Ritchie Calls For Support For SME's Over Oil Storage Tank Costs For Installing A Bund

South Down MP Margaret Ritchie is calling for funding from the Department of Environment and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment for Small to Medium Sized Businesses (SME’s) who are required from December this year to ‘bund’ their oil storage tanks.

Ms Ritchie said: “The Departments of the Environment and Enterprise, Trade and Investment need to provide funding to assist Small to Medium Sized businesses who will be required under pollution legislation to encase their oil storage tanks from December of this year.

“This will place a further administrative burden on many businesses who are already facing significant funding challenges. Owners of such businesses throughout Northern Ireland will have to make a financial outlay to provide such bunds in order to comply with the legislation. Quite often many of these businesses have had to face the challenges presented by the economic downturn with the public having less money to spend on goods and products. “A bund, or catchpit, is a secondary containment system to prevent fuel lost from a tank escaping into the environment. Bunds may be constructed from masonry or concrete to contain a single skin oil storage tank and must be able to hold at least 110 per cent of the tank’s contents should a leak occur. Double skin tanks are also available as are integrally bunded tanks. “I have made representations to both Ministers in Environment and Enterprise, Trade and Investment to ensure that funding to assist small to medium sized owners is made available or prioritised for the oil tank bunding enterprise as soon as possible”.