Blip on the Radar: Underground Fuel Tank Project Completed in Santa Barbara

What Happened: A project to replace two underground fuel storage tanks in Santa Barbara Harbor, which was run and funded by the Santa Barbara Fuel Dock Inc., broke ground in February 2020. An electrical utility line that ran adjacent to the fuel tanks was discovered and had to be relocated for safety reasons before the project could resume.

The project resumed on March 8 and replaced four 10,000 gallon single-walled fuel tanks with two 20,000 double-walled fiberglass units, one tank to hold diesel fuel and the other to hold gasoline. The replacement of the tanks is in compliance with a California Senate bill that amended the Health and Safety Code regarding underground storage tanks with hazardous substances, like fuel, that could potentially leak and contaminate water.

What’s on Tap: The Santa Barbara Harbor Commission got an update on the project at its June 17 meeting. Waterfront department staff reported the project was substantially completed on May 28 and fencing removed and parking restored. They reported the alley way between 117 Building and 125 Building was scheduled to be reopened on June 21.

However, the contractor, B&T Service Stations Contractor, will return to repair the west staircase to 125 Building because the support columns shifted during construction.

Waterfront staff said they may look into evaluating vehicle traffic patterns in the alley way, ways to improve pedestrian safety, and where to make adjustments to adjacent parking spaces. They said any future plans would include stakeholder input.