The SmartWay Transport Partnership program may lose its value if the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) does not protect the integrity of its program by implementing some form of direct verification or other measures to deter companies from submitting data that result in overstated scores, according to a new report from the EPA Office of the Inspector General (OIG).

"We believe this lack of direct verification is a potential design weakness in the program, which affects the Agency’s ability to ensure the overall validity of claimed SmartWay Transport Partnership results," the OIG said in its August 30 report.

EPA established the SmartWay Transport Partnership in 2004. It is a voluntary collaboration between EPA and the freight industry (carriers, shippers, logistics companies, etc.) to improve fuel efficiency and reduce environmental impacts from freight transport.


The Clean Diesel Fuel Alliance (CDFA), composed of individual companies and many trade associations (NAFA is a member), posted its report Corrosion in Systems Storing and Dispensing Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel (ULSD), Hypotheses Investigation on Monday, September 10, 2012.  

The executive summary of the report states, "Severe and rapid corrosion has been observed in systems storing and dispensing ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) since 2007. In addition, the corrosion is coating the majority of metallic equipment in both the wetted and unwetted portions of ULSD underground storage tanks (USTs). To investigate the problem in an objective manner, multiple stakeholders in the diesel industry, through the Clean Diesel Fuel Alliance (CDFA), funded this research project."

Research and development organization Battelle was hired to advise on project set-up, conduct the actual research, analyze the data, and write the final report. The research project design included identification of retail fueling sites with corrosion issues and development of an inspection and sampling protocol to ensure uniform and thorough inspections of USTs.

Samples from the inspections were analyzed for genetic material and chemical characteristics. Among other contaminants, acetic acid was found in all samples taken (fuel, water bottoms, vapor, and corrosion scrapings). Acetobacter microorganisms and traces of ethanol were found in the majority of water bottom samples. Combined, the two are known to create acetic acid. Battelle has identified this as the most likely mechanism for the cause of the corrosion.

The report states, "The source of the ethanol is unknown; however, diesel fuel is often delivered in the same trucks as ethanol-blended gasoline. Also, ULSD USTs that have been converted from a gasoline tank could have manifolded ventilation systems with gasoline tanks. Thus, it is possible that there be some cross contamination of ethanol into ULSD."

The full report is available at http://www.clean-diesel.org/pdf/ULSDStoringSystemCorrosion.pdf