October 9, 2024

TOPS 2024 to Be Held December 3 in New Orleans! 

TOPS is a unique educational series that offers terminal operators a platform to share their experiences and learn from each other. It's a space to discuss effective operating practices and lessons learned from various incidents. Our presenters, fellow terminal operator employees, will share their experiences handling natural disasters, environmental releases, malfunctions, worker injuries and illnesses, near misses/hits, and other abnormal operating events at their facilities.

The event will be held at the New Orleans Marriott on December 3. You can register and book your hotel room here! 

Deadline Extended to Submit a Proposal for ILTA 2025! 

Share your knowledge and experiences at the ILTA 2025 Conference and Trade Show, June 9-11! We encourage all submissions related to terminals, especially those in the Environment, Health and Safety, Security, Leadership, Operations and Engineering, Human Resources and Emergency Response areas.  

We have limited sessions, so please submit your proposal prior to our extended deadline of October 21, 2024.  

Please click here for information on how to submit your proposal. To learn more or to talk through your ideas, reach out to Christopher Meilink at cmeilink@ilta.org.

ILTA 2025 Trade Show Rebooking 

Rebooking for the ILTA 2025 Trade Show is underway! If you have not filled out your application to exhibit, please contact Justin Olson at jolson@thewymancompany.com.

We are pleased to welcome VTTI to the International Liquid Terminals Association! 

As a global leader in independent energy storage, VTTI is committed to developing critical infrastructure needed for a carbon-neutral future. Their purpose, “Energy to Move Tomorrow,” drives innovation in safely expanding access to energy and accelerating the transition to sustainable sources.

If you know of a terminal or supplier company that could benefit from ILTA membership, please direct them to email Loren Eisenlohr, Senior Director of Marketing and Member Relations, at leisenlohr@ilta.org.

ILTA Moves to New Headquarters in Washington, DC! 

ILTA has a brand new headquarters in Washington DC! Located two blocks from the White House, ILTA can now be found at 655 15th NW, Suite 230, Washington, DC 20005. If you are ever in the Washington, DC area, ILTA would be delighted to host you or your team.  

ILTA Holds Fall EGHSS Meeting in Chicago 

ILTA’s Fall 2024 Environment, Government, Health, Safety & Security (EGHSS) Committee convened from October 1-2 at The Drake Hotel in Chicago, IL for its most recent biannual meeting. In total, almost 70 people attended the two-day event. 

Day one featured a fantastic tour of Kinder Morgan’s Argo, IL facility before diving into the meeting’s agenda. The Health & Safety and Environment portions were covered first, where attendees discussed ILTA’s engagement around the EPA’s Gasoline Distribution Rules, OSHA’s Heat Injury and Illness Rulemaking, the recent Supreme Court overturning of Chevron deference, and the many regulatory updates impacting the industry. 

Day two centered on the debut of ILTA’s brand new Government Affairs Subcommittee within the EGHSS wider committee, where the audience learned more about ILTA’s advocacy efforts, were given a glimpse into the upcoming November elections and the likely prospects for that, and the growing conversation around per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) substances in relation to Superfund liability. The meeting was rounded out by the Security portion, which held conversations on the coming Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act (CIRCIA) rule and updates within the National Maritime Security Advisory Committee (NMSAC). 

Thank you again to our event sponsors, Franklin Valve and Zeeco! Thank you as well to Kinder Morgan for hosting attendees at their facility and to all of the guest speakers who traveled to make the event as amazing as possible! All Fall 2024 EGHSS presentations and resources can be found behind the member wall on www.ilta.org. Log in to your member account to access.

ILTA is excited to announce our dates and locations for 2025! The Spring 2025 Meeting will be held in Louisville, KY March 11-12, and in the fall, we will be in Denver, CO September 30-October 1.

CFATS: One Year Later

Provided by the Office of Chemical Security,

Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) 

It has now been more than a year since Congress let authorization of the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) program lapse. Since the lapse, the threat of chemical terrorism in the U.S. and across the world has not diminished. In fact, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has seen new threats—such as artificial intelligence, ransomware, and drones—emerge and intensify in today’s complex threat environment. 

Without a program like CFATS—one that set the national standard for cyber and physical security, personnel training, and other security measures—the security and safety of 89.5 million Americans that live and work within two miles of a high-risk chemical facility is now solely dependent on the individual policies and processes of each facility and organization. While many facilities have good intentions, it is a fact that CISA identified a security gap at more than a third of high-risk facilities under the CFATS program—and these were facilities that actively complied with CFATS measures. Furthermore, CISA estimates that more than 560 facilities across the country have acquired dangerous chemicals since the CFATS lapse; many of which may be unaware of the risk their dangerous chemicals present. This means that there are likely hundreds of chemical facilities that have unidentified security gaps vulnerable to terrorists. 

Today, more than ever, the future of our nation’s chemical security is dependent on the partnerships built between industry and government. CISA understands that organizations cannot and should not have to face these threats alone. That is why we have developed our voluntary ChemLock program to help our industry partners. Together, we can keep our country safe. 

ILTA Meets with EPA Regarding Gasoline Distribution Rules Petition 

On September 11, following up on the association’s petition for reconsideration on the gasoline distribution rules, ILTA met with EPA to discuss the results of July field test of vapor combustion (VCU) unit efficiency and offer any further clarification on the petition. 

Overall, EPA had clearly spent time in the weeds with the emission test information, preparing for the meeting. The EPA team seems to agree ILTA proved the basic point that a VCU is not overdiluted within the operational range of a gasoline loading rack but they are undecided over what they will do this information which is a key uncertainty for the industry. EPA is looking at the role of VCU assist air in both closed- and open-bottom cases, and it seems at least possible they will replace or heavily rework the NHV alternative. So, while we have cause for optimism that they will remove the unworkable NHVdil provisions, it is also possible they will take other actions.  Read more.

ILTA to Join Conn Maciel Carey on Two OSHA Rulemaking Comments: Emergency Response and Heat Illness Rulemakings   

OSHA recently announced a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) on Heat Injury and Illness Prevention which would require all employers conducting business in general industry, construction, maritime, and agriculture sectors to develop and implement Heat Injury and Illness Prevention Plans (HIIPP). ILTA has joined an industry coalition headed by Conn Maciel Carey LLP, a law firm that specializes in labor and employment matters, to help provide comments as the rule making process continues.  

This NPRM will have a real impact on our industry, and we must receive comments and insights from our ILTA members. If you have any questions on the NPRM or how you can get in involved, please reach out to James Privette, Government Affairs and Communications Manager at jprivette@ilta.org.  

FAA Programs Highlight Opportunities for ILTA Members to Participate in the Growing SAF Market 

On September 18, ILTA hosted its monthly Energy Evolution webinar featuring Dr. Prem Lobo, the Energy Division Manager at the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Office of Environment and Energy. Prem gave a high-level summary of the FAST-SAF program, outlining how it provided nearly $250 million in grants to support infrastructure projects related to the production, transportation, blending, and storage of SAF. Learn more.

Limited Supply of Fluorine-Free Firefighting Foam Causes Delays in California’s Transition to PFAS-Free Products 

According to the California Office of the State Fire Marshal (OFSM), many of California’s thirty major airports have failed to switch to fluorine-free firefighting foam (F3) by a legislatively mandated September deadline. The deadline, set by SB 1044, established that once the use of AFFF was no longer required by federal regulations, California airports would have one year to transition to F3 products. Despite the deadline to transition to F3 products passing by on September 13, numerous airports have not yet made the transition, citing the failure as a result of inadequate supplies of alternative products amid great demand, as well as supply limitations and contractor ability. Despite the law providing an extended timeline for terminals to transition by January 1, 2028—and possibly even later with additional exemptions—the challenges airports face in their transition from AFFF to F3 echo similar obstacles likely to increasingly be faced by the liquid terminal industry and others aiming to procure alternative foams in the near-term as supply chains develop. 

Europe Restricts the Use of PFHxA While Considering Broader PFAS Ban 

On September 19, 2024, the European Union (EU) announced new restrictions on the use of perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA) in consumer products, including some firefighting foam applications. The approved restriction aims to reduce emissions of PFAS, as PFHxA is often used as a substitution for PFOA, the use of which is already restricted in the EU and a common chemical found in AFFF. The rule sets timelines and concentration limits of PFHxA in firefighting foams and foam concentrates for training, testing, public fire services, and civil aviation, with exceptions. The restriction will formally enter into force on October 10 and will take effect after transitional periods of between 18 months and five years, depending on the use, allowing time for replacement by safer alternatives. This rule comes even as the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) continues to evaluate a broader request to ban nearly all PFAS use—a proposal that received “unprecedented” response and prompting ECHA to take a sector-by-sector approach to PFAS rulemakings. Read more.