The Rural Voice, 2002-04, Page 66BRUCE
bruce@ola.on.ca 519-364-3050 or 1-800-275-9551
www.ofa.on.ca/bruce
wwwofa.on.ca/bruce
446 10th St., Hanover, Ontario N4N 1P9
County Federation of Agriculture NEWSLETTER
• The Rural Voice is provided to Bruce
County Farmers by the BCFA.
Liquid Fuels Handling Code and On -Farm gasoline and diesel fuel storage
Prior to 1997, rules governing the
storage of gasoline and diesel fuel were
set and administered by the Ministry of
Consumer and Commercial Relations
(MCCR) in the Gasoline Handling Code
under the Gasoline Handling Act. The
Gasoline Handling Code set specific
rules for different fuel storage site's;
retail outlets (gas stations), bulk storage
sites and private outlets. Private fuel
outlets are places where petroleum
products are dispensed into vehicles
owned or used by the owner of the
private outlet. Private fuel outlets
include farms.
In 1997, authority for the storage of
petroleum products, and also a number
of other safety related activities was
transferred from MCCR to the
Technical Standards and Safety
Authority (TSSA), a not -for- profit
corporation created by the Ontario
government with a broad public safety
mandate. The current rules for fuel
storage are contained in the Liquid
Fuels Handling Code (LFHC).
The new Fuel Oil Regulations that
came into effect October 1, 2001, states
that all underground fuel tanks must be
registered by May 1, 2002. This. only
involves filling out a registration form.
It does not mean upgrading has to be
finished by then according to the
(TSSA). Those who don't register their
underground tanks will find that fuel oil
suppliers will not deliver to them after
May 1.
In Lambton County some farmers
were recently advised that their fuel
suppliers would no longer make
deliveries to their farms as their tanks
did not comply with the new
regulations. For these underground
tanics, the code provides a timetable for
completing the removal or upgrade
work.
If the tank is 25 years or older and
does not have corrosion protection, it
must be removed in the next five years.
If it is less than 25 years old you can
keep it by installing an approved lead
detection device to serve as an early
warning system in case the tank
corrodes.
The tank mast also be fitted with
overfill protection and some form of
spill containment. If it is a steel tank it
will need corrosion protection. The
timetable varies according to the age of
62 THE RURAL VOICE
the tank. If it is between 20 and 24 years
old, you have six years to finish the
upgrade job. Between 10 and 19 years
old, seven years to finish the job, and
those installed in the last nine years,
eight years to finish the upgrade job.
The LFHC does not require the
registration of above ground tanks.
However, the tanks and all associated
equipment must be installed in
accordance with the LFHC by a
certified Petroleum Mechanic. Only
tanks which have been certified to an
Underwriters' Laboratories of Canada
(ULC) standard are acceptable.
Aboveground tanks are exempt from
diking and secondary containment if
they have a maximum capacity of 5,000
litres (1,065 gallons) and any loss or
escape of product will not:
i) Create a hazard to public health or
safety
ii) Contaminate any fresh water source
or waterway
iii) Interfere with the rights of any
person, or
iv) Enter into a sewer system,
underground stream or drainage system
A double wall tank is the equivalent
to diking provided the tank has a
maximum capacity of 65,000 litres
(13,845 gallons).
If a tank does not have a dike it must
be equipped with overfill protection and
spill containment.
Aboveground fuels storage tanks on
a farm must be placed in accordance
with the requirements of Part IV of the
Outar in Fire Code;
i) Gasoline tanks (Class I product)
up to a capacity of 250,000 litres
(53,250 gallons) must be located three
metres (10 feet) from the property line
and at least three metres from a building
on the same property.
ii) Diesel fuel tanks (Class II
product) up to a capacity of 50,000 litres
(10,650 gallons) may be located at least
1.5 metres (5 feet) from a building on
the same property. •
iii) Diesel fuel tanks (Class II
product) up to a capacity of 2,500 litres
(532.5 gallons) may be located
zero metres from a building,on the same
property.
In all cases, the dispensing
equipment must be located not less
than -4.5 metres (14 feet 9 inches)
from any opening in the building.
Aboveground tank locations must be
protected from damage by vehicle
traffic. Posts, referred to as bollards,
provide a good option. The Propane
Code contains the following
specifications for bollards;
i) Spaced not more than 54 inches (1350
mm) apart
ii) Buried not less than 36 inches (900
mm) below grade
iii) Extend at least 30 inches (750 mm)
above grade
iv) Be one of the following: a 4 inch
(100 mm) capped steel pipe; a 4 inch
(100 mm) tube filled with concrete; an 8
inch (200 mm) pressure treated wood
post, either square or round; or a 6 inch
(150 mm) minimum dimension
reinforced concrete post.
Electrical hookups for the pump
must comply with the Ontario Electrical
Safety Code.
Environmental Farm Plan Worksheet
#5 specifically addresses petroleum
product storage. Worksheet #5 is
available on the OMAFRA website:
www.gov.on.ca/OMAFRA/english/envi
ron ment/efp/efp. htm#workbook
Heating Oil Storage
Beginning December 2001, fuel oil
distributors must provideTSSA with the
address of every underground fuel oil
tank the distributor knows of, and to
which the distributor supplies fuel. The
list will enable TSSA to notify tank
owners of the requirements to register
and upgrade these tanks. After May 1,
2002, distributors cannot supply fuel oil
to an underground tank unless the tank
is registered with TSSA.
If you would like information on the
regulations please contact Andre Lebel,
Fuel Safety Co-ordinator with the TSSA
in Toronto at 416-325-2081 or 1-877-
682-8772 or Email at alebel@tssa.org or
visit the TSSA website at www.tssa.org
- Submitted by Ernie Young
Bruce Township Director
BCFA OFFICE HOURS
Monday to Friday
10:00 a . to 4:00 p.m.
BRUCE COUNTY FEDERATION OF AGRICULTURE
DIRECTORS' MEETING
Monday, April 29, 2002 - 8:00 p.m.
Sprucedale Agromart
R.R. #2, Walkerton - 25th sideroad Brant (north
oft of former Hwy.#4 - east of Walkerton)
Members are welcome to attend