What is Environment Canada's role in the storage of petroleum and allied petroleum products?

Environment Canada offers technical interpretation to owners and operators of petroleum and allied petroleum product storage tanks on federal lands based on the following documents:

1. Registration of Storage Tank Systems for Petroleum Products and Allied Petroleum Products on Federal Lands Regulations
2. Technical Guidelines for Underground Storage Tank Systems Containing Petroleum Products and Allied Petroleum Products
3. Technical Guidelines for Aboveground Storage Tank Systems Containing Petroleum Products
4. CCME Environmental Code of Practice for Underground Storage Tank Systems Containing Petroleum Products and Allied Petroleum Products
5. CCME Environmental Code of Practice for Aboveground Storage Tank Systems Containing Petroleum Products

Registration of Storage Tank Systems for Petroleum Products and Allied Petroleum Products on Federal Lands Regulations (Registration Regulations)

The Registration Regulations came into force on August 1, 1997. These Registration Regulations apply to the owners of federally and privately owned storage tank systems containing petroleum or allied petroleum products, located on federal lands. Owners are required to register new and existing systems, whether in-use or abandoned:

• outside aboveground storage tank systems having a single or total capacity of greater than 4000 litres, and
• all underground tanks

In addition, each federal department that controls the federal land on which a storage tank system is located, maintains a consolidated record of all registered storage tank systems on the lands. An annual compliance status report must be submitted to Environment Canada or the Auditor General.

The registration programme provides Environment Canada and the other federal departments with the following information:

• location and year of installation
• ownership, operator and type of facility
• current status (in-service, temporarily out-of-service, or abandoned)
• design capacity and contents
• construction
• measures for spill, leak and corrosion protection

Technical Guidelines for Underground Storage Tank Systems Containing Petroleum Products and Allies Petroleum Products (Underground Technical Guidelines)

The Underground Technical Guidelines were published in the Canada Gazette, Part I on March 11, 1995. The Underground Technical Guidelines incorporate the CCME Environmental Code of Practice for Underground Storage Tank Systems Containing Petroleum Products and Allied Petroleum Products. Subject to the modifications set out in the Underground Technical Guidelines, the Code of Practice is adopted as the guidelines to be used by federal departments.

The modifications are:

1. Non application of some Sections of the Code of Practice are defined.
2. The wording "shall" shall be replaced by "should:.
3. "Authority having jurisdiction" is defined for each clause it appears in.
4. Allowance is made for equivalents and alternatives to materials, systems and procedures not already specified.
5. Review and certification of the design by a Professional Engineer is recommended.
6. The owners of storage tank systems shall provide "as-built" drawings.
7. The sites classification criteria is described in terms of Protection of groundwater Resources, Protection of Public Safety, and Protection of the Environment.
8. Product transfer requirements are specified.
9. Buried mechanical joints are not recommended in primary piping.
10. A table for upgrading existing tank systems is set out.  

Technical Guidelines for Aboveground Storage Tank Systems Containing Petroleum Products (Aboveground Technical Guidelines)

The Aboveground Technical Guidelines were published in the Canada Gazette, Part I on August 17, 1996.  

The Aboveground Technical Guidelines incorporate the CCME Environmental Code of Practice for Aboveground Storage Tank Systems Containing Petroleum Products. Subject to the modifications set out in the Aboveground Technical Guidelines, the Code of Practice is adopted as the guidelines to be used by federal departments.  

The modifications are:

1. Non application of some Sections of the Codes Practice are defined.
2. The wording "shall" shall be replaced by "should".
3. "Authority having jurisdiction" is defined for each clause it appears in.
4. Allowance is made for equivalents and alternative to materials, systems and procedures no already specified.
5. Review and certification of the design by a Professional Engineer is recommended.
6. Product transfer requirements are specified.
7. A table for upgrading existing tank systems is set out.