News
Mobile Contractor Offers Compliance Solutions To Industry- from BIC Magazine June/July 2009
GEM Mobile Treatment Services
Federal and state air (maintenance, startup and shutdown, or MSS) and water quality regulations are tightening as policymakers seek to reduce the environmental impact of industry. Petrochemical and refining companies continually seek ways to reduce their impacts while minimizing costs and downtime.
GEM Mobile Treatment Services — an industry leader in vapor and odor control, including tank and pipeline degassing, carbon and liquid scrubbing for controlling vacuum truck exhaust and FRAC tank emissions — provides quick, efficient solutions to companies representing a variety of industries.
In addition to vapor and odor control, GEM specializes in the processing and treatment of petroleum, chemical and industrial wastewaters, and other contaminated waters.
GEM's mobile, trailer-mounted thermal oxidizers, scrubbing systems and transportable treatment units have been used on projects throughout North America. Examples of how GEM saves its customers time and money include:
• Tank degassing: GEM's high capacity 42-million-Btu-per-hour thermal oxidizers are heralded as the largest in the nation and can quickly degas the larger and/or lighter-end product tanks. Shorter degassing time translates into hard savings, not to mention the reduction of downtime for tanks being out of service.
• Pipeline degassing/sphere nitrogen purges: GEM's thermal oxidizers have been used on nitrogen purge jobs and various pipeline degassing projects to prevent odor releases and/or keep customers in compliance with emissions regulations.
• Loading racks: GEM can keep up with a rich vapor stream at high flow rates from gasoline truck racks while the vapor recovery unit goes through maintenance or replacement.
Its services allow for continuation of normal business operations at the racks instead of partial or complete shutdown.
• Vapor control: If frequent carbon burnout is an issue for vacuum truck exhaust while draining tanks or pipelines that contain gasoline or other light-ends, GEM can use its liquid scrubbing solutions to prevent spikes in vapor concentrations from needlessly burning through carbon canisters. By greatly extending the useful life of carbon, GEM's systems avoid frequent carbon change-outs. The systems achieve cost savings and reduce the risk for environmental and safety hazards.
• Custom wastewater treatment: GEM offers cost-trimming solutions for disposing of wastewater or otherwise contaminated water. Applicable examples include spill contaminated waters, the need for a temporary backup system for on-site treatment equipment, hydro-test contaminated water, and slop tanks or stormwater ponds in need of periodic emptying.
• Odor control: GEM keeps its customers in compliance during maintenance routines and other projects by preventing the release of odors (H2S, mercaptans, ammonia, etc.). If a significant potential for odor release is anticipated during a planned activity, GEM has several solutions to treat or neutralize odors, preventing them from traveling to surrounding communities, saving the customer from a possible violation for odor nuisance.
New facility addresses current, future needs GEM recently relocated from Baytown, Texas, to La Porte, Texas. It held an open house in February that was attended by more than 150 customers and vendors.
“This facility is ideal and really addresses our needs, for both today and tomorrow,” said Ray Elizondo, Gulf Coast general manager.
“The location allows us to be responsive to customer needs, and the facility provides us with ample room to house and maintain our vapor control and water treatment equipment.” The new GEM facility, with more than 21,000 square feet on two acres of property, is conveniently located in the heart of the Houston industrial corridor. It will support the company's diverse vapor control and water treatment service offering.
“The new La Porte facility is in response to a strong demand for our mobile treatment services,” said Paul Anderson, vice president of Treatment Solutions. “The enforcement of Clean Air regulations in the Gulf Coast is certainly having a positive impact on our business, but a facility of this size will allow us to support customers beyond the immediate region.” For more information, visit www.gem-mobile. com or call (281) 471-0107 for Gulf Coast operations or (877) GEM-Mobile for nationwide operations.