|
Petroleum and Allied Petroleum
Storage Tank Program
In the last forty years, thousands of storage tank systems for petroleum and allied
petroleum products have been installed on federal lands, mainly to service an expanding
transportation sector. Many of these storage tank systems were fabricated from carbon
steel without corrosion protection. As these systems age, they are more likely to fail due
to corrosion. Leaks from storage tank systems can have devastating environmental and
economic impacts. Small quantities of diesel and gasoline can cause offensive odours,
contaminate surface and subsurface soils, render drinking water from aquifers non-potable
and create explosive build-ups of vapours in basements and other underground structures.
Environment Canada established and led a Canadian Council of Ministers of the
Environment (CCME) National Task Force, which developed in partnership with industry, the
provinces and territories, model Environmental Codes of Practise for Underground and
Aboveground Storage Tank Systems. These codes cover the design, construction, maintenance,
operations, upgrading and removal of petroleum and allied petroleum tanks.
Subject to the modifications set out in the Technical Guidelines established under
Section 53 of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA), the Environmental Codes of
Practise were adopted as the guidelines to be used by federal departments.
Registration Regulations have also been made under Section 54 of CEPA. In-use and
abandoned tanks must be registered within each federal department and a consolidated
record of registered storage tank systems maintained at a central location. Annual
compliance status reports must be done.
Environment Canada provides technical interpretation of the CCME Codes of Practise,
CEPA Technical Guidelines and CEPA Registration Regulation. A set of Fact
Sheets entitled "Decoding the Codes" have been developed to
address the most frequently asked questions.
"Decoding the Codes" Fact Sheets
The role of Environment Canada in the storage of
petroleum and allied petroleum products
Where to get the required documents
Application of the regulations
Application of the technical guidelines and codes
How to tell the difference between an inside tank and an
outside tank
How to tell the difference between underground and
aboveground tanks
Regional representatives
Applicable Legislation
- CCME Environmental Code of Practice for Underground Storage Tank Systems
Containing Petroleum Products and Allied Petroleum Products, 1993 Edition
- CEPA Section 53 Technical Guidelines for Underground Storage Tank
Systems Containing Petroleum Products and Allied Petroleum Products
- CEPA 54(1) Registration of Storage Tank Systems for Petroleum Products
and Allied Petroleum Products on Federal Lands Regulations
- CCME Environmental Code of Practice for Aboveground Storage Tank Systems
Containing Petroleum Products, August 1994
- CEPA 53 Technical Guidelines for Aboveground Storage Tank Systems
Containing Petroleum Products Lands
Return to Waste Management and Remediation
Index Page
Return to Environmental Protection Branch Index
Page
Return to our Programs and Priorities Index Page
| 
