PADEP CHANGES REQUIREMENTS FOR AST EMERGENCY CONTAINMENT STRUCTURES
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection is issuing a Guidance Document to carry out certain
provisions of the Storage Tank Act and related regulations. Emergency containment structures are present around many existing above-ground storage tanks, although more recent tanks installed will typically have double-wall tanks as the industry trend is away from installing separate secondary containment areas around single-wall ASTs.
Tank owners must ensure that emergency containment structures for existing above-ground storage tanks area properly maintained and evaluated to determine the integrity of the containment
structure. Specific focus is on evaluating emergency containment structures for above-ground storage tanks installed on or before October 11, 1997. One requirement is that newly installed or replacement
emergency containment structures or emergency containment structure for above-ground storage tanks installed after October 11, 1997 shall have a perimeter of less than 1 times 10-7 centimeters per second at anticipated hydrostatic head and be of sufficient thickness to prevent the released
regulated substance from penetrating the containment structure for a minimum of 72 hours, until the release can be detected and recovered. For more information go to:
PADEP TECHNICAL GUIDANCE
DOCUMENT:
Draft TGD: Verification of Emergency Containment Structures for Aboveground Storage Tanks (263-0900-022)