Environmental Code of Practice for Aboveground and ... - CCME

A Guide to the Use of this Code
Purpose
This Code presents a model set of technical requirements to protect the environment from existing, new, or
proposed storage tank systems that contain petroleum and allied petroleum products. Its primary purpose is
the promotion of environmentally sound management of petroleum and allied petroleum product storage tank
systems through the application of uniform performance standards throughout Canada.
Relation to Federal, Provincial, and Territorial Regulations
This Code is a model set of technical requirements and only comes into effect if adopted, in whole or in part,
by an authority having jurisdiction. Where this Code has been adopted, in whole or in part, by an authority
having jurisdiction, it shall be subject to any restrictions or conditions added by the regulatory authority.
Readers of this Code are therefore advised to check with the federal, provincial, or territorial authority having
jurisdiction to see whether this Code applies in their area of interest. (See Appendix A for contact information
for federal, provincial, and territorial authorities having jurisdiction.)
Relation to Other Codes
This Code is written as a complementary document to the National Fire Code of Canada (NFCC) and to
CAN/CSA B139, “Installation Code for Oil Burning Equipment”.
National Fire Code of Canada
This Code has been developed in conjunction with the National Research Council, publisher of the National
Fire Code of Canada (NFCC), to minimize the possibility of conflict between the respective contents of the
two codes.
While this Code provides minimum requirements for the prevention of petroleum and allied petroleum
product losses from storage tank systems that may lead to environmental problems (primarily groundwater
contamination), the NFCC sets technical requirements for the storage and handling of flammable and
combustible liquids from the point of view of preventing fires or explosions.
In order to ensure effective application, fire officials, environmental officials, or other authorities having the
jurisdiction to regulate petroleum and allied petroleum product storage tanks should be fully conversant with
the technical requirements in both codes. This is the only way to ensure that storage tanks are built, installed,
operated, and removed in a manner that is acceptable from both a fire safety and environmental point of view.
CSA Standard B139, Installation Code for Oil-Burning Equipment
This Code was developed in cooperation with the Canadian Standards Association, publishers of CAN/CSA-
B139. Storage tank systems that fall within the scope of CAN/CSA B139 are predominantly furnace oil tanks
and storage tanks containing diesel fuel and connected to standby emergency power generators.
The CAN/CSA-B139 Code was revised and published in 2000. This Code provides additional requirements that
address concerns, such as environmental sensitivity or upgrading of existing storage tank systems, which are
beyond the scope of CAN/CSA-B139-00.
Regulatory authorities, owners, and installers of storage tanks should be fully conversant with the technical
requirements of CAN/CSA-B139-00, this Code (where it is in force), and all federal/provincial/territorial
regulations that apply.
Environmental Code of Practice for Aboveground and Underground Storage Tank Systems Containing Petroleum and Allied Petroleum Products x