SAVANNAH, Ga. – Fuel Island at Hunter Army Airfield now hosts the 21st century standard for fuel systems after about $13 million in infrastructure improvements and construction work which began in 2014.
The new above ground fuel system replaces an underground system constructed in the 1950s. Its eco-friendly design most notably nearly eliminates risks of soil contamination caused by potential underground fuel leaks, said Brett Wiliford, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers project engineer.
It features two 5,000 barrel fuel tanks, a 1,800 gallon per minute pump house, fixed pantographs, two high-reach mobile pantographs and 8,000 linear meters of piping. A new 900 square-foot operations building equipped with utilities, leak detection, pavements, area lighting, emergency generator, fire protection and communications system were also installed as part of the improvement project. Prime construction contractors at The Nova Group, Inc. built to advance Type IV criteria, a gold standard for fuel systems.
Each tank holds 210,000 gallons of fuel and can refuel approximately 21 aircraft per day – about as efficient as the previous system. But environmental advantages and enhanced infrastructure differentiate the new system, which should outlast the pre-existing structure by about 50 years, said Kevin Pierre, a terminal manager for Hawthorne Services, Inc., a contractor with the Corps.
A final inspection was performed Sept. 28, 2016 by USACE project managers and construction representatives, Hawthorne Services, Inc. staff, and installation safety representatives and maintenance contractors before it was handed over to petroleum experts at Hawthorne Services.