Learn more here: http://interstateproducts.com/DrumStorage.htm
Chemical Storage Guidelines and Regulations
Is your company in compliance with the various Federal regulations and guidelines that govern the way hazardous chemicals must be stored? In the interest of helping our customers to select the right products to ensure the safe storage and transfer of hazardous chemicals and other flammable or combustible materials, Interstate Products has provided below a summary of information and links to relevant Federal compliance resource publications to help you better understand the basic principles, guidelines and regulatory rules that must be followed.
Many of the regulations and guidelines presented below have been widely adopted by most US states, however, it is also important to learn which state laws apply specifically to your industry, company or particular application. Our customers are encouraged to seek out the relevant agencies involved in these types of regulations and guidelines in the states in which they operate.
Separation, Isolation and Storage of Hazardous Liquids
The improper storage of corrosives and flammable liquids is the leading cause of spills that can result in damage to facilities and impact worker safety. One of the most effective practices to help minimize damage from chemical spills is to isolate the various chemical hazards. Since knowledge of chemical compatibility is critical, it is important to understand that there are two major types of chemical hazards that require their own unique storage and transfer protocols. The two types of chemicals that pose the greatest risk can be classified as either:
- Corrosive materials, which include acids and bases
- Flammable or combustible liquids
Corrosive materials have the potential to severely damage surfaces or other substances it contacts. Physical hazards to workers include chemical burns, skin or eye damage; and inhalation or ingestion of a corrosive liquid can cause respiratory damage.
Flammable and combustible liquids are defined by their flash points. A liquid’s flash point is a function of its vapor pressure and boiling point. Flammable and combustible liquids are classified by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) based on their flash points:
Flammable Liquids (Class I): Liquids with flash points below 100°F (37.8°C) and vapor pressures not exceeding 40 pounds per square inch (absolute) at 100°F (37.8°C).
Combustible Liquids (Classes II and III): Liquids having flash points at or above 100°F (37.8°C).
The most effective way to isolate your flammable and corrosive hazards is to store them properly in approved safety storage containers and cabinets. Using the correct flammable storage (gas cans) or chemical storage containers are the first line of defense. The next step is to utilize the appropriate chemical safety storage cabinets in order to isolate corrosive liquids and flammable liquids from other incompatible chemicals; and to contain the hazards in the event of spill or leakage.
Learn more: http://www.chemical-storage.net/index.htm
Storm Team Plus Liquid Ice Melter
Check out our new Ice Melter video on YouTube…
Learn more here: http://www.interstateproducts.com/Icemelter.htm
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Using a Self Bailer on Containment Sumps to Filter Hydrocarbons
How do you eliminate problems associated with the collection of rainwater in outdoor containment systems and maintain compliance with EPA and Clean Water Act regulations? Since most outdoor oil storage tank sumps and oil drum spill pallets will inevitably be exposed to local precipitation and storm water runoff from nearby catchment surfaces, it is necessary to make sure you have measures in place to filter out any oil, fuels or other contaminants that could overflow or leak out of these secondary containment systems. In fact, the Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure Act (SPCC), a set of regulations ‘designed to prevent discharges of oil and oil-related materials from reaching navigable waters and adjoining shorelines’ mandates that industrial and agricultural operators take steps to filter these hydrocarbons before they can leach into the surrounding environment.
According to EPA regulation 40 CFR 264.175, Containment of Containers Containing Free Liquid, a containment system must be designed to operate as follows:
- The containment unit must underlie the containers and must be free of cracks or gaps and be sufficiently impervious to contain leaks, spills and accumulated precipitation.
- The base of the containment unit must be sloped or designed to drain and remove liquids resulting from leaks, spills or precipitation, unless the containers are elevated or otherwise protected from contact with accumulated liquids.
- The containment system must have sufficient capacity to contain 10% of the volume of containers or the volume of the largest container, whichever is greater.
To help eliminate problems associated with the collection of rainwater in outdoor containment sumps, tanks and berms, Interstate Products now offers UltraTech Self Bailers which allow for the passive filtration of hydrocarbons from storm water in outdoor containment products. This self-bailing filter system is simple to install, can be connected to almost any outdoor containment product, and offers the best protection for non-monitored containment sites. UltraTech Self Bailers are ideal for use in a variety of applications including: remote oil storage tanks used by farms and agricultural operations, as part of portable truck berm systems and any other outdoor containment areas. Self Bailers come in a variety of sizes. The standard size accommodates flow rate of up to 7.5 gallons per hour and larger sizes can handle up to 55 gallons per hour.
By using Self Bailers, modest spills and hydrocarbon “sheens” are captured to provide a clean Stormwater runoff solution. In the event of larger or more concentrated spills, the filter will activate an auto-shut off mechanism stopping the flow of hazardous liquids or materials. There is also a manual shutoff valve which can be used to secure all draining operations. For periodic maintenance the filter cartridge is easy to replace, and the storm water drain should be cleaned through the outflow port. The UltraTech Self Bailer helps ensure your non-monitored containment sites keep a clean outflow and is an important tool to help you meet or exceed EPA state and federal Stormwater regulations for secondary spill containment.
Interstate Products’ full line of oil drum storage sumps and fuel tank storage products offer the best in hydrocarbon storage, fuel spill containment and oil spill control. As the authority on industrial and environmental spill control and remediation, IPI experts are here to help our customers source the right secondary containment products for their individual needs. Contact us toll free at 1-800-474-7294. To view our full selection of oil containment products please visit: http://store.interstateproducts.com/ultra_self_bailer.htm
UltraTEch Self Bailer
Liquid Ice Melter for Healthier Landscapes after the Thaw
During the spring and summer months many homeowners and groundskeepers expend great effort on keeping lawns and landscapes healthy and beautiful. Yet, as winter arrives in many regions of the country snow and ice begin to blanket walkways, driveways and landscapes. While fresh layers of fallen snow can be beneficial to your lawn and gardens by helping to insulate plant roots from extreme cold, many current methods to manage, remove or melt away snow and ice can also cause damage these landscaped areas. For example, as we shovel our driveways and sidewalks, it is a common –if unintended- practice to dump this heavier, compacted snow onto the delicate plants and dormant flowers that were nurtured during the warmer seasons. Additionally, many people resort to applying environmentally harmful chemical ice melters or even rock salt, which may not only fail to melt ice at temperatures below 20 degrees, but is also known to cause damage to landscapes. So what is the secret to keeping your landscaping healthy when snow and ice accumulate on your driveways, walkways, lawn and garden?
Ice and snow melt products have evolved over the years and become a necessary part of our winter tool kits to help make traversing roads and sidewalks safe from frozen precipitation. Yet all too often these liquid deicers are used in excess to melt ice and snow, causing unintended damage to plants and grass that grow along sidewalks and driveways. Unfortunately, many of these chemical formulations do help to melt the ice, but they also contain ingredients like phosphates and chlorides that have been proven harmful to ponds, landscapes and lawns when over applied. On the sunny side, there are more environmentally friendly ice melting solutions available to keep both surfaces and foliage safe from our desire to melt the ice.
Storm Team Plus Liquid Ice Melt offers a more advanced and efficient solution to eliminating ice and keeping landscapes safe during winter.
Storm Team Plus Liquid Ice Melt is a spray on liquid ice melt solution that contains so salt, magnesium chloride, brine or any flammable or corrosive ingredients of any kind, making it safer for use near sensitive plant materials. It is an environmentally friendly ice and snow melt solution designed to quickly melt ice or snow on contact. It is non-hazardous, less corrosive than water and is safer for wildlife and landscapes than virtually every chloride ice melt available today. In fact, toxicity tests rate Storm Team Plus as “relatively harmless” to aquatic life, the most favorable classification used by the environmental community; it does not contain nitrogen or nitrates and is considered much safer for the environment than sodium chloride, glycol or urea.
Interstate Products, Inc. (IPI), is a leading distributor of Storm Team Plus Liquid Ice Melt products. Available in sizes ranging from one gallon containers to five gallon pails and 55 gallon drums, IPI has easy online ordering and is currently offering free shipping in the contiguous 48 states on most orders. For assistance finding the right ice melting solution for your needs, call our environmental solutions experts toll free at 1-800-474-7294. For detailed product information please visit: http://www.interstateproducts.com/Icemelter.htm
Ready T-Bracket Spill Berms measure up to largest spill containment and support requirements
Oil spills and discharges most commonly happen during the oil storage container transfer process, and during fuel and chemical deliveries. Even though the majority of spills involve less than 100 gallons, most facilities that maintain above-ground storage of more than 1320 gallons of oil are still required to have oil spill plans in place as part of EPA and other regulatory rules. It is advisable, as part of an oil or chemical spill contingency plan, to have oil spill kits and spill berms at the ready any place where oil is transferred from truck to storage areas and where oil storage drums and containers are housed. This includes receiving docks, fleet cleaning, decon and maintenance areas, outdoor storage buildings, waste collection areas, oil mixing and processing areas or where oil is routinely pumped from 55 gallon drums.
Spill kits are designed as a countermeasure to help contain and clean up hazardous liquids in the event that a spill occurs; whether it is due to container mishandling or leakage. For larger fuel storage and chemical storage spill control and containment requirements, spill berms are an integral part of any oil spill mitigation plan. Interstate Products Inc. (IPI) carries a broad range of portable spill berms, in a variety of sizes and materials to meet any requirement.
IPI has continued expanding our spill containment berm product line with the introduction of increased wall heights and liquid storage capacity on our Ready L-Bracket Berm; which is also now available with “T” shaped bracket supports. Both IPI’s Rapid Entry and L-Bracket berms can now be manufactured to accommodate up to eighteen inch T brackets for the largest support and containment requirements. Combo wall berms are ideal for use as secondary containment for tanker trucks, decontamination, fuel and chemical deliveries; and for larger capacity containment areas ranging from thousands of gallons to tens of thousands of gallons. Our new T-Bracket Berms accommodate larger tankers by offering more containment capacity in a smaller space.
IPI manufactures foam wall berms in a variety of both standard and customized sizes with wall heights ranging from 2 inches up to 12 inches available. Our new T-Bracket Berm is designed to support higher containment capacity by providing greater wall strength. Where the standard L-Bracket Berm can hold up to 748 gallons, the new T brackets can hold up to 50 percent more within a smaller overall berm footprint.
The versatile, space saving Ready L-Bracket spill containment berm offers features that make it ideal for spill control. The lightweight supports take up almost no extra space and it folds down to a compact size for easy storage and transport. This berm is ideal to use in a manufacturing plant for temporary storage of batteries, drums, tanks, maintenance parts and more. The compact size and portability also provides for sturdy spill response at jobsites for leaking tanks, vehicles, equipment and machinery. Heavy duty supports make our berms even tougher and stronger than the myriad of ‘economy’ berms on the market today.
IPI’s standard Ready L-Bracket Berm is manufactured using 30 mil XR-5® geomembrane, which is made from heavy-duty reinforced fabric that is ideal for the rapid entry of trucks and tankers, providing for containment of most common spills. Optional berm liners, ground mats and containment pads can be ordered for under the berm protection and placement on rough terrain.
In addition to collapsible, foam wall drive through berms, we can build customized combo wall berms in a variety of wall heights that provide maximum support with T bracket reinforcement on the longer side walls and drive-over foam walls on the entry and exit sides. Our customer can feel secure with a 7-year warranty on seams and workmanship and 10 years pro-rated on cracking and UV damage. Our berm specialists are available by calling 1-800-474-7294. For more information visit: http://store.interstateproducts.com/all_spill_berms-ready.htm
Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) Compliance Date for Farms Extended to May 10, 2013
The United State Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced a proposed rule amendment to 40 CFR Part 112’s SPCC compliance deadline for farmers. A Federal Register posting summarized the proposed rule as follows, “EPA is taking direct final action to amend the date by which farms must prepare or amend, and implement their Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure Plans to May 10, 2013. This rule is effective on November 7, 2011 without further notice, unless EPA receives adverse comment by November 2, 2011.”
According to the Proposed Amendment, farming operations that commenced on or before August 16, 2002 now have until May 10, 2013 to amend and implement their SPCC Plan. The EPA website explains the rationale for this rule change, stating, “An overwhelming segment of the continental United States was affected by flooding during the spring and summer of 2011. Other areas were impacted by devastating fires. Many counties in many states were declared disaster areas by either the federal or state government or both. As a result, EPA believes that because of their unique nature farms were disproportionately affected and need additional time to prepare and implement a Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure Plan. The amendment does not remove the regulatory requirement for owners or operators of farms in operation before August 16, 2002, to maintain and continue implementing an SPCC Plan in accordance with the SPCC regulations then in effect. Such farms continue to be required to maintain plans during the interim until the applicable compliance date for amending and implementing the amended Plans. Finally, the amendment does not relieve farms from the liability of any oil spills that occur.”
The extension of the SPCC plan compliance deadline for farmers has received support from both individual farm operators as well as the National Farmers Union as it will provide the agriculture community more time to recover from the devastating impacts of this year’s unprecedented drought, floods and fires. Yet more importantly, it provides an extended timeframe for farmers to properly research all relevant aspects of the SPCC regulation and to create or update their oil spill mitigation planning as defined in the regulation. An overview of resources for farmers and other agricultural operations that are subject to the new SPCC Plan deadline, including advice, technical support and oil spill prevention and clean up products are available at Interstate Products’ SPCC Farmers website at: http://interstateproducts.com/spcc_farmers.html
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