse water currents. This diversion 

 may decrease available food supply and change water parameters, such as 

 salinity and oxygen, leading to a significantly altered fish and wildlife 

 habitat. 



Oil storage facilities need to be relatively flat, and a major 

 construction component will be heavy equipment operations to level 

 the land. This requirement will result in the clearing of large 

 acreage and will cause a drastic change in the microclimate. Species 

 which previously occupied the sector will now find that area uninhab- 

 itable. Also, with the vegetation removed, erosion may occur if 

 appropriate control measures are not taken. Without proper con- 

 trol excessive sedimentation may occur in streams and rivers, pro- 

 ducing degraded fish habitats. 



Operation : With the unloading of crude oil and loading of petroleum 

 products, spill prevention is the primary concern. During such operations 

 all vessels should be surrounded by an oil boom to contain any accidental 

 releases of petroleum until they can be removed by vacuum truck, oil 

 absorbing device, or other machinery. In case of an accident, automatic 

 shut-off valves can terminate the operation without excessive losses of 

 oil. The petroleum transfer must be supervised at all times, and a 

 contingency plan must be routinely practiced to allow personnel to 

 effectively react in time of an emergency. 



Inspection of connecting hoses, seals, clamps, and other hardware 

 must be performed on a regular schedule, and equipment with any sign of 

 wear must be promptly replaced. Oil tankers must be inspected, and any 

 indications of corrosion or malfunctioning parts must be corrected 

 immediately. 



Regulatory Factors 



Construction and operation of oil storage complexes may require 

 Federal, state, and local permits and certification. 



State and Local Role : State and local legislation and other actions 

 aimed at reducing the potential for adverse effects on the natural 

 environment in particular may be stimulated by the threat of location of 

 an oil storage terminal outside present ports and centers of industry. 

 As with regulation of petrochemical industry construction discussed in 

 2.4.2 and of refinery construction discussed in 2.4.1, state and local 

 governments may delay or block construction of new oil storage terminals. 

 Zoning laws and state utility regulations are examples of potentially, 

 important land-use control mechanisms which can serve essential pollution 

 abatement roles. This type of regulation may also impose design require- 

 ments on project components, such as clearing, grading, soil erosion, 

 geologic structure, amount of impervious surfaces, and landscaping. 



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