Mich. Admin. Code R. 285.642.7 - Secondary containment of bulk liquid fertilizer

Rule 7.

(1) Primary storage containers of bulk fertilizer shall be located within a diked containment area. Construction of a containment area with a discharge valve or drain is not permitted after the effective date of this rule.

(2) Capacity for secondary containment areas shall meet all of the requirements, as applicable:

(a) Secondary containment areas not protected from rainfall shall contain 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) Secondary containment areas protected from rainfall shall contain 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) Secondary containment areas constructed before the effective date of this rule and not having a capacity that includes the 6-inch rainfall are in compliance with this rule. Any such storage facility shall, upon alteration of the secondary containment area or increases in storage container volume, be brought into full compliance within 1 year of the alteration or increase.

(d) Secondary containment areas not protected from rainfall shall provide for a complete separation between bulk fertilizers and bulk pesticides while maintaining the capacity requirements specified in subdivisions (a) to (c) of this subrule.

(e) Tile drainage that underlies areas which are contained by earthen dikes shall be eliminated.

(3) Construction for secondary containment areas shall meet all of the following requirements:

(a) The walls and floors of a secondary containment area shall be constructed of any of the following materials and shall be 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 designed to withstand a liquid discharge, as approved by the department.

(b) All joints, seams, and cracking shall be sealed to prevent leakage.

(c) Walls shall not be more than 6 feet in height above interior grade unless provision is made for safe access and exiting.

(d) Earthen walls shall have a horizontal-to-vertical slope consistent with standard engineering practice, shall be packed and protected from erosion, and the top shall not be less than 2.5 feet wide.

(e) Piping shall not be installed through the secondary containment wall, except for interconnections between multiple secondary containment structures. This prohibition does not apply to existing bulk storage facilities with 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) Secondary containment areas that are constructed of permeable materials shall be lined with concrete, steel, synthetic liners, or a clay liner to achieve water tightness.

(h) When steel plates are used as a liner, they shall be protected against corrosion and joined in a manner to provide watertight joints.

(i) Synthetic liners shall have a minimum thickness of 30 mils (0.8 millimeters) and be compatible with the materials being stored within the secondary containment area.

(j) Synthetic liners 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.

(k) Soil or earthen liners may be used for fertilizer bulk storage secondary containment structures and shall meet all of the following requirements:

(i) Soil liners shall be maintained free of major cracking and vegetation.

(ii) The surface soil shall be 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 shall be constructed in accordance with standard engineering recommendations to achieve a coefficient of permeability not more than 1.0 x 10-6 cm/sec at construction and which is maintained at 1.0 x 10-5 cm/sec.

(l) Sump construction shall be 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.

(m) Design and construction specifications for the sump shall address sediment accumulation, sediment removal, and freeze-thaw cycles.

(n) The department may, based on generally accepted methodology, 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) Farm storage facilities utilizing an individual storage container with a capacity of 100,000 gallons or more, shall follow the requirements for secondary containment in the provisions of R 285.641.7(4), commercial fertilizer bulk storage.

Notes

Mich. Admin. Code R. 285.642.7

2003 AACS