Petroleum Storage

INTRODUCTION • From houses, dwellings, property lines.

The purpose of this fact sheet is to describe • From other farm buildings.
environmentally safe practices for the storage of You should also consult your insurance company for
petroleum products. its requirements for safe separation distances.
Petroleum tanks are used on the farm to store gasoline
and diesel fuel. Properly designed petroleum storages
Types of storage tanks
must prevent leaks and the potential contamination of The installation of underground storage tanks is not
soils, surface water or groundwater. Even a very small recommended.
leak is enough to contaminate millions of litres of water.
Most farm petroleum storage tanks are above-ground,
Cleanup of surface water or soils may be difficult and single-walled, horizontal storage tanks. Such tanks
it may be impossible to clean up contaminated aquifers. should have secondary containment systems to retain
Cleanup could involve the removal of tonnes of any leaks.
contaminated soil which must be sent away for
remediation. A single petroleum storage leak and the Double-walled, vacuum monitored tanks have a
related cleanup costs could jeopardize the survival of vacuum between the two walls. If the gauge indicates
the farm operation. Insurance companies are increasingly that the vacuum has been lost between the two steel
reluctant to cover large remediation expenses in their walls, then there is a leak in one of the walls.
policies. They may require that petroleum storage tanks
Double-walled tanks are frequently found to be a good
be properly installed, meet all codes, be outdoors and
option for smaller farm operations.
be double-walled or have a secondary containment.
All tanks must have a corrosion protection coating
and/or be primed and painted to prevent rusting.
SITE SELECTION AND TECHNICAL
Use only petroleum storage tanks that are approved
CONSIDERATIONS by accredited standards development organizations
Ensure that all applicable regulations or guidelines (e.g. Underwriters Laboratories of Canada [ULC],
regarding petroleum storages are followed. Any required Canadian Standards Association [CSA], or Canadian
permits should be obtained before tank installation. General Standards Board [CGSB]). All fuel tanks should
be located outside of buildings used for other purposes.
Site selection
Security
Choose a site away from other stored chemicals and
combustible materials. A switch or timer to turn off power to the pumps can be
used to prevent spills, theft or accidents. The main
• Floodplains or sites with a high water tables shutoff switch for an electric fuel pump could be inside
should be avoided. an adjacent building, with a light that indicates that the
switch is on. Petroleum storage tanks should be firmly
• Soils with a high water infiltration rate pose fixed in place and the pumps, dispensers, valves, fill
a greater risk for groundwater contamination. and vent caps should be locked. Tanks could also be
within a locked petroleum storage building or behind
• Conversely, soils with a slow water infiltration a locked fence.
rate pose a greater risk of runoff contaminating
surface water.
GENERAL PLANNING AND DESIGN
Minimum separation distances
CONSIDERATIONS
Petroleum storages should be located a safe distance
away from wells, watercourses, farm ponds, lakes, or Petroleum storages should be constructed in
wetlands. The regulations or guidelines in your province accordance with accepted engineering specifications
should be consulted for the required minimum and construction standards, and
separation distances. should be installed by licensed
tank installers. Double-walled tanks
For fire prevention, safe separation distances should should have posts, Jersey barriers or
also be maintained: guardrails in front of them to protect
the tanks from vehicles.
 • 10 cm steel pipe posts set in concrete are a good Fumes and ventilation
option. The posts should be painted or identified with
reflective tape. Petroleum storage fumes are toxic and flammable. The storage
building should have natural ventilation rather than an electric
All tanks should be raised to at least 15 cm on steel feet with fan because sparks from electrical wiring or switches could cause
concrete anchors to prevent contact with the ground and petroleum vapors to explode. The storage building should have
resulting corrosion. Placing tanks any higher on elevated 30 cm (12 inch) continuous natural vents around the top and
structures is not recommended due to their tendency to bottom of the walls, and ridge vents.
collapse (particularly wood structures), tip over, accidentally
drain or get hit by vehicles. • Petroleum storage tanks should have separate fill and
vent openings, and the vent openings should have
Secondary containment weatherproof caps.

Single-walled storage tanks must be installed in an impervious • All fill or vent pipes should be steel. The vent should be
secondary containment with a minimum holding capacity a minimum of 3.2 cm (1.25") in diameter.
of 110%.
• If the petroleum tanks are in an enclosed building, then
• The containment area may also be roofed or have the tank vents should extend outside.
rain shields. • Vent pipes for petroleum storage tanks should be at least
• Containment floor surfaces should extend 30 cm beyond 3.5 meters above ground level, higher than the fill pipe,
the edge of the tanks in order to collect any drippings above the normal snow level, and at least 1.5 meters
and enable visibility of all parts of the tanks for a visual from any building openings.
leak inspection. • All tanks should have an emergency relief vent. It should
Secondary containments are generally not considered necessary not be locked.
for double-walled tanks. However, secondary containments can
provide an extra level of protection, particularly when the tanks
are located in a sensitive area. RECOMMENDED PETROLEUM STORAGE
MANAGEMENT PRACTICES
Electrical and lighting
All electrical installations and equipment at the fuel storage Warning and safety signage
must comply with electrical codes. In particular, all electrical Petroleum storage tanks should be labeled on at least one side
connections (including the dispensing equipment): (preferably both) with the name of the product stored in the
• Must be in explosion-proof fittings. tank (gas, diesel or waste oil etc.). The words “Flammable -
Keep Fire and Flame away”, and “No Smoking - Ignition Off”
• Must be installed by a qualified electrician. should also appear on the tank. These warning signs should be
visible when refueling.
• Should be inspected by an electrical inspector.

• Should be approved by your insurance company. Monitoring for leaks

There should be no overhead electrical lines for reasons of fire Any unwanted discharge may be considered a leak, however
safety. Adequate lighting should be provided for safety signs to small. Any loss may be considered a spill. As little as a few
be read and for fueling of vehicles. drops an hour can be enough to contaminate surface water
and groundwater.
Petroleum storage tank enclosures
Check petroleum tanks regularly for rust and potential leaks.
Petroleum storage tanks may also be partially or completely This should include a weekly:
enclosed. This enclosure will keep precipitation from collecting
in the secondary containment, protect the tanks from • Visual inspection for potential leaks and corrosion.
corrosion, and protect the tanks from sunlight.
• Inspection of the secondary containment and/or vacuum
Precast concrete and steel fuel storage containments with roofs gauge for any signs of a leak or spill.
are also available. • Measurement of the liquid level in the tank that is verified
against a fuel inventory log or use records to detect tank
leaks. However, petroleum inventory or consumption records
will not detect small leaks.
Dispensers Fire safety
Fuel should never be dispensed from a storage tank through Petroleum storage tanks must meet all provisions under
gravity flow. provincial fire regulations.

The tank dispenser should be equipped with: Fuel tanks should be located away from other storages containing
chemical or fertilizer products to minimize fire hazards.
• A metered electric pump assembly that should have a
CSA-approved motor and a ULC pump. A dry chemical ABC fire extinguisher should be maintained and
readily available at the storage site. This extinguisher is only for
• An ULC-approved or CSA-approved nozzle. the control of fires in combustible materials near the petroleum
• Self-latching nozzles that automatically shut off when storage. Petroleum storage fires should be handled by trained
the tank is full or if the handle is released. firefighters.

• An anti-siphon check valve between pump and tank to Emergency preparation

prevent the tank from draining if the line is broken, or if
the nozzle is dropped or left lower than the fuel level in Petroleum storage and handling should be addressed in the
the tank. farm’s emergency plan. A simple emergency preparedness and
response plan should be established that provides a timely and
A hand pump is an acceptable alternative to an electric pump. effective response to petroleum storage emergencies involving
fires, leaks or spills. Emergency telephone numbers should be
The hoses must also be ULC approved. Approved heavy duty posted in a permanent place. This information could also be kept
hoses are less flexible, which reduces the possibility of cracks or in a pole-mounted emergency response tube, where permitted.
kinks. The hoses should also have a wire embedded in the length
of the hose to ground against static sparks for fire prevention.
CONCLUSION
Dispensing equipment should be inspected monthly to ensure
all connections, hoses and fittings are not cracked or leaking. Following the petroleum storage practices recommended in this
Any leaking equipment should be replaced immediately. fact sheet will help reduce the environmental risk of contamination
of soils, surface water or groundwater.
Spill cleanup
All leaks should be reported to the appropriate authorities.
REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT
All spills of any quantity should be cleaned up immediately using The owner or operator of a petroleum storage site must
proper procedures, which include: ensure that it meets all federal, provincial, municipal and
rural legislation, regulations, orders and bylaws. These include:
• Stopping and containing the spill or leak.

• Cleaning up the affected area. Federal

• Collecting used absorbent materials and safely storing
them in a container (e.g. open-ended barrels) until they Canadian Environmental Protection Act
can be safely disposed of. http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/C-15.31/

There should be spill cleanup material available at the petroleum Fisheries Act
storage site. Materials to absorb or contain an accidental spill http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/F-14/
may include sawdust, kitty litter, sand, or soil. Oil spill response
kits are also commercially available. National Farm Building Code of Canada, 1995
http://www.fedpubs.com/subject/housing/natfarm.htm
Provincial ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Newfoundland and Labrador Environmental Protection Act The following references may provide additional information
The Storage and Handling of Gasoline and Associated Products and/or contacts:
Regulations, 2003.
http://www.hoa.gov.nl.ca/hoa/regulations/rc030058.htm 1. Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Agrifoods. 1998.
Storage and Handling of Petroleum Products on the Farm.
Newfoundland and Labrador. The Storage and Handling of http://www.nr.gov.nl.ca/agric/fact_pubs/soillandpub.stm
Gasoline and Associated Products Regulations, 2003,
Registration brochure. 2. Nova Scotia Environmental Farm Plan. 2005. Farm Fuel
http://www.env.gov.nl.ca/env/Env/PollPrev/petroleum_storage/ Storage and Handling. Nova Scotia Environmental Farm Plan
GAP%20Registration%20Brochure.pdf Factsheet.
http://www.nsfa-fane.ca/content%5Cenvironment%5
Nova Scotia Petroleum Management Regulations. Cefp%5Cfactsheet%5Cfuel.pdf
(Environment Act)
http://www.gov.ns.ca/just/regulations/regs/envpetma.htm 3. New Brunswick Department of Environment. Petroleum
Storage Tanks. http://www.gnb.ca/0009/0373/0001/0012-e.asp
New Brunswick Clean Environment Act, Petroleum Product
Handling and Storage Regulation 4. Prince Edward Island Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and
http://www.gnb.ca/0062/regs/87-97.htm Aquaculture. 2005. Fuel Storage.
http://gov.pe.ca/af/agweb/index.php3?number=74702
Petroleum Products Act
www.irac.pe.ca/legislation/document.asp?f=PetProductsAct.asp
Acknowledgements
Prince Edward Island Petroleum Products Act Regulations
http://www.irac.pe.ca/legislation/document.asp?f=PetroleumPr This fact sheet was produced by the Eastern Canada Soil and
oductsActRegulations.asp Water Conservation Centre under contract for Agriculture
and Agri-Food Canada-Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration
(Regional Services). We thank all reviewers for their input.

Example cross-section of petroleum storage building