HomeMy WebLinkAboutIR 8275 INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No.- 8275
Tep September 19, 2000
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council
P1. X * Subject: Report On Mobile Refueling
1873
During the past few months, the City Manager's Office, Fire Department, the Mayor and
various Council Members have been involved in meetings and/or conversations with
representatives of the Mobile Refueling industry and several of our corporate
constituents. The purpose of these meetings was to discuss the possibility of a change in
the City Ordinance to allow mobile refueling at various vehicle fleet sites within our city.
This practice is currently prohibited under the code adopted by the City of Fort Worth.
Consequently, this report has been prepared by the fire department working closely with
our Environmental Management Department to provide City Council with information
regarding this issue. Should the City Council so desire, a draft ordinance has been
developed for review and possible action that would allow mobile refueling Linder strict
guidelines and would require a permit issued by the Fire Department.
In developing the regulatory requirements for mobile fleet fueling, the Fire Department
attempted to replicate the level of safety provided at fixed fueling sites. This is somewhat
of a challenge especially because there is no current national standard for this practice
(mobile refueling). There has been movement towards adopting standards at the national
level, with both the Uniform Fire Code and the International Fire Code organizations
seriously contemplating changes that would allow the practice under some conditions. In
developing our proposed standard, consideration was given to pending changes we think
will be made to the national standards. Additionally, the Fire Department solicited and
received input from the fixed fueling industry and the mobile fleet fueling industry,
reviewed other regulations for comparable activities, and attempted to apply the
appropriate safety regulations to assure a level of safety commensurate with our
constituents' expectations.
City Council should be aware of several issues relating to the consideration of an
ordinance regulating mobile fueling,:
• Funding: In order to implement an ordinance, one inspector (fire lieutenant position)
will be needed to conduct site plan review, on-site inspections, etc. The total start-up
costs are calculated at $84,449. This includes salary, benefits, automobile, and
related equipment. The annual costs thereafter will be approximately $65,000 per
year. These costs can be fully recovered through site and refueling vehicle permit
fees. Full cost recovery would result in the following fees:
Recovery 100% 50% 25%
Rate Per Site Per Vehicle Per Site Per Vehicle Per Site Per Vehicle
Initial Fee $2,000 $1,000 $1,000 $500 $500 $250
Renewal $1,000 $500 $500 $250 $250 $125
Fee
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH,TEXAS
INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS N4. $275
September 19, 2000
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f�r To the Mayor and Members of the City Council Page 2 of 3
Report On Mobile Refueling
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NOTE: All information in this table is based upon estimates provided by the fueling
industry. Currently, the industry estimates 30 to 35 sites and 20 to 25 vehicles. Staff is
unable to verify this information at this time. It is anticipated that the industry will grow
substantially if it is legalized.
• Environmental Concerns: An argument will likely be made that allowing mobile
fueling will increase the air pollution problem in the area. This is based on allowing
diesel trucks (fueling apparatus) to operate all night in the City. The transfer of fuel
is accomplished by pumping it from the tank of the fueling vehicle into the fuel tank
of the vehicle being fueled by a pump driven by the same engine that propels the
fueling vehicle. This requires the engine to remain running while the fuel is being
delivered, thus increasing the level of contaminants in the air. A counter argument is
that the trucks being fueled are shut down, not being driven to a fixed fueling site. In
discussions with our Environmental Management Department, it is believed the
impact on air quality will be negligible.
• Safety Concerns: Some may contend that it is not possible to make the practice of
� mobile fueling as safe as fixed site fueling methods. There is some merit to this
argument, however, regulations are proposed that should make the actual fueling
process safe from both a fire safety perspective and an environmental perspective.
The issue still remains that mobile fueling is the equivalent of an unprotected above
ground tank (in the form of the tank truck) moving from site to site, with the
accompanying hazards associated with unprotected tanks. Fixed sites must either
bury tanks or provide equivalent fire protection for above ground tanks to protect the
public and emergency responders from the hazard of a tank rupture or explosion as a
result of fire exposure. The Fire Department is not aware of equivalent protection for
tank trucks.
Additionally, fixed site representatives may present other safety concerns: the room
between the tricks being fueled; the need for a property representative on site during
fueling operations; the potential for spill is too great, the fueling apparatus serves as
an ignition source; and a need for bonding during fueling operations. All of these
issues have been thoroughly reviewed and, the Fire Department believes, can be
appropriately addressed.
• Legal concerns: A lawsuit has been filed against the City by a fleet fueling company,
claiming that a state statute pre-empts local ordinance. The Law Department has
reviewed the suit and believes the case to be without merit. There is, however, a
court-imposed deadline of September to begin discovery and possibly mediation.
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH,TEXAS
INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 8275
September 19, 2000
c�7�FO e3of3
o{....,, To the Mayor and Members of the City Council Pa g
tex►s Subject: Report On Mobile Refueling
1873
There are arguments to be made on both sides of the issue, many of which have already
been made to the Fire Department and Environmental Management Department.
However, staff of both departments are in agreement that this is a service of value to
many of the fleet operators in our city and, with the safeguards proposed, can be
accomplished with an acceptable degree of safety both from a fire protection and
environmental point of view.
If Council members desire additional information or have questions, please contact Chief
McMillen at 871-6301, Deputy Fire Chief Tidwell at 371-6849 or Brian Boerner,
Ane tal Department Director at 371-8079.
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ISSU ED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH,TEXAS