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got some tanks

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posted 16 years ago

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and before everyone goes icky icky please, i do the best I can and these can be very useful. these are large (300-600gal?guess) white plastic caged tanks that held fuel additive. I am not going to toss them just because they held something less than ideal, but I do need to clean them really really well. it very well could be that most of this stuff evaporates with time anyway. there is a largeish hole in the top that I can fit a mop in, my hubby says. (he hasn't brought them home yet). but need to find a cleaner that will work really really well.

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Susan Monroe

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Location: Western WA

posted 16 years ago

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First, you need to know exactly what was in them. Was it alcohol, by any chance? Easy fix there: let it evaporate and wash well. Then fill them up and let them sit a few days, and discard that water.

I've seen those, and they look useful. They are often recycled for water use, so I'm hoping that the contents aren't usually major toxins.

Sue

Leah Sattler

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posted 16 years ago

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I have seen them used for water alot also so I figure there has got to be a way to clean them. they might hold different things though. that will be great if it is just alcohal. I will ask my husband to look into what they contained a little more if he can. I want them to catch water from the roof and/or be able to use them to haul water to unplumbed areas of the property when neccessary.

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Jeff Mathias

Posts: 125

Location: Westport, CA Zone 8-9; Off grid on 20 acres of redwood forest and floodplain with a seasonal creek.

posted 16 years ago

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If you can, get the M.S.D.S. (material safety data sheet?) on the contents of the tanks. If it is not available but you know the company name and the product name you can contact them directly for it. You might also try searching on-line as many companies post the M.S.D.S. sheets on-line since they are so often required to be on file or on hand. The M.S.D.S. should tell you everything you need to know and help you to decide if these could be cleaned safe enough for water storage.

Jeff

"Study books and observe nature. When the two don't agree, throw out the books" -William A Albrecht
"You cannot reason a man out of a position he has not reasoned himself into." - Benjamin Franklin

Susan Monroe

Posts: 1093

Location: Western WA

posted 16 years ago

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Jeff is right. Are there any labels attached to the tanks?

All you have to do if you have a name is google 'name msds' and something usually comes up.

Of course, you could stick your nose in the opening for a hint.

Sue

Leah Sattler

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posted 16 years ago

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excellent idea! havnen't got them yet. I think they are sitting at the shop where my dh works. since the source is direct I think I can find out exactly what it was, just need to nag my dh about it

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Susan Monroe

Posts: 1093

Location: Western WA

posted 16 years ago

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Nagging is good. CRACK THAT WHIP!

Sue

Leah Sattler

Posts: 2603

posted 16 years ago

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ok. he says in passing today he thought it was 'zorbitol'.....'or something" he said it definitly starts with a z.....so I am thinking it is a brand name for sorbital that is used *I think* in ethanol production as some sort of catalyst......so that is good! they put sorbitol in food!..... as if that is some indication of its safety

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Leah Sattler

Posts: 2603

posted 16 years ago

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so much for it definitly starting with a 'z'. the label says "lubrizol" which apparently makes lots of things. we are going to be getting an msds sheet on it next time the guy comes around. it stinks! very petro chemical smelling. it also has a warning label that says "marine contaminant" so I will have to be careful with this stuff.

if I can just get it safely cleaned up it will be awesome to have.

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"One cannot help an involuntary process. The point is not to disturb it. - Dr. Michel Odent

Jocelyn Campbell

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Location: Everett, WA (Western Washington State / Cascadia / Pacific NW)

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posted 16 years ago

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Hi Leah, I'm wondering if the EM critters could help clean these up. See the EM - Effective Microorganisms post for links to where you can find out more and/or mail order some.

QuickBooks set up and Bookkeeping for Small Businesses and Farms - jocelyncampbell.com

Leah Sattler

Posts: 2603

posted 16 years ago

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awesome idea jocelyn! I remember the pics where they were pouring EM into the river in japan to help with the pollution. I wonder if I would need a special brew to eat up these nasties? I will pursue this idea a little more.

years ago my hubby ran into a guy selling a product called Nokomis. supposedly it was used to clean up oil spills but I also seem to recall that it might have been a 'multi level marketing' scheme and so I shrugged it off. I might check into it again though, or at the very least look into what they would use to clean this stuff up if it was a spill somewhere.

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"One cannot help an involuntary process. The point is not to disturb it. - Dr. Michel Odent

Leah Sattler

Posts: 2603

posted 16 years ago

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ewwwwww

but there just has to be a way to safely clean them up!

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Susan Monroe

Posts: 1093

Location: Western WA

posted 16 years ago

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Petroleum naptha:
http://cameochemicals.noaa.gov/chemical/4002

Petroleum naptha MSDS:
http://www.jtbaker.com/msds/englishhtml/p1696.htm

Tetramethylbenzene:
http://cameochemicals.noaa.gov/chemical/17836

Tetramethylbenzene MSDS:
https://fscimage.fishersci.com/msds/75500.htm

You may want to contact a professional on how to clean these containers. OSHA comes to mind...

Sue

Leah Sattler

Posts: 2603

posted 16 years ago

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well. my husband is trying to convince the owners to get an enviromental crew on at his branch, so he might be or have accesss to one of those professionals soon! maybe he will have access to some different things or people with the training and knowledge we need. or maybe they won't do that stuff. I think he may just want them to replace bad tanks and stuff...

next week I will be able to put some more thought into it hopefully. thanks for the links!

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Gwen Lynn

Posts: 736

posted 16 years ago

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Hmmmm...so will it be....

...Tanks a lot! or Tank you very much...or Tanks fer nuthin'!?

We will see, in the continuing saga of "All tanks to Leah".

Leah Sattler

Posts: 2603

posted 16 years ago

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sometimes I neglect my husband as a resouce. I just have to remember to break the winch out to extract information

yesterday I started probing him.....so, what would your enviromental crew do.....clean up spills and such?

"yep"

what sort of job would the be called to?

"gas tanks that had leaked and things"

how do the clean it up?

"dig up the bad dirt"

what do they do with a differnet spill?

"I have a book that has listings of different chemicals and products and tells you what you have to do and use to clean it up...its yellow....its in my desk at work"

well....can we use that to figure out how to clean the tote? "yep"

whew.

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Susan Monroe

Posts: 1093

Location: Western WA

posted 16 years ago

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Typical guy!

"Where did they get it?" "I didn't ask."

"What are they going to do with it?" "I don't know."

"Why did he have to go to the hospital?" "How should I know?"

However, I did work with a guy who was curious about everything and everyone, and is a good talker. As a result, he is a fountain of information about local people, businesses, mysteries (he knows all), and what happened after [fill in the blank]. But men like him are extremely rare. And he's in sales.

Sue

paul wheaton

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Location: missoula, montana (zone 4)

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posted 16 years ago

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Well, the container looks like it would have a lot of value. And the sticker .... would creep me out too much.

Have you explored ferrocement yet?

Leah Sattler

Posts: 2603

posted 16 years ago

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ferrocment for containment of the contaminated stuff???

the best thing about this is that it is portable. if nothing else I will have it ready to assist in fire containment issues.....after cleaning the flammable material out of it of course

there is an old bed trailer left on the property that would be perfect to hook up behind a quad to haul this around if needed.

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"One cannot help an involuntary process. The point is not to disturb it. - Dr. Michel Odent

paul wheaton

author and steward

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Location: missoula, montana (zone 4)

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posted 16 years ago

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ferrocement for use instead of this thing.

I had a 350 gallon tank I picked up at the hardware store. I put it on my trailer which I hooked up to the tractor. I then hooked up a water pump to the PTO and I could water stuff while sitting in the tractor seat.

Leah Sattler

Posts: 2603

posted 16 years ago

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thats what I want to be able to do! but I couldn't afford a tank from the farm store. I will probably keep this for non potable water. I have looked at the book my husband brought home but haven't totally deciphered how the info is organized yet.

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"One cannot help an involuntary process. The point is not to disturb it. - Dr. Michel Odent

jeremiah bailey

Posts: 343

posted 16 years ago

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I'd be careful. I'm a mechanic in a fleet shop. We get 55ga. plastic drums of windshield washer fluid. One of our guys thought they'd make a great planter for tomatoes. Even after washing them out, he said his tomatoes tasted like washer fluid. Chemicals can and do leech in and out of plastic. I'd be wary, even for non-potable use, depending on the use. Even for emergencies, is it worth the contamination issues? Just my 2 bits.

"Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it." - Helen Keller
--
Jeremiah Bailey
Central Indiana

Brenda Groth

pollinator

Posts: 4437

Location: North Central Michigan

posted 16 years ago

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my opinion is YUK !

Brenda

Bloom where you are planted.
http://restfultrailsfoodforestgarden.blogspot.com/

Posts: 25

Location: Marble City OK

posted 15 years ago

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the numbers on the sticker say s it all.....i see 2 and 2 a bit hazardous material.
The lower the set of numbers ye safer as the saying goes.A set of Zeros is best.

Daniel Zimmermann

Posts: 122

Location: Sacramento

posted 15 years ago

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"Petroleum distillate" anything would be a NO, but Benzene is a HELL NO!! It may cost you more to clean them than to buy new ones. It's carcinogenic--proven to cause leukemia and Hodgkin Lymphoma, and birth defects.

The only exception would be if any water used from it were run through charcoal filtering, and even then I'd only drink it in an emergency.

Previously known as "Antibubba".

Posts: 44

Location: West Coast of Canada

posted 15 years ago

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Antibubba wrote:
"Petroleum distillate" anything would be a NO, but Benzene is a HELL NO!!

What he said!

Posts: 67

posted 14 years ago

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Lubrizol would be a resounding NO in my book. One of the additives in this complex additive "group" is a mixture of glycols intended to keep it all from separating. Many of the industrial glycols will kill a dog that has ingested mo more than a tongue full. I lost a prize sled dog that way and the vet told me that the actual amount ingested might only have been milligrams. Scary! I would always avoid using any of these vessels that were not originally used for food grade substances. Period!

marty reed

Posts: 120

posted 14 years ago

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their are alot of place that will give tanks barrel big woven tanks away most of the are called slavage and all thay are doing is ponning somthing off on you that needs to be cleaned the proper way before it can go into a recycle place/land fill or thay will not take it so you get it for free but at what cost really you cant do any with it and cant get rid of it in less you pay to have it clean the right way i would watch out for stuff like this and only get food grade containers

Brice Moss

Posts: 700

Location: rainier OR

posted 14 years ago

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I wouldn't use them tanks for anything but fuel
but if they was free I would pull out the plastic bits and use that aluminum cage for all sorts of stuff