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away from surface water, wells and property linesas possible.

2. Keep the storage area free of weeds and other com-bustible materials.

3. Conspicuously mark the tank with the name of theproduct it contains and “FLAMMABLE – KEEP FIREAND FLAME AWAY.”

4. Support the bottom of the tank with concreteblocks approximately 6 inches above the groundsurface to protect the bottom of the tank from cor-rosion.

5. If a pumping device is used, it should be tightly andpermanently attached and meet NFPA approval.Gravity discharge tanks are acceptable, but theymust be equipped with a valve that will automat-ically close in the event of a fire.

6. Submit plans for the installation of all storage tanksthat will contain more than 60 gallons of Class Iliquids or 120 gallons of Class II or Class III liq-uids to the State Fire Marshall for approval.

7. Report all tanks that catch on fire to the State FireMarshall within 72 hours of the fire.Tanks that hold more than 1,100 gallons of combus-

tible liquid are regulated under NFPA code 30. Thesetanks require secondary confinement in the form ofdikes, secondary impoundments, or clay-lined holdingareas. This code provides pertinent details on the fabri-cation, venting, location, monitoring and registration ofthese tanks and also information on allowable types ofsecondary containment systems. Anyone with tanksthat fall into this category is strongly encouraged to ob-tain a copy of NFPA code 30 for review. Questions re-garding Georgia above-ground storage tanks or infor-mation on registering new tanks may be referred to theState Fire Marshall at the Georgia Safety Fire Commis-sioner’s office. (Alan Shuman: Alan.Shuman@mail.oci.state.ga.us)

One final category of tanks that fall under differentjurisdiction includes tanks exceeding 660 gallonssingly or groups of tanks with more than 1,320 gallonsof total capacity that could pollute surface waters of theUnited States. These tanks are controlled by the EPAunder the Spill Prevention, Control and Counter-measures Act (SPCC). This act only addresses tanks inwhich a spill of a total volume could be “reasonablyexpected” to reach any navigable body of surfacewater. It requires that tanks that meet both criteriaprepare a spill prevention plan, implement spill preven-tion practices including secondary containment, and beliable for the damages caused as a result of any spill.

The mission of the SPCC program is to promote andenforce measures designed to effectively prevent oilspills and contain those that occur before they reachany surface body of water. If a spill does occur, what-ever the type of tank it is from, the EPA’s Clean WaterAct requires that the National Response Center benotified immediately at 305-536-5651. For moreinformation on the SPCC or spill prevention methodsthat could be beneficial to any farm, contact the UnitedStates EPA Emergency Response and Removal Branch.

Underground Storage TanksUnderground storage tanks are defined as contain-

ing more than 10 percent of their total volume beneaththe soil surface. More than 22,000 facilities represent-ing more than 48,000 underground storage tanks existin Georgia. These tanks are regulated by the GeorgiaDepartment of Natural Resources EnvironmentalProtection Division (EPD) under the UndergroundStorage Tank Act in Chapter 391-3-15.

This act is an extension of the United States Envi-ronmental Protection Agency rules covered in Title 40of the Code of Federal Regulations Part 280. The pri-mary purpose of this act is to protect and enhance thequality of Georgia’s environment and protect publichealth and safety by instituting and maintaining a com-prehensive statewide program for maintaining regu-lated substances stored in underground tanks. Under-ground tanks represent more of a problem than above-ground tanks because leaks can often go on for longperiods of time without being detected. This poses aserious threat to ground water sources near the tank.

While this act is quite comprehensive, a key pro-vision was made to protect Georgia’s farmers. Farm orresidential tanks of 1,100 gallons or less capacity andused for noncommercial purposes are exempt from theact. Underground tanks used to store heating oil forconsumption on the premises are also exempt. Thismeans that these types of underground tanks are unreg-ulated unless they contain a hazardous or flammablesubstance, in which case they are covered under theHazardous Waste Management Act, or NFPA 395.

One final note concerning these exemptions: Under-ground tanks connected with piping systems are con-sidered a single tank. Therefore, if two 750-gallontanks are connected, the total volume would be 1,500gallons, and the tanks would be subject to regulation.

If an underground storage tank is covered underthese regulations (holds more than 1,100 gallons), thenthe owner is required to register the tank with the EPD.They want the following information:

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1. Name and address of the facility where the under-ground storage tank is located.

2. Name and address of the owner/operator of thetank.

3. Size and identification of the storage tank.4. Information on the substances to be stored in the

tank.5. Certification of financial responsibility in case of

leaks or spills.In addition, these regulations will require the owner

to:1. Notify the EPD of changes in the tanks or sub-

stances held in the tanks.2. Require a leak detection procedure depending on

the type of tank.3. Require the owner to notify the EPD within 24

hours of the detection of any leak.4. Give the EPD the right to inspect the tank at any

time if they reasonably believe that any violationsare occurring.The appropriate paperwork for registering an under-

ground storage tank may be obtained from the GeorgiaEPD’s underground tank division. (Visit their web siteat http://www.epa.gov/swerust1/)

If you have an underground storage tank and wishto avoid this annual process, or you have an under-ground storage tank that is no longer in use, you maywant to permanently close this tank. This process isalso regulated by the EPD. It essentially involves sub-

mitting additional paperwork regarding how you intendto close the tank and will require some soil and possi-bly ground water tests. The EPD has an excellentreference that answers many commonly asked ques-tions concerning the closure of an underground storagetank: Closing Underground Storage Tanks – BriefFacts (Download the publication athttp://www.epa.gov/swerust1/pubs/clo.pdf) For moreinformation on closing underground tanks, contactGeorgia EPD’s Underground Storage Tank Manage-ment Program.

After discussing many of these regulations witheach of the agencies involved, the general consensus isthat none of these programs are specifically designed totarget farm fuel tanks. While tanks that meet the cri-teria are expected to follow the regulations, the agen-cies will more than likely not be actively inspectingfarm tanks. Nevertheless, the farmer or tank owner isliable in the event of a fire or spill, and he will be res-ponsible for the damages associated with it. As little as1 gallon of gas can contaminate as much as 2-10 mil-lion gallons of water, and cleanup from single tankspills typically cost $10,000 to $100,000. By observingsafe practices and using common sense, most accidentscan be avoided. If you are interested in finding out howyou can avoid ground water contamination and poten-tial liability, then contact the University of GeorgiaExtension Biological and Agricultural EngineeringDepartment for an in-depth review of how you canprevent contamination from your fuel storage tanks.

Reviewed February 2015

The University of Georgia, Fort Valley State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and counties of the state cooperating. UGA Extension offers educational programs, assistance and materials to all people without regard to race, color, national origin, age, gender or disability.

The University of Georgia is committed to principles of equal opportunity and affirmative action.

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