North Carolina Administrative Code
Title 15A - Environmental Quality
Chapter 02 - ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
Subchapter N - CRITERIA AND STANDARDS APPLICABLE TO UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANKS
Section .0300 - UST SYSTEMS: DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION, INSTALLATION, AND NOTIFICATION
Section 02N .0304 - IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE FOR PERFORMANCE STANDARDS FOR NEW UST SYSTEMS AND UPGRADING REQUIREMENTS FOR EXISTING UST SYSTEMS LOCATED IN AREAS DEFINED IN RULE .0301(D)

Universal Citation: 15A NC Admin Code 02N .0304

Current through Register Vol. 39, No. 6, September 16, 2024

(a) The following implementation schedule shall apply only to owners and operators of UST systems located within areas described in Rule .0301(d) of this Section. This implementation schedule shall govern tank owners and operators in complying with the secondary containment requirements set forth in Rule .0301(d) of this Section for new UST systems and the secondary containment requirements set forth in Rule .0302(a) of this Section for existing UST systems.

(1) All new UST systems and replacements to an UST system shall be provided with secondary containment as of April 1, 2001.

(2) All steel or metal connected piping and ancillary equipment of an UST, regardless of date of installation, shall be provided with secondary containment as of January 1, 2005.

(3) All fiberglass or non-metal connected piping and ancillary equipment of an UST, regardless of date of installation, shall be provided with secondary containment as of January 1, 2008.

(4) All UST systems installed on or before January 1, 1991 shall be provided with secondary containment as of January 1, 2008.

(5) All USTs installed after January 1, 1991, and prior to April 1, 2001, shall be provided with secondary containment as of January 1, 2020. Owners of USTs located within 100 to 500 feet of a public water supply well, if the well serves only a single facility and is not a community water system, may seek a variance in accordance with Paragraphs (d) through (i) of this Rule.

(b) All owners and operators of UST systems shall implement the following enhanced leak detection monitoring as of April 1, 2001. The enhanced leak detection monitoring shall consist of the following:

(1) An automatic tank gauging system for each UST;

(2) An electronic line leak detector for each pressurized piping system;

(3) One 0.1 gallon per hour (gph) test per month or one 0.2 gph test per week on each UST system;

(4) A line tightness test capable of detecting a leak rate of 0.1 gph, once per year for each suction piping system. No release detection shall be required for suction piping that is designed and constructed in accordance with 40 CFR 280.41(b)(1)(ii)(A) through (E);

(5) If the UST system is located within 500 feet of a public water supply well or within 100 feet of any other well supplying water for human consumption, owners or operators shall sample the water supply well once per year. The sample collected from the well shall be characterized in accordance with:

(A) Standard Method 6200B, Volatile Organic Compounds Purge and Trap Capillary-Column Gas Chromatographic/Mass Spectrometric Method, which is incorporated by reference, including subsequent amendments and editions, and may be obtained at http://www.standardmethods.org/ at a cost of seventy-five dollars ($75.00);

(B) EPA Method 625.1, Base/Neutrals and Acids, which is incorporated by reference, including subsequent amendments and editions, and may be accessed free of charge at http://water.epa.gov/scitech/methods/cwa/organics/upload/2007_07_10_methods_method_organics_625.pdf; and

(C) If a waste oil UST system is present that does not meet the requirements for secondary containment in accordance with 40 CFR 280.42(b)(1) through (4), the sample shall also be analyzed for lead and chromium using Method 6010D, Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectrometry, which is incorporated by reference, including subsequent amendments and editions, and may be accessed free of charge at https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-12/documents/6010d.pdf or Method 6020B, Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry, which is incorporated by reference, including subsequent amendments and editions, and may be accessed free of charge at https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-12/documents/6020b.pdf; and

(6) The first sample collected in accordance with Subparagraph (b)(5) of this Rule shall be collected and the results received by the Division by October 1, 2000, and yearly thereafter.

(c) An UST system or UST system component installation completed on or after November 1, 2007, to upgrade or replace an UST system or UST system component as required in Paragraph (a) of this Rule shall meet the performance standards of Section .0900 of this Subchapter.

(d) The Environmental Management Commission may grant a variance from the secondary containment requirements in Subparagraph (a)(5) of this Rule for USTs located within 100 to 500 feet of a public water supply well if the well serves only a single facility and is not a community water system. Any request for a variance shall be in writing by the owner of the UST for which the variance is sought. The request for variance shall be submitted to the Director, Division of Waste Management, 1646 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1646. The Environmental Management Commission shall grant the variance if the Environmental Management Commission finds facts to support the following conclusions:

(1) The variance will not endanger human health and welfare or groundwater; and

(2) UST systems are operated and maintained in compliance with 40 CFR Part 280, Article 21A of G.S. 143B, and the rules in this Subchapter.

(e) The Environmental Management Commission may require the variance applicant to submit such information as the Environmental Management Commission deems necessary to make a decision to grant or deny the variance. Information that may be requested includes the following:

(1) Water supply well location, depth, construction specifications, and sampling results;

(2) Groundwater depth and flow direction; and

(3) Leak detection monitoring and testing results.

(f) The Environmental Management Commission may impose such conditions on a variance as the Environmental Management Commission deems necessary to protect human health and welfare and groundwater. Conditions for a variance may include the following:

(1) Increased frequency of leak detection and leak prevention monitoring and testing;

(2) Periodic water supply well sampling; and

(3) Increased reporting and recordkeeping.

(g) The findings of fact supporting any variance under this Rule shall be in writing and made part of the variance.

(h) The Environmental Management Commission may rescind a variance that was previously granted if the Environmental Management Commission discovers through inspection or reporting that the conditions of the variance are not met or that the facts no longer support the conclusions in Subparagraphs (d)(1) and (2) of this Rule.

(i) An owner of an UST system who is aggrieved by a decision of the Environmental Management Commission to deny or rescind a variance or to conditionally grant a variance may commence a contested case by filing a petition pursuant to G.S. 150B-23 within 60 days after receipt of the decision.

Authority G.S. 143-215.3(a)(15); 143B-282(a)(2)(h);
Temporary Adoption Eff. May 1, 2000;
Eff. April 1, 2001;
Amended Eff. June 1, 2017; June 1, 2015; November 1, 2007;
Readopted Eff. January 1, 2021.

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