Westport Schools Shy Away From Oil As Prices Rise

As oil prices skyrocket in the United States and across the world, several Westport schools will have their duel fuel capacity eliminated in order for them to rely solely on natural gas in the future.

The storage tanks at , , and will be filled completely with natural gas.

“Our contract for the upcoming year will be for gas only, based on projections and costs of oil,” said Assistant Superintendant Nancy Harris.

Both Coleytown schools and Long Lots will each have a 10,000-gallon steel tank removed for $33,000 each. The tanks, which were installed in 1989, have been hydraulically tested and Absolute Tank Removal LLC recommended the tanks at Coleytown Middle and Long Lots be removed based on their age and probability for tightness failure in the future. The tank at Coleytown Elementary School failed the test and must be removed, Harris said.

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Staples High School has several issues that need to be brought up to code:

• 10,000-gallon tank at the loading dock has failed twice and needs to be repaired ($39,000) or replaced ($87,000). It was installed in 2004 and has not passed the tightness test.
• Remove and replace the piping in the 10,000-gallon tank ($19,000) in the pool area, which was installed in 2005.
• Replace all piping, and the pipe to the emergency generator for the 10,000-gallon tank in the J Building, which was built in 2005 ($29,000).

The two emergency generators at Staples will now operate off of the two existing 10,000-gallon tanks that will be filled with ultra low sulfur diesel fuel, as required by code, according to Harris.

Following the Board of Education's unanimous approval of $269,000 for these repairs and replacements, the Board of Finance and RTM (Representative Town Meeting) must now approve this matter.