The Good News of a Rebounding Economy
By Jose Manuel May, Hazardous Materials Specialist
The growth of the fuel storage industry and the demand for fossil fuels are key indicators
used by economists to predict future trends. The American Trucking Association forecasts that
the amount of freight being transported on our highways will increase 66 percent by 2022.
Population growth experts predict an increased demand for goods and services in Southern
California over the next ten years, which translates to an increased demand for fuel.
San Bernardino County is a major gateway to
the growing communities in Southern California.
The demand for fuel, coupled with the increased
transportation of hazardous materials, places a
unique responsibility on the services provided by the
San Bernardino County Fire Department, Office of
the Fire Marshal (OFM).
The mission of the OFM is to protect the safety,
health and property of our citizens. The dedicated
professionals assigned here are committed to a
safer community through proactive fire prevention
and regulatory oversight of hazardous materials and
hazardous waste management. OFM also employs
specialized first responders who coordinate with
fire suppression and law enforcement personnel to
conduct fire/arson investigations and haza rdous
materials emergency response activities.
The office is also charged with the responsibility
to provide specialized oversight to protect human
health and safety and the environment through the
Certified Unified Program Agency (CUPA). One of
the CUPA’s specialized programs is the Underground
Storage Tank (UST) Program, which coordinates with
federal, state, county and local agencies to pursue
and accomplish our mission.
One component of the UST program’s customer
service model is to coordinate with UST owners and
UST contractors to provide oversight on construction
and testing. The program is experiencing an increase
in the amount of applications for new and existing
UST construction. This increase is consistent with the
expert economic forecasts.
The UST Program is also working with the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and
the State Water Resources Control Board
(Water Board) to coordinate efforts between
property owners and the EPA to remove
abandoned USTs and/or upgrade existing
USTs. Statewide, the EPA and the Water
Board have facilitated compliance at 60
percent of 342 abandoned UST sites through
regulatory actions, research, and data cleanup.
These sites had USTs storing fuel or other potentially
hazardous products and had not completed tank
closure and cleanup requirements. San Bernardino
County accounted for approximately 15 percent of
the statewide abandoned UST properties.
The good news is that we are experiencing a
rebounding economy. The retail and commercial
fueling industry is responding to the increased
demand. New investors and existing UST owner/
operators are investing in UST upgrades and
installations. This reaction to a revitalizing economy
not only translates into additional UST construction
applications, but it also increases our customer
service requirements to the citizens of San
Bernardino County.
The dedicated professionals assigned to OFM are
enthusiastically prepared to meet the challenges
associated with a rebounding economy. Our staff,
in collaboration with their County counterparts,
is continuously doing its part to transform San
Bernardino County into the premier destination for
visitors and a home where those who live and invest
can prosper and achieve well-being.
An empty field in the downtown area of Fontana
transforms into a retail fueling station and food court
San Bernardino’s industrial area along
Tippecanoe Avenue welcomes an ARCO AM/PM
Out with the old and in with the new along
Route 66 in downtown Barstow
United We Stand
On Dec. 2, 2015, our colleagues and friends were taken from us in a senseless
act of terrorism. Positive memories will forever be cherished and etched in the
hearts and minds of everyone our fallen comrades have touched and influenced
throughout their lives. Our united commitment to memorialize the contributions to
their families and their community will forever be strong.
50
FIREWIRE • Winter 2016
Winter 2016 • FIREWIRE
51