Mich. Admin. Code R. 285.641.7 - Secondary containment of bulk liquid fertilizer

Rule 7.

(1) A storage facility shall locate a primary storage container of bulk fertilizer within a secondary containment area. Construction of containment areas that have discharge valves or drains will not be permitted after the effective date of this rule.

(2) A storage facility shall comply with all of the following capacity requirements for a secondary containment area, as applicable:

(a) A storage facility shall ensure that a secondary containment area that is not protected from rainfall contains a minimum of 110% of the volume of the largest storage container within the diked area, plus the volume that is occupied by all other tanks within and below the height of the dike, plus the volume of a 6-inch rainfall.

(b) A storage facility shall ensure that a secondary containment area that is protected from rainfall contains a minimum of 110% of the volume of the largest storage container within the diked area, plus the volume that is occupied by all other tanks within and below the height of the dike.

(c) A secondary containment area which was constructed before the effective date of this rule and which does not have a capacity that includes the 6-inch rainfall complies with this rule. A storage facility to which this subdivision applies shall, upon alteration of the secondary containment area or increases in storage container volume, provide a capacity that includes a 6-inch rainfall within 1 year of the alteration or increase.

(d) A storage facility shall ensure that a secondary containment area that is not protected from rainfall provides for separation between bulk pesticides and bulk fertilizers to the extent that a common wall or curb between the pesticide and fertilizer areas will accomplish either of the following:

(i) Prevent pesticide from entering the fertilizer area, but allow fertilizer to enter and utilize the pesticide area while maintaining the capacity requirements specified in subdivisions (a) to (c) of this subrule.

(ii) Maintain a complete separation of fertilizer and pesticide, with or without a common wall, if each separate area maintains the capacity requirements specified in subdivisions (a) to (c) of this subrule.

(e) A storage facility shall ensure that tile drainage that underlies areas which are contained by earthen dikes is eliminated.

(3) A storage facility shall comply with all of the following construction requirements for secondary containment areas:

(a) A storage facility shall ensure that the walls and floors of a secondary containment area are constructed of any of the following materials and are designed to withstand a full hydrostatic head of any discharged liquid and weight load of material:

(i) Earth.

(ii) Steel.

(iii) Poured reinforced concrete.

(iv) Precast concrete modules.

(v) Solid masonry.

(vi) Other materials approved by the department.

(b) A storage facility shall ensure that all joints, seams, and cracking are sealed to prevent leakage.

(c) A storage facility shall ensure that walls are not more than 6 feet in height above interior grade unless provision is made for safe access and exiting.

(d) A storage facility shall ensure that earthen walls have a horizontal-to-vertical slope consistent with good engineering practice, are packed and protected from erosion, and the top are not less than 2.5 feet wide.

(e) A storage facility shall ensure that piping is not installed through the secondary containment wall, except for interconnections between multiple secondary containment structures. This prohibition does not apply to existing bulk storage facilities that have properly engineered, monitored, and maintained through-wall piping, as determined by the department.

(f) The floor of a secondary containment area may slope to a watertight catch basin or sump.

(g) A storage facility shall ensure that a secondary containment area that is constructed of earth or other permeable materials is lined with concrete, steel, approved synthetic liners, or a clay liner to achieve water tightness.

(h) If steel plates are used as a liner, then the department shall approve the installation plans. A storage facility shall ensure that the plates are protected against corrosion and joined in a manner to provide watertight joints.

(i) The department shall approve synthetic liners and installation plans before installation. A storage facility shall comply with all of the following provisions before the department will grant synthetic liner approval:

(i) The manufacturer of the liner shall provide written confirmation of compatibility and an estimate of the life expectancy of the liner.

(ii) A synthetic liner shall have a minimum thickness of 30 mils (0.8 millimeter) and be compatible with the materials being stored within the secondary containment area.

(iii) A synthetic liner shall be installed under the supervision of a qualified representative of the manufacturer, and all field-constructed seams shall be tested and repaired, if necessary, in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations.

(j) A storage facility may use a soil or earthen liner for fertilizer bulk storage secondary containment structures if the liner meets all of the following requirements:

(i) The soil liner is maintained free of major cracking and vegetation.

(ii) The internal surface soil is sealed, including the berm of an earthen dike, with a sealing agent, such as sodium bentonite, attapulgite, or a similar clay material.

(iii) The soil liner is constructed in accordance with reliable engineering recommendations to achieve a coefficient of permeability of not more than 1.0 x 10-6 cm/sec at construction, is maintained at a permeability of 1.0 x 10-5 cm/sec, and is a minimum of 6 inches in thickness.

(k) A storage facility shall ensure that sump construction is of the same thickness on all sides including the base of the sump, as for the remainder of the containment area base and shall be watertight.

(l) A storage facility shall ensure that design and construction specifications for the sump address sediment accumulation, sediment removal, and freeze-thaw cycles.

(m) The department may approve the use of experimental materials upon written confirmation from the manufacturer regarding the pertinent specifications of the material for use in fertilizer containment.

(4) To be exempt from secondary containment lining requirements, a storage facility need not install a liner directly under a storage container which has a capacity of 100,000 gallons or more and which has been constructed on-site and put into use before the effective date of this rule if the facility complies with 1 of the following alternative procedures:

(a) The following provisions pertain to alternative procedure 1:

(i) A storage facility shall ensure that a second bottom that is made of the same material as the remainder of the storage container is constructed for the storage container. The facility shall ensure that the second bottom is placed over the original bottom and minimum 3-inch layer of smooth, fine gravel, coarse sand, or other material approved by the department. The department may approve alternate methods or materials under this provision provided the department determines that substantially similar protection will be achieved.

(ii) A storage facility shall test the original bottom of the storage container for leaks before the sand layer and second bottom are installed. The storage facility shall keep a record of the test on file.

(iii) A storage facility shall test the newly constructed bottom for leaks before any fluid fertilizer is stored on the newly constructed bottom. The storage facility shall keep a record of the test on file.

(iv) A storage facility shall employ a method by which leaks from the newly constructed bottom into the sand layer are readily detected.

(v) A storage facility shall test the newly constructed bottom at least once every 5 years for leaks. The storage facility shall maintain a record of the tests.

(b) The following provisions pertain to alternative procedure 2:

(i) A storage facility shall empty, clean, and test a container for leaks. The storage facility shall test the walls and floors of the container to assure that the welds and the thickness of the steel plates are sound and strong enough to contain the fertilizer. The storage facility shall keep a record of the inspection, test results, and any repairs made to the storage container on file.

(ii) A storage facility shall coat the interior floor and 24 inches up the walls of the container with an approved liner to inhibit corrosion. The storage facility shall keep a record of the liners compatibility with fertilizer, life expectancy, and installation procedures on file.

(iii) A storage facility shall conduct an approved test for leaks, liner deterioration, and metal corrosion at least once every 5 years. The storage facility shall keep a record of the tests.

(c) The following provisions pertain to alternative procedure 3:

(i) A storage facility shall install approved monitoring devices in angled borings under each tank. The monitoring devices shall constitute a leak detection system for each tank that will detect any leak before reaching groundwater.

(ii) A storage facility shall use standard engineering practices and the specific characteristics of the site to determine the characteristics of the monitoring devices. The location of the monitoring devices shall provide the best practical early warning detection system for tank leakage.

(iii) The department shall approve each monitoring system to be implemented under this alternative procedure before installation.

(5) A facility that is placed in service after the effective date of this rule shall immediately comply with this rule. A facility that is in service before the effective date of this rule has 2 years to comply with this rule, except for containers specified in subrule (4) of this rule, for which a facility has 5 years to comply with this rule.

Notes

Mich. Admin. Code R. 285.641.7

1998-2000 AACS