European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 26, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 2 a a a the stars and stripes Friday october 26,1990leaks found at Stuttgart area Gas tanks by Mary Neth staff writer Stuttgart Germany a two army and air Force Exchange service filling stations in the Stuttgart area Are closed because of gasoline leaks from old single walled storage tanks. Dale Bickenbach an official at Stuttgart s directorate of engineering and housing said the stations at Robinson Barracks and Patch Barracks will not reopen unless the tanks Are replaced. His office will figure the Cost of replacing the four underground tanks with the double walled tanks required by German Law. The Stuttgart Community command then will decide whether the stations should be reopened he said. It costs about $45,000 to replace a gasoline storage tank an Exchange spokesman said. Another filling station at the Patton Ville housing area in nearby Ramseck is also indefinitely closed. One of the two underground tanks there failed a pressure test because of a a Hole in the lip or upper Flange a but Bickenbach said there is a no evidence of  by Law both tanks at the station must be replaced. A since the station s two tanks Are connected by an inner Wall both tanks were judged As failing the test a Bickenbach added. Underground tanks at Nellinger Barracks in Stuttgart also were inspected. They passed the tests and the station remains open on a temporary basis pending approval of a waiver for a one year exemption of a German water Protection Law. This waiver is necessary Bickenbach said because the Nellinger tanks also Are old single walled containers that Lack the alarms and controls required by Law. Bickenbach said officials now must look for possible pollution at Robinson and Paten. Until drilling tests Are completed he said he could not estimate the amount of leakage or the Cost of cleanup. A was the tanks Are not near a water source or a known water table the damage is most Likely limited to contaminated soil a he said. The Stuttgart area stations each have two tanks. Those at Pattonville were installed in 1952, and each has a capacity of 3,900 Gallons. The tanks at Patch Barracks were installed in 1945 and have a capacity of 6,500 Gallons apiece. Those at Nellinger Barracks and Robinson Barracks Date from 1953. At Nellinger. The tanks each have a capacity of 7,800 Gallons and at Robinson a capacity of 13, xxx Gallons apiece. The cleanup will be contracted through the Deh office Bickenbach said. Cafes pays for a cleanup when an environmental problem is created by a spill that occurs during delivery or dispensing of gasoline an cafes spokesman said. Otherwise the military Community covers the Cost. A fall new gasoline tanks must be underground and must be double walled with an alarm system Gas and Oil water separators and the surface above the tank must be sealed a Bickenbach said. A drainage must be provided when the tanks Are installed to prevent outside  he said that new tanks will be tested every five years. Stuttgart is not the Only area with defective gasoline tanks. Capt. Wes Davis an cafes official said the filling station at Gellhausen and the cafes Frankfurt autobahn station also have been closed. The Exchange service also said old single walled tanks at Mannheim Mainz and in Olstadt have been replaced with newer models. Davis said that additional aged tanks May have been replaced by local Deh offices. Tanks Are replaced he said when new stations Are built or when old tanks Are found to be defective by these local Deh offices. Bickenbach does not know when to tanks in the Stuttgart area were last inspected. Under German Law they should be checked every five years. He said piping problems at one of the filling stations in the Stuttgart area led the Community to investigate who is responsible for inspecting such facilities a a cafes denied responsibility and after a Check of the rules and regulations it was discovered that local Deh offices should be conducting inspections a he said. An air Force spokesman said Allun de ground fuel tanks on its facilities in Europe a including those at cafes Gas stations a Are being inspected according to German Law. B the . Army in Europe however is steering Clear of the matter. A a there is no Blanket policy covering the responsibility Issue on cafes Gas tanks a said Usa eur spokesman set . Hardesty. Some tanks Are the army a responsibility while some Are the Resdon Sivility of cafes he said. But Davis insisted that the army is obligated to inspect and repair tanks. Cafes has 168 storage tanks at filling stations in Germany and 74 in other countries. A amps de reacts Andrei gris Hershkin on hunger strike in front of the . Consulate in Frankfurt.7 hunger strikers seek . Asylum Frankfurt a amps a seven soviet citizens attempting to gain political Asylum in the United states spent a third Day of a hunger strike in front of the . Consulate in Frankfurt on thursday. Andrei gris Hershkin an office worker from Moscow said the seven were staging the strike because they have not been allowed to enter the consulate building to make their Appeal. A a Man from the consulate came out to talk to us. He said America is closed a gris Hershkin said. A we think the americans Are afraid to accept us because of diplomatic reasons a they done to want to make Mikhail Gorbachev look bad. But there is no real religious or political Freedom in the soviet Union. A if we must return the Kab will put us in one of their  gris Hershkin said the group arrived in Germany illegally via West Berlin five months ago. They have applied for political Asylum in Germany but their Case has not been decided. A we really wanted to go to America from the very beginning a he said. A we Hope someone has a heart inside the consulate and allows us to  Craig Springer a consulate spokesman said in a statement thursday that soviet citizens applying for admission to the United states must apply at either the . Embassy in Moscow or a processing Center in Washington. Dugan made honest mistake says the Man who la replace him Washington apr the air Force general named to replace the chief of staff fired for Public comments about . Contingency plans against Iraq said on wednesday his Friend made an a honest  Gen. Merrill a. Mcpeak told the Senate armed services committee his colleague erred in discussing issues within the presidents Bailiwick and speaking on the record Writh news reporters. Defense Secretary Dick Cheney fired Gen. Michael Dugan on sept. 17, one Day after Dugans statements about contingency plans to unleash massive air raids on Iraq and to target Saddam Hussein appeared in several newspapers. Cheney said Dugan had violated defense department rules by publicly discussing Likely military targets inside Iraq and disclosing classified information about the size of . Forces in the Gulf area. A it was an honest mistake on his part nevertheless a mistake. Ill certainly seek to avoid making the same mistake a Mcpeak told the panel at his confirmation hearing. Lawmakers indicated no opposition to the nominee a 54-year-old native of California who is commander in chief of air forces in the Pacific Region. While serving As a fighter Pilot in 1961, Mcpeak said he struck up a Friendship with Dugan a fellow lieutenant. A Mike Dugan is probably my closest Friend in the . Air Force a Mcpeak said. The nominee backed a number of Steps Dugan took during his Brief term in particular his attempts to improve frosty relations Between the air Force and Congress and the Media. A i think he was right about an awful lot of things he started to do during his tenure As chief in particular his initiative toward greater openness a Mcpeak said. A i endorse  the air Force general said Dugan made a mistake in a expressing an opinion about military options that Are really a decision for the president to  Dugan remains at the defense department As a special assistant to air Force Secretary Donald Rice. He is currently overseeing studies on the future needs for pilots and navigators As Well As the officer evaluation system. Army to consider Swap of site sought by City of Stuttgart by Joseph Owen Stuttgart Bureau Stuttgart Germany a the . Army has told Stuttgart City officials that it would Trade Wallace Barracks for similar property. Maj. Gen. James b. Allen the Stuttgart Community commander said the 1.7-acre property is fully utilized but the army is sympathetic to the City a interest in the site. The comments were made in response to an inquiry from City officials according to military Community spokesman George Huettig. A we said the place is used. We have x number of facilities in there but if you can come up with something similar wed take it into consideration a Huettig said thursday. The army announced sept. 18 that it will give up several Small posts in ludwigs Burg and other nearby suburbs but none of its several installations in Stuttgart. Local newspapers have carried several reports about Public officials dismay at that decision. Stuttgart suffers from a chronic housing shortage. Wallace Barracks one of the smaller . Sites in Stuttgart has attracted attention for reasons beyond its potential for new housing however. It occupies the for Mer site of a roman fort an outpost on the ancient Road from Augsburg to Strasbourg France. A . Decision to vacate would allow archaeologists to examine the site. The Post also is in a densely settled residential area unlike most other army facilities in Stuttgart and it is near the downtown area. Wallace Barracks opened As Reiter Kasheme in 1910 for German Empire cavalry units. It now is Home to the Vii corps regional finance and accounting office the Stuttgart trial Center a mail distribution warehouse an equipment maintenance Complex a District superintendent of schools office and several other activities. Allen who is scheduled to give up his Job As Community commander and Vii corps Deputy commander Friday and retire from the army expressed the military Community a attitude in a letter to lord mayor Manfred Rommel about two weeks ago Huettig said. The City has not answered Allens letter a City spokeswoman said thursday. Huettig said . Army Europe he in Heidelberg is responsible for All decisions about giving up installations but a they would certainly entertain our