Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 38, September 20, 2024
a) No tank or
piping may be abandoned-in-place unless the permit applicant demonstrates
eligibility for a waiver of the removal requirement for the tank and/or piping.
The waiver shall be granted only in the following instances:
1) it would be infeasible to remove the UST
due to loss of adjacent or subjacent support of nearby structures, such as
railroad tracks, streets (as defined in Section 1-201 of the Illinois Vehicle
Code [625
ILCS 5/1-201] ), and other USTs;
2) removal is infeasible because of
inaccessibility, as determined by OSFM; or
3) in unusual situations in which removal is
infeasible due to other reasons, as determined by OSFM.
b) Tanks, inside the jurisdiction of the City
of Chicago, which were abandoned-in-place prior to July 28, 1989 (the date of
repeal of home rule by the City over USTs) in accordance with City laws,
regulations or ordinances, need not be removed so long as a condition under
subsection (a) allowing abandonment continues to exist.
c) Tanks abandoned prior to October 1, 1985.
Tanks, outside the jurisdiction of the City of Chicago, filled with inert
material, as described in subsection (d)(13), prior to October 1, 1985, need
not be removed so long as a condition under subsection (a) allowing abandonment
exists; however, the owners shall provide documentation of fill material and
date of fill, upon request by OSFM. The documentation shall be a receipt or a
written statement from the licensed or non-licensed contractor who did the
fill, a statement from the inspector who inspected the tank or a written
statement from anyone designated by the State Fire Marshal or the Director of
the Division of Petroleum and Chemical Safety.
d) For UST or piping abandonment-in-place,
the following requirements and procedures shall be followed:
1) An OSFM permit under Section
175.300 shall be obtained and
the work scheduled with OSFM.
2)
Except as otherwise provided in this Section, the procedures of API 1604 shall
be followed for vapor freeing and inerting procedures.
3) All health and safety monitoring equipment
shall be maintained according to manufacturer's specifications.
4) An exclusion zone shall be established,
within which smoking is prohibited. The exclusion zone shall include all
hazardous (classified) locations/areas where work related to
abandonment-in-place is being conducted. The use of spark
producing/non-explosion proof equipment is prohibited in the vapor hazard area
prior to removal of product and sludges and attaining the LEL/oxygen levels
required in subsection (d)(9).
5)
Upon excavating to the top of the tank, on-site personnel shall drain product
into approved drums or other approved receptacles. Any associated piping to be
abandoned-in-place shall be properly secured or capped. Any piping removal
shall adhere to Section
175.830. Further excavation
below the top of the tank is not allowed until STSS is present and has verified
that tank conditions meet the LEL/oxygen criteria of subsection
(d)(9).
6) All liquids shall be
removed from the tank using explosion-proof pumps or hand pumps.
7) The tank atmosphere and the excavation
area shall be regularly monitored with a combustible gas indicator for
flammable or combustible vapor concentration. Monitoring the UST shall be done
at 3 levels in the tank: top, middle and bottom. A confined space entry permit
shall be obtained prior to tank entry and SDS must be on site.
8) Vapor freeing shall be done in accordance
with API 1604, except that dry ice shall not be allowed as a method of inerting
tanks. When vapor freeing the tank with compressed air or using inert gases
under pressure, all devices shall be bonded to the tank and the tank shall be
grounded to a separate ground. When using inert gases, the cylinder shall be
equipped with a pressure gauge so that no more than 5 psi can be discharged
into the tank during vapor freeing procedures. To ensure and maintain proper
grounding and bonding, the connections shall be tested by the licensed
contractor for continuity. This testing shall be done with equipment designed
for continuity testing. When vapor freeing a tank, plastic pipes shall not be
allowed as a vent tube on eductors.
9) The tank shall be regularly monitored to
ensure that explosive conditions do not exist. A maximum of 5% of the LEL, or
5% or less oxygen concentration, shall be attained before the tank is
considered safe for abandonment.
10) An STSS shall be on site before any tanks
and piping are abandoned in place or before any hot work can proceed.
11) A sufficient number of holes or openings
shall be made in the tank for abandonment-in-place procedures if existing
openings are not adequate.
12)
Cleaning procedures shall be in accordance with API 2015, incorporated by
reference in 41 Ill. Adm. Code
174.210. Protective respiratory
equipment for tank cleaning personnel shall be the type that provides positive
air pressure to a full-face mask throughout the breathing cycle, in accordance
with API 2015.
13) After cleaning,
on-site personnel shall proceed to introduce an OSFM-approved, inert material
through openings in the top of the tank to minimize any surface settling
subsequent to abandonment of the tank in place. Allowed inert material shall be
limited to sand, gravel, clay, bentonite or inert material mixed with portland
cement to increase flowability. The portland cement concentration may not
exceed 50 lbs. per cubic yard of mixed material. Tripolymer foam may only be
used on compartment tanks where at least 1 compartment is not being abandoned
in place and will remain in use. Any other materials must be approved by OSFM
during the permit process. The procedure for filling shall be in accordance
with API 1604.
14) After the tank
is filled with inert material, all tank openings shall be plugged or capped
unless it was necessary to cut open the tank top. The vent line shall be
disconnected, capped and removed.
15) Every abandonment-in-place requires a
site assessment (see 41 Ill. Adm. Code
176.330).
16) When a UST is abandoned-in-place, the
owner of the UST shall keep a permanent record of the UST location, the date of
abandonment-in-place and the procedure used for abandonment-in-place.
e) When a UST is allowed to be
abandoned-in-place, as specified in this Section, the abandoned-in-place UST
shall be removed when the condition for issuing the abandonment permit no
longer exists. The removal procedures shall be followed and a removal permit is
required.
f) Compliance with
subsections (d)(1) through (d)(14) is the responsibility of the licensed
contractor. Compliance with subsections (d)(15) through (d)(16) is the
responsibility of the owner.
