Collapse to view only § 280.36 - Periodic operation and maintenance walkthrough inspections.

§ 280.30 - Spill and overfill control.

(a) Owners and operators must ensure that releases due to spilling or overfilling do not occur. The owner and operator must ensure that the volume available in the tank is greater than the volume of product to be transferred to the tank before the transfer is made and that the transfer operation is monitored constantly to prevent overfilling and spilling.

Note to paragraph (a).

The transfer procedures described in National Fire Protection Association Standard 385, “Standard for Tank Vehicles for Flammable and Combustible Liquids” or American Petroleum Institute Recommended Practice 1007, “Loading and Unloading of MC 306/DOT 406 Cargo Tank Motor Vehicles” may be used to comply with paragraph (a) of this section. Further guidance on spill and overfill prevention appears in American Petroleum Institute Recommended Practice 1621, “Bulk Liquid Stock Control at Retail Outlets”.

(b) The owner and operator must report, investigate, and clean up any spills and overfills in accordance with § 280.53.

§ 280.31 - Operation and maintenance of corrosion protection.

All owners and operators of metal UST systems with corrosion protection must comply with the following requirements to ensure that releases due to corrosion are prevented until the UST system is permanently closed or undergoes a change-in-service pursuant to § 280.71:

(a) All corrosion protection systems must be operated and maintained to continuously provide corrosion protection to the metal components of that portion of the tank and piping that routinely contain regulated substances and are in contact with the ground.

(b) All UST systems equipped with cathodic protection systems must be inspected for proper operation by a qualified cathodic protection tester in accordance with the following requirements:

(1) Frequency. All cathodic protection systems must be tested within 6 months of installation and at least every 3 years thereafter or according to another reasonable time frame established by the implementing agency; and

(2) Inspection criteria. The criteria that are used to determine that cathodic protection is adequate as required by this section must be in accordance with a code of practice developed by a nationally recognized association.

Note to paragraph (b).

The following codes of practice may be used to comply with paragraph (b) of this section:

(A) NACE International Test Method TM 0101, “Measurement Techniques Related to Criteria for Cathodic Protection of Underground Storage Tank Systems”;

(B) NACE International Test Method TM0497, “Measurement Techniques Related to Criteria for Cathodic Protection on Underground or Submerged Metallic Piping Systems”;

(C) Steel Tank Institute Recommended Practice R051, “Cathodic Protection Testing Procedures for STI-P3® USTs”;

(D) NACE International Standard Practice SP 0285, “External Control of Underground Storage Tank Systems by Cathodic Protection”; or

(E) NACE International Standard Practice SP 0169, “Control of External Corrosion on Underground or Submerged Metallic Piping Systems”.

(c) UST systems with impressed current cathodic protection systems must also be inspected every 60 days to ensure the equipment is running properly.

(d) For UST systems using cathodic protection, records of the operation of the cathodic protection must be maintained (in accordance with § 280.34) to demonstrate compliance with the performance standards in this section. These records must provide the following:

(1) The results of the last three inspections required in paragraph (c) of this section; and

(2) The results of testing from the last two inspections required in paragraph (b) of this section.

§ 280.32 - Compatibility.

(a) Owners and operators must use an UST system made of or lined with materials that are compatible with the substance stored in the UST system.

(b) Owners and operators must notify the implementing agency at least 30 days prior to switching to a regulated substance containing greater than 10 percent ethanol, greater than 20 percent biodiesel, or any other regulated substance identified by the implementing agency. In addition, owners and operators with UST systems storing these regulated substances must meet one of the following:

(1) Demonstrate compatibility of the UST system (including the tank, piping, containment sumps, pumping equipment, release detection equipment, spill equipment, and overfill equipment). Owners and operators may demonstrate compatibility of the UST system by using one of the following options:

(i) Certification or listing of UST system equipment or components by a nationally recognized, independent testing laboratory for use with the regulated substance stored; or

(ii) Equipment or component manufacturer approval. The manufacturer's approval must be in writing, indicate an affirmative statement of compatibility, specify the range of biofuel blends the equipment or component is compatible with, and be from the equipment or component manufacturer; or

(2) Use another option determined by the implementing agency to be no less protective of human health and the environment than the options listed in paragraph (b)(1) of this section. (c) Owners and operators must maintain records in accordance with § 280.34(b) documenting compliance with paragraph (b) of this section for as long as the UST system is used to store the regulated substance.

Note to § 280.32.

The following code of practice may be useful in complying with this section: American Petroleum Institute Recommended Practice 1626, “Storing and Handling Ethanol and Gasoline-Ethanol Blends at Distribution Terminals and Filling Stations.”

§ 280.33 - Repairs allowed.

Owners and operators of UST systems must ensure that repairs will prevent releases due to structural failure or corrosion as long as the UST system is used to store regulated substances. The repairs must meet the following requirements:

(a) Repairs to UST systems must be properly conducted in accordance with a code of practice developed by a nationally recognized association or an independent testing laboratory.

Note to paragraph (a).

The following codes of practice may be used to comply with paragraph (a) of this section:

(A) National Fire Protection Association Standard 30, “Flammable and Combustible Liquids Code”;

(B) American Petroleum Institute Recommended Practice RP 2200, “Repairing Crude Oil, Liquified Petroleum Gas, and Product Pipelines”;

(C) American Petroleum Institute Recommended Practice RP 1631, “Interior Lining and Periodic Inspection of Underground Storage Tanks”;

(D) National Fire Protection Association Standard 326, “Standard for the Safeguarding of Tanks and Containers for Entry, Cleaning, or Repair”;

(E) National Leak Prevention Association Standard 631, Chapter A, “Entry, Cleaning, Interior Inspection, Repair, and Lining of Underground Storage Tanks”;

(F) Steel Tank Institute Recommended Practice R972, “Recommended Practice for the Addition of Supplemental Anodes to STI-P3® Tanks”;

(G) NACE International Standard Practice SP 0285, “External Control of Underground Storage Tank Systems by Cathodic Protection”; or

(H) Fiberglass Tank and Pipe Institute Recommended Practice T-95-02, “Remanufacturing of Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic (FRP) Underground Storage Tanks”.

(b) Repairs to fiberglass-reinforced plastic tanks may be made by the manufacturer's authorized representatives or in accordance with a code of practice developed by a nationally recognized association or an independent testing laboratory.

(c) Metal pipe sections and fittings that have released product as a result of corrosion or other damage must be replaced. Non-corrodible pipes and fittings may be repaired in accordance with the manufacturer's specifications.

(d) Repairs to secondary containment areas of tanks and piping used for interstitial monitoring and to containment sumps used for interstitial monitoring of piping must have the secondary containment tested for tightness according to the manufacturer's instructions, a code of practice developed by a nationally recognized association or independent testing laboratory, or according to requirements established by the implementing agency within 30 days following the date of completion of the repair. All other repairs to tanks and piping must be tightness tested in accordance with § 280.43(c) and § 280.44(b) within 30 days following the date of the completion of the repair except as provided in paragraphs (d)(1) through (3) of this section:

(1) The repaired tank is internally inspected in accordance with a code of practice developed by a nationally recognized association or an independent testing laboratory; or

(2) The repaired portion of the UST system is monitored monthly for releases in accordance with a method specified in § 280.43(d) through (i); or

(3) Another test method is used that is determined by the implementing agency to be no less protective of human health and the environment than those listed in paragraphs (d)(1) and (2) of this section.

Note to paragraph (d).

The following codes of practice may be used to comply with paragraph (d) of this section:

(A) Steel Tank Institute Recommended Practice R012, “Recommended Practice for Interstitial Tightness Testing of Existing Underground Double Wall Steel Tanks”; or

(B) Fiberglass Tank and Pipe Institute Protocol, “Field Test Protocol for Testing the Annular Space of Installed Underground Fiberglass Double and Triple-Wall Tanks with Dry Annular Space”.

(C) Petroleum Equipment Institute Recommended Practice RP1200, “Recommended Practices for the Testing and Verification of Spill, Overfill, Leak Detection and Secondary Containment Equipment at UST Facilities”.

(e) Within 6 months following the repair of any cathodically protected UST system, the cathodic protection system must be tested in accordance with § 280.31(b) and (c) to ensure that it is operating properly.

(f) Within 30 days following any repair to spill or overfill prevention equipment, the repaired spill or overfill prevention equipment must be tested or inspected, as appropriate, in accordance with § 280.35 to ensure it is operating properly.

(g) UST system owners and operators must maintain records (in accordance with § 280.34) of each repair until the UST system is permanently closed or undergoes a change-in-service pursuant to § 280.71.

§ 280.34 - Reporting and recordkeeping.

Owners and operators of UST systems must cooperate fully with inspections, monitoring and testing conducted by the implementing agency, as well as requests for document submission, testing, and monitoring by the owner or operator pursuant to section 9005 of Subtitle I of the Solid Waste Disposal Act, as amended.

(a) Reporting. Owners and operators must submit the following information to the implementing agency:

(1) Notification for all UST systems (§ 280.22), which includes certification of installation for new UST systems (§ 280.20(e)) and notification when any person assumes ownership of an UST system (§ 280.22(b));

(2) Notification prior to UST systems switching to certain regulated substances (§ 280.32(b));

(3) Reports of all releases including suspected releases (§ 280.50), spills and overfills (§ 280.53), and confirmed releases (§ 280.61);

(4) Corrective actions planned or taken including initial abatement measures (§ 280.62), initial site characterization (§ 280.63), free product removal (§ 280.64), investigation of soil and groundwater cleanup (§ 280.65), and corrective action plan (§ 280.66); and

(5) A notification before permanent closure or change-in-service (§ 280.71).

(b) Recordkeeping. Owners and operators must maintain the following information:

(1) A corrosion expert's analysis of site corrosion potential if corrosion protection equipment is not used (§ 280.20(a)(4); § 280.20(b)(3)).

(2) Documentation of operation of corrosion protection equipment (§ 280.31(d));

(3) Documentation of compatibility for UST systems (§ 280.32(c));

(4) Documentation of UST system repairs (§ 280.33(g));

(5) Documentation of compliance for spill and overfill prevention equipment and containment sumps used for interstitial monitoring of piping (§ 280.35(c));

(6) Documentation of periodic walkthrough inspections (§ 280.36(b));

(7) Documentation of compliance with release detection requirements (§ 280.45);

(8) Results of the site investigation conducted at permanent closure (§ 280.74); and

(9) Documentation of operator training (§ 280.245).

(c) Availability and maintenance of records. Owners and operators must keep the records required either:

(1) At the UST site and immediately available for inspection by the implementing agency; or

(2) At a readily available alternative site and be provided for inspection to the implementing agency upon request.

(3) In the case of permanent closure records required under § 280.74, owners and operators are also provided with the additional alternative of mailing closure records to the implementing agency if they cannot be kept at the site or an alternative site as indicated in paragraphs (c)(1) and (2) of this section.

§ 280.35 - Periodic testing of spill prevention equipment and containment sumps used for interstitial monitoring of piping and periodic inspection of overfill prevention equipment.

(a) Owners and operators of UST systems with spill and overfill prevention equipment and containment sumps used for interstitial monitoring of piping must meet these requirements to ensure the equipment is operating properly and will prevent releases to the environment:

(1) Spill prevention equipment (such as a catchment basin, spill bucket, or other spill containment device) and containment sumps used for interstitial monitoring of piping must prevent releases to the environment by meeting one of the following:

(i) The equipment is double walled and the integrity of both walls is periodically monitored at a frequency not less than the frequency of the walkthrough inspections described in § 280.36. Owners and operators must begin meeting paragraph (a)(1)(ii) of this section and conduct a test within 30 days of discontinuing periodic monitoring of this equipment; or

(ii) The spill prevention equipment and containment sumps used for interstitial monitoring of piping are tested at least once every three years to ensure the equipment is liquid tight by using vacuum, pressure, or liquid testing in accordance with one of the following criteria:

(A) Requirements developed by the manufacturer (Note: Owners and operators may use this option only if the manufacturer has developed requirements);

(B) Code of practice developed by a nationally recognized association or independent testing laboratory; or

(C) Requirements determined by the implementing agency to be no less protective of human health and the environment than the requirements listed in paragraphs (a)(1)(ii)(A) and (B) of this section.

(2) Overfill prevention equipment must be inspected at least once every three years. At a minimum, the inspection must ensure that overfill prevention equipment is set to activate at the correct level specified in § 280.20(c) and will activate when regulated substance reaches that level. Inspections must be conducted in accordance with one of the criteria in paragraph (a)(1)(ii)(A) through (C) of this section.

Note to paragraphs (a)(1)(ii) and (a)(2).

The following code of practice may be used to comply with paragraphs (a)(1)(ii) and (a)(2) of this section: Petroleum Equipment Institute Publication RP1200, “Recommended Practices for the Testing and Verification of Spill, Overfill, Leak Detection and Secondary Containment Equipment at UST Facilities”.

(b) Owners and operators must begin meeting these requirements as follows:

(1) For UST systems in use on or before October 13, 2015, the initial spill prevention equipment test, containment sump test and overfill prevention equipment inspection must be conducted not later than October 13, 2018.

(2) For UST systems brought into use after October 13, 2015, these requirements apply at installation.

(c) Owners and operators must maintain records as follows (in accordance with § 280.34) for spill prevention equipment, containment sumps used for interstitial monitoring of piping, and overfill prevention equipment:

(1) All records of testing or inspection must be maintained for three years; and

(2) For spill prevention equipment and containment sumps used for interstitial monitoring of piping not tested every three years, documentation showing that the prevention equipment is double walled and the integrity of both walls is periodically monitored must be maintained for as long as the equipment is periodically monitored.

§ 280.36 - Periodic operation and maintenance walkthrough inspections.

(a) To properly operate and maintain UST systems, not later than October 13, 2018 owners and operators must meet one of the following:

(1) Conduct a walkthrough inspection that, at a minimum, checks the following equipment as specified below:

(i) Every 30 days (Exception: spill prevention equipment at UST systems receiving deliveries at intervals greater than every 30 days may be checked prior to each delivery):

(A) Spill prevention equipment—visually check for damage; remove liquid or debris; check for and remove obstructions in the fill pipe; check the fill cap to make sure it is securely on the fill pipe; and, for double walled spill prevention equipment with interstitial monitoring, check for a leak in the interstitial area; and

(B) Release detection equipment—check to make sure the release detection equipment is operating with no alarms or other unusual operating conditions present; and ensure records of release detection testing are reviewed and current; and

(ii) Annually:

(A) Containment sumps—visually check for damage, leaks to the containment area, or releases to the environment; remove liquid (in contained sumps) or debris; and, for double walled sumps with interstitial monitoring, check for a leak in the interstitial area; and

(B) Hand held release detection equipment—check devices such as tank gauge sticks or groundwater bailers for operability and serviceability;

(2) Conduct operation and maintenance walkthrough inspections according to a standard code of practice developed by a nationally recognized association or independent testing laboratory that checks equipment comparable to paragraph (a)(1) of this section; or

Note to paragraph (a)(2).

The following code of practice may be used to comply with paragraph (a)(2) of this section: Petroleum Equipment Institute Recommended Practice RP 900, “Recommended Practices for the Inspection and Maintenance of UST Systems”.

(3) Conduct operation and maintenance walkthrough inspections developed by the implementing agency that checks equipment comparable to paragraph (a)(1) of this section.

(b) Owners and operators must maintain records (in accordance with § 280.34) of operation and maintenance walkthrough inspections for one year. Records must include a list of each area checked, whether each area checked was acceptable or needed action taken, a description of actions taken to correct an issue, and delivery records if spill prevention equipment is checked less frequently than every 30 days due to infrequent deliveries.