New fuel tanks to be installed

The Facilities Management Department has been granted a contract to coordinate the replacement or removal of underground fuel storage tanks throughout the Cal State Long Beach campus.

Construction is scheduled to begin today.

In order to comply with current Environmental Protection Agency regulations, the current buried tanks that are single-walled need to be replaced with dual-walled systems which are able to monitor and detect leaks within the tanks.

The fuel in these tanks is used by the school to operate all of the cars and motorized vehicles throughout the campus.

The Facilities Management Corporation Yard, the Social Sciences and Public Affairs building, and the Microbiology building will be mainly affected by the project.

During construction the fuel dispensing pumps in Facilities Management will no longer be in service but the project has set up alternative methods to obtain fuel from off-campus services, according to project manager Patricia Neely.

"One of the minor inconveniences involved with the project is some of the noise generated from typical construction work," Neely said.

She added that Facilities Management has taken all of the necessary measures to minimize disruptions on normal activities as well as to meet all safety measures.

"The project will not affect students much at all but the worst area that will be affected would probably be the SSPA building because the tank in that area is wedged between that building and The Outpost," Neely said.

The contractor will work on the Facilities Management Corporation Yard from Nov. 12 through Dec. 17.

The Sciences and Public Affairs building will be under construction from Dec. 16 through Jan. 24.

Construction on the Microbiology building will run from Jan. 24 to March 7.

If the project follows the schedule, all construction work will be completed by the summer of next year, Neely said.