70% of owners fail to comply with fuel storage regulations

Up to 70% of businesses in Northern Ireland fail to comply with new fuel storage regulations which come into place on December 31, according to industry experts Kingspan Environmental.

Owners who fail to follow new regulations could be fined with up to £20,000 or even face imprisonment. From 2016 fuel will have to be stored in “double-skinned” tanks in an effort to reduce the risk of leaks and environmental damages.

"The cost of oil spillages to both business and the environment can be heavy and the government has taken action to bring Northern Ireland into line with the rest of the United Kingdom,” said Pat Freeman, Managing Director of Kingspan Environmental.

It was a survey carried out by Kingspan which found that an estimated 70% of fuel tank owners failed to comply with the upcoming regulations.

"Business owners are also often unaware that they will be responsible for the cost of any clean-up required due to an oil spill on their premises, costing many thousands,” added Freeman.

The new double layer regulations will affect ground and underground storage tanks with a capacity of 200 litres or more on industrial or commercial sites.