HomeMy WebLinkAboutHARMONY MARKET PUD, 9TH FILING - PRELIMINARY & FINAL - 54-87X - CORRESPONDENCE - FIRE AUTHORITY REQUIREMENTSPROTECTION AGAINST UNDERGROUND GASOLINE LEAKS
The City of Fort Collins Planning Department has recently received many
inquiries for development of convenience stores with gasoline sales.
Installation and storage (and removal) of underground gasoline storage
tanks is regulated by the Poudre Valley Fire Authority and their require-
ments are attached. Sensitive areas., however, may require secondary con-
tainment. The following discussion describes three types of secondary
containment. For further information, please contact Brian Woodruff of
the Department of Natural Resources.
1. The first treatment is the double -walled tank which can be either
steel or fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP). This treatment uses a
special fluid between the walls. This interstitial fluid is conti-
nuously monitored for contamination from gasoline coming through the
primary container or water coming through the secondary container.
Additional containment is needed for spills from dispensers and pip-
ing.
2. The second treatment involves a single -walled tank with excavation
liner. Tanks and piping are placed in a hole lined with an imperme-
able membrane. This can be rubber, plastic, etc., with a generic name
of "geotextile"., The hole is backfilled in the usual way, but an
observation well is left to allow routine monitoring of the secondary
containment area.
3. The third treatment is a single -walled tank in a concrete vault. Here
the tank is in air, and is exempt from federal U.S.T. (Underground
Storage Tank) rules, provided the vault is accessible for routine
inspections. Concrete becomes porous and develops cracks with time so
a membrane should be added to provide containment of minor spillage,
overfill, etc.
There is a concern that continuous electronic monitoring of the fluid
level in the tank can be substituted for the secondary containment with no
loss of protection. The danger, however, is that automatic monitoring
systems are electronic and can be turned off by a station operator who
considers the leak alarm a nuisance.
The general advice is that good design and installation are crucial. This
is particularly true with geotextile installations- which' will not provide
protection over the long term unless properly designed and installed.
a�
Phone 303-221-6570
a4505 PETERSON
_ofitv� FORT COLLINS, COLO.805?A
FUEL STORAGE TANKS
This letter is addressed to all contractors who install above -ground fuel
storage tanks over 660 gallons and underground tanks or piping of any
size.. Fuel installation contractors must be licensed by the City of Fort
Collins Building Department for work within the city limits. For
installations outside city limits, but within Poudre Fire Authority's
district boundaries, no license is required, but all regulations listed
below must be followed.
All plans for such installations within the Poudre Fire Authority
district must first be approved by the Colorado State Division of Oils.
Two sets of working plans must then be submitted to Poudre Fire Authority
at 505 Peterson St., Fort Collins, CO. 80524. Plans must be drawn to
scale or show dimensions and one set will be retained by PFA. After plan
review and approval, a permit must be obtained from PFA, with fees paid
on a materials and labor fee schedule.
Plans for above -ground installations must include the following:
1. Tank(s) size and manufacturer.
2. Plot plan showing location of tank (s), dispensing units,
buildings, piping layout, property lines, diking or retention
sites, property grading, existing tanks, expected traffic
patterns, and any other pertinent information.,
II 3. Details on diking, showing construction of dike, drain size and
!f locations, materials used in construction, size and capacity of
dike, spill dikes or diversion channels (when required), location
of tank within dike, tank tie downs, tank supports, and any other
pertinent information.
4. Details on piping showing fire valves, type of pipe, solenoid
valves, location and type of pumps, all connections, emergency
venting for tank, and any other pertisa::nt information.
Plans for underground installations require:
1. Tank(s) size and manufacturer.
2. Plot plan showing location of tanks, dispensing units, buildings.,
piping layout, prope.rty lines, existing tanks, expected traffic
patterns, location of vent lines, emergency pump shut-off
location and any other pertinent information.
PROTECTING LIVES & PROPERTY
Fuel Storage Oks
Page 2
3. Cross-section of tank(s) showing tank tie -downs or ballasting
(including calculations), type of fill materials and death of
fill, piping connections to the tank, cathodic protection (size
and location) and any other pertinent information.
4. Piping diagram showing all piping sizes and lengths, type of
pipe, swing joints, valves, leak, detectors, pumps, fill lines,
vents, and other pertinent information.
All installations must conform to the 1985 Edition of the Uniform Fire
Code, as amended. For additional information or for areas the UFC does
not address, reference may be made to NFPA Standard 30 or API standards.
Adherence to EPA interim regulations concerning structural integrity,
corrosion protection, and product compatibility of underground tanks, are
implied in these standards. Final EPA regulations, scheduled for late
1987, will almost certainly be stricter.
Three on -site inspections are required during the installation of all
tanks or piping:
1. The first is done after the tank is in place, (bur_ before
backfilling for underground tanks).
2. The second is performed after piping is installed.
3. The third inspection is after the system is completed.
Removal of underground storage tanks in the City also requires a permit
from PFA. Removal shall follow standards set forth in API Bulletin 1604,
with dry ice used to purge flammable vapors from the tank. Strict safety
precautions should be adhered to in order to prevent excessive build-up
of expelled vapors. Attached is an article detailing a recent accident
in Portland, Maine that was caused. by just such a build-up.
Revisions in the. Uniform Fire Code now allow for the operation of a
service station without an attendant. The regulations governing such
stations follow on a separate sheet.
1/87
NUN-SUPERVISED'SERVICE STATIONS
Supervision by, a qualified attendant is not required for a service.
station which".is not open to the public, provided that the owner of such
station is accountable for the safe operation of the station and the
training of users thereof. Such stations may include card- or
key -operated; dispensers. Any unattended service station which falls
under this exception shall conform to the following requirements:
1. The owner or operator will provide and is accountable for:
(i) At least daily site visits.
(ii) Regular equipment inspection and maintenance..
(iii) Conspicuously posting instructions for safe operation of
dispensing equipment.
(iv) Posting the phone number of the owner or operator.
2. An approved sign posted in a conspicuous location stating:.
IN CASE OF FIRE OR SPILL
1. Use emergency pump shutoff!
2. Report the accident to
POUDRE FIRE AUTHORITY 911
YOU ARE AT THIS ADDRESS
3. Dispensing equipment complies with both of the.following:
(i) The amount of fuel being dispensed is limited in quantity by a
preprogrammed card, or dispensing devices shall be programmed or
set to limit uninterrupted fuel delivery to twenty-five (25)
gallons and shall require a manual action to resume continued
delivery.
(ii) Product delivery hoses are equipped with a listed emergency
breakaway device designed to retain liquid on both sides of the
breakaway point. Such devices shall be installed and in
accordance with manufacturer's instructions.
4. Emergency shutoff must be available to the publ.i.c and conspicuously
marked.
5. A telephone or manual alarm tied to a central station must be readily
available for emergency use.
6. Poudre Fire Authority must approve any training materials and contracts
which oil companies have applicant sign. .
7. A 2A-20BC fire extinguisher must be available and located within seventy-
five (15) feet of pumps.
8. All other requirements of the Uniform,.Fire Code shall apply unless
specifically altered under this exception.
1/87