On July 30, 2004, the Connecticut Siting Council (Council) received a petition from the Connecticut Municipal Electric Energy Cooperative (CMEEC) for a declaratory ruling that no certificate of environmental compatibility and public need is required for the proposed installation of an 8000 gallon above-ground fuel tank. In Petition No. 672, the Council approved four 2MW diesel generators: two at the South Cherry Street site and two at the 100 John Street site. The proposed fuel tank would be located next to the two generators at the South Cherry Street site. This site was previously field reviewed by Phil Ashton and Mike Perrone on May 17, 2004 as part of Petition No. 672.

CMEEC proposes the installation of this fuel tank to provide added fuel capacity and run time for the diesel generators. The generators provide additional power to southwest Connecticut when called upon by ISO New England dispatchers when step 12 of Operating Procedure 4 (OP4) is reached. Currently, the generators’ built-in fuel tanks only permit approximately seven to eight hours of continuous run time. With the proposed fuel tank, the generators could operate for up to 26 hours continuously, which is effectively two to three days if operating during peak hours. CMEEC asserts that the proposed fuel tank would have substantial electric reliability benefits by allowing extended run time, reducing the frequency of fuel deliveries, and reducing exposure to fuel delivery disruption in the event of a grid failure.

The proposed fuel tank would be approximately 23’1" long, 8’ high, and 8’9" wide and would contain ultra-low sulfur fuel oil. The tank would be located on a 12" thick concrete pad. The tank is double-lined with the inner tank made of steel and surrounded by six inches of reinforced concrete to provide protection against leakage. The tank’s construction provides a low maintenance, corrosion proof exterior as well as ballistic/impact protection for primary and secondary containment. A complete set of leak detection monitoring controls would be installed. A security fence would surround the fuel tank as well as the two generators.

The Cytec site at South Cherry Street is adjacent to railroad tracks (to the east) which run parallel to South Colony Road (Route 5). This site is also zoned I-40 Industrial. To the west (approx. 70 feet) is a baseball field which is no longer in use. The opposite side of Route 5 is zoned commercial with a car dealership across the street. The nearest home is located east of the commercial zone and is about 1000 feet away, but the view of the generator/fuel tank site is obstructed by a convenience store in the commercial zone. Further, the tank’s neutral concrete color is expected to reduce the visual impact. There are also no wetlands or watercourses on the site. In addition, the site is already disturbed due to adjacent industrial development and the location of the generators. Thus, staff recommends approval of this petition.