18 AAC 75.065. Oil storage tank requirements

(a) The owner or operator of an oil terminal, crude oil pipeline, exploration, or production facility shall maintain and inspect oil storage and surge tanks consistent with the requirements of API Standard 653, First Edition, 1991, and Supplement 1, January 1992, or API Recommended Practice 12R1, Fourth Edition, 1991, as appropriate, unless a more stringent requirement is set out in this section.

(b) The owner or operator shall inspect oil storage tanks for structural integrity at least every ten years unless a shorter or longer inspection interval is prescribed by API Standard 653, First Edition, 1991, and Supplement 1, January 1992, or API RP 12R1, Fourth Edition, 1991. The department will, in its discretion, require a more frequent schedule

(1) for tanks older than 30 years;

(2) for riveted or bolted tanks;

(3) for tanks with demonstrated corrosion or foundation problems; or

(4) after a significant seismic event.

(c) An elevated or a portable tank is not required to undergo an internal inspection if an external integrity inspection, performed in accordance with API Standard 653, First Edition, 1991, and Supplement 1, January 1992, or API RP 12R1, Fourth Edition, 1991, is substituted and that inspection includes a thorough inspection and a nondestructive integrity test of the tank, including the tank bottom.

(d) A record of inspection results and corrective actions taken after 5/14/92 must be kept for the service life of the tank and must be available to the department for inspection and copying upon request.

(e) The owner or operator shall notify the department if an oil storage tank undergoes major repair or major alteration, as defined in API Standard 653, First Edition, 1991, and Supplement 1, January 1992, section 10.3.1.2.

(f) Oil storage tanks served by internal steam heating systems must be designed to control leakage through defective heating coils. Condensate lines must be monitored, passed through an oil separating device, or passed through a retention system.

(g) If an internal lining system is used to control corrosion or to meet the requirements of (i) of this section, it must be installed in accordance with API Standard 652, First Edition, 1991.

(h) A new installation must meet the following requirements:

(1) tanks must be constructed and installed in compliance with API Standard 650, 1988 edition, API Standard 12, D (Ninth Edition, 1989), F (Tenth Edition, 1989) and P (First Edition, 1986), or another standard approved by the department;

(2) oil storage tanks may not be of riveted or bolted construction;

(3) cathodic protection or another approved corrosion control system must be installed to protect the tank bottom from external corrosion where local soil conditions warrant; and

(4) each tank must be equipped with a leak detection system that an observer from outside the tank can use to detect leaks in the bottom of the tank, such as secondary catchment under the tank bottom with a leak detection sump, a sensitive gauging system, or other leak detection system approved by the department.

(i) An existing installation is subject to the following:

(1) each tank must be equipped with

(A) a leak detection system that an observer from outside the tank can use to detect leaks in the bottom of the tank, such as secondary catchment under the tank bottom with a leak detection sump, a sensitive gauging system, or another leak detection system approved by the department;

(B) cathodic protection in accordance with API Standard 651, First Edition, 1991;

(D) another leak detection or spill prevention system approved by the department; and

(2) repealed 5/26/2004;

(j) In addition to the applicable requirements of 18 AAC 75.025, the owner or operator shall ensure that one or more of the following means of preventing overfilling is provided:

(1) high liquid level alarms with signals that sound and display in a manner immediately recognizable by personnel conducting a transfer;

(2) high liquid level automatic pump shutoff devices set to stop flow at a predetermined tank content level;

(3) a means of immediately determining the liquid level of each bulk storage tank, provided that the liquid level is closely monitored during a transfer; or

(4) a system approved by the department which will immediately notice the operator of high liquid levels.

(k) Overfill protection devices must be tested before each transfer operation or monthly, whichever is less frequent. If monthly testing would necessitate interrupting the operation of a system subject to continuous flow, the owner or operator may substitute monthly inspection and annual testing for the monthly testing of overfill protection devices.

History: Eff. 5/14/92, Register 122; am 5/26/2004, Register 170

Authority: AS 46.03.020

AS 46.04.030

AS 46.04.070

Editor's note: The API standards set out in this section may be reviewed at any regional office of the department or may be obtained from the American Petroleum Institute, 1220 L Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20005.

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