The Petro Pulse - DEP's Northwest District Petroleum Storage Tank Newsletter

Florida Department of Environmental Protection sent this bulletin at 08/24/2021 01:56 PM EDT

August 2021

The Petro Pulse Newsletter is a source of information that can help you maintain compliance with the rules and regulations of operating and maintaining aboveground and underground storage tank facilities in Northwest Florida. We hope you find this information useful.

Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) staff are available to assist. Please reach out to any of our contacts listed below with questions or concerns.

Florida relies on groundwater for 92% of its drinking water needs. In 1983, Florida recognized this important environmental issue and was one of the first states to pass legislation and adopt rules for underground and aboveground storage tank systems. Stringent regulations allow Floridians to have access to safe water now and long into the future. You can do your part to keep drinking water safe by following state and federal regulations and maintaining your storage tank system. Keeping a storage tank system in its best condition can create a lot of paperwork with registration, maintenance, repairs, testing, training and financial documents. It is recommended that all these records be maintained in a central location such as a three-ring binder or a file cabinet. Records can even be saved electronically on your computer; just be sure to save all documents in a general folder so that they can be found quickly when the inspector is on-site for review.

DEP conducts routine inspections of regulated facilities to verify that storage tanks are in good condition, and ultimately ensure the safety of Floridians by preventing fuel discharges to soil or groundwater. Here are tips to help keep your storage tank system in its best working condition and to assist you with your next routine inspection.

Inspector No Touch Policy

County inspectors are not authorized to access components of the storage tank system for the inspection. According to Rules 62-761.100(3) and 62-762.101(5), Florida Administrative Code (F.A.C.), the facility owner/operator is required to provide an authorized facility representative to safely access storage tank system components for inspection purposes, unlock and open any covers or manways, release detection equipment associated with the storage tank system, and demonstrate the operational functionality of electronic equipment. The facility representative will need to have a key to the dispensers and be capable of removing sump lids for access and inspection of all components of the storage tank system.

Preparing for an Inspection

DEP created videos along with the Broward County Environmental Protection and Growth Management to instruct owners and operators on what is expected on a routine inspection and the proper documentation required from the owner/operator at the time of the inspection. Take time to watch these videos and be better prepared for your next routine inspection.

Current Placard Required for Fuel Deliveries

Storage tank placard renewal takes place every year on July 1. Every facility with a regulated storage tank is expected to pay the required registration fees and obtain a placard. This placard should be posted in a conspicuous location so that a fuel carrier can verify that the tanks at your location can legally receive fuel.

It is unlawful for any supplier to deposit fuel into a tank that should be registered with the department unless proof of valid registration is displayed as required (376.3077, Florida Statutes). Enforcement of this regulation applies to facility owners/operators as well as fuel suppliers. The department has a report called Green Tag Delivery Placard Recipients that can be used to determine if a facility/tank is properly registered and can legally receive a fuel delivery.

Storage Tank Quiz

Brush up on your facts and see how many you can get correct. Answers are at the bottom of the newsletter.

1. A facility has a failed integrity test. What form does it need to fill out?
a. Registration form.
b. Discharge reporting form.
c. Incident notification form.
d. Closure integrity evaluation form.

2. Repair, operation and maintenance records must be kept for what length of time?
a. One year.
b. Three years.
c. Five years.
d. Lifetime of the tank system.

3. Where is the shear valve on a storage tank system?
a. Below the dispenser.
b. On top of the dispenser.
c. On top of the tank.
d. In the STP sump.

4. Monthly monitoring records and annual
operability records are required to be kept by
facilities for what length of time?
a. Two years.
b. Three years.
c. Five years.
d. Lifetime of the tank system.

5. Secondary containment around a fill pipe
that catches drips or spills during a fuel
delivery is called a:
a. Spill bucket.
b. STP sump.
c. Transition sump.
d. Absorbent boom.

Proof of Financial Responsibility

Financial responsibility is the ability to pay for cleanup of a discharge and third-party liability resulting from a discharge of petroleum or petroleum product at the facility. According to subsections 62-761.420(2) and 62-762.421(2), F.A.C., financial responsibility shall be maintained and demonstrated to the county or DEP for all storage tank systems until the storage tank systems are properly closed. To demonstrate financial responsibility, many facilities obtain insurance policies for their storage tanks. During a routine inspection, the inspector will review a copy of the insurance policy along with completed financial forms. Since Oct. 13, 2019, every facility owner must provide a completed Certification of Financial Responsibility, Form 62-761.900(3) Part P, along with a completed Form Part C or Part D. All of the forms and additional information about other options for demonstrating financial responsibility can be found on the DEP website.

The following forms are required for facilities using insurance as their method of financial responsibility. Please be sure to use the most recent version of the form, currently with an effective date of October 2019.

Form Part P Certification of Financial Responsibility
• Must be completed by the owner/operator.
• Must be updated whenever the insurance
policy is replaced, renewed or amended.
Form Part C or Part D
• Must be completed by the insurance company.
• Part C Insurance Endorsement.
• Part D Certificate of Insurance.

Testing and Record Retention Requirements

Properly maintaining a storage tank requires diligence and attention to many details. The following table is a list of the required operability and integrity testing as well as the time interval between those tests. Also listed is the time period you are required to keep test results and other storage tank records. We hope this will help you properly operate and maintain your storage tank system and promote compliance with storage tank regulations.

Storage Tank Quiz Answers:
1. C 2. B 3. A 4. B 5. A

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