Virginia Law

A. A new containment structure must comply with the following material specifications:

1. The containment structure must be constructed of steel, reinforced concrete, or other rigid material capable of withstanding the full hydrostatic head, load, and impact of any pesticides, precipitation, other substances, equipment, and appurtenances placed within the structure. The structure must be liquid-tight with cracks, seams, and joints appropriately sealed.

2. The structure must not be constructed of natural earthen material, unfired clay, or asphalt.

3. The containment structure must be made of materials compatible with the pesticides stored. Materials are deemed compatible if they are able to withstand anticipated exposure to stored or transferred substances and still provide containment of those same or other substances within the containment area.

B. A new containment structure must comply with the following general design requirements:

1. The owner or operator must ensure that appurtenances and pesticide containers are protected against damage from operating personnel and moving equipment. Means of protection include, but are not limited to, supports to prevent sagging, flexible connections, the use of guard rails, barriers, and protective cages.

2. Appurtenances, discharge outlets, or gravity drains must not be configured through the base or wall of the containment structure, except for direct interconnections between adjacent containment structures that meet the requirements of Part V (2VAC5-690-160 et seq.) of this chapter. Appurtenances must be configured in such a way that spills or leaks are easy to see.

3. The containment structure must be constructed with sufficient freeboard to contain precipitation and prevent water and other liquids from seeping into or flowing onto it from adjacent land or structures.

4. Multiple stationary pesticide containers may be protected within a single secondary containment unit.

C. A new secondary containment unit for a stationary container of a liquid pesticide and a new containment pad in a pesticide dispensing area must comply with the following capacity requirements:

1. New secondary containment units for stationary containers of liquid pesticides, if protected from precipitation, must have a capacity of at least 100% of the volume of the largest stationary pesticide container plus the volume displaced by other containers and appurtenances within the unit.

2. New secondary containment units for stationary containers of liquid pesticides, if exposed to or unprotected from precipitation, must have a capacity of at least 110% of the volume of the largest stationary pesticide container plus the volume displaced by other containers and appurtenances within the unit.

3. New containment pads in pesticide dispensing areas that have a pesticide container or pesticide holding equipment with a volume of 750 gallons or greater must have a holding capacity of at least 750 gallons.

4. New containment pads in pesticide dispensing areas that do not have a pesticide container or pesticide holding equipment with a volume of at least 750 gallons must have a holding capacity of at least 100% of the volume of the largest pesticide container or pesticide-holding equipment used on the pad.

D. Each stationary container of liquid pesticides protected by a new secondary containment unit must be anchored or elevated to prevent flotation in the event that the secondary containment unit fills with liquid.

E. Each new containment pad in a pesticide dispensing area must:

1. Be designed and constructed to intercept leaks and spills of pesticides that may occur in the pesticide dispensing area;

2. Have enough surface area to extend completely beneath any container on it, with the exception of transport vehicles dispensing pesticide for sale or distribution to a stationary pesticide container. For such vehicles, the surface area of the containment pad must accommodate at least the portion of the vehicle where the delivery hose or device couples to the vehicle. This exception does not apply to transport vehicles that are used for prolonged storage or repeated onsite dispensing of pesticides;

3. Allow, in conjunction with its sump, for removal and recovery of spilled, leaked, or discharged material and rainfall, such as by a manually activated pump. Automatically activated pumps that lack automatic overflow cutoff switches for the receiving container are prohibited; and

4. Have its surface sloped toward an area where liquids can be collected for removal, such as a liquid-tight sump or a depression, in the case of a single-pour concrete pad.

F. A new secondary containment unit for a stationary container of a dry pesticide must comply with the following specific design requirements:

1. The stationary containers of dry pesticides within the containment unit must be protected from wind and precipitation.

2. Stationary containers of dry pesticides must be placed on pallets or a raised concrete platform to prevent the accumulation of water in or under the pesticide.

3. The storage area for stationary containers of dry pesticides must include a floor that extends completely beneath the pallets or raised concrete platforms on which the stationary containers of dry pesticides must be stored.

4. The storage area for stationary containers of dry pesticides must be enclosed by a curb a minimum of six inches high that extends at least two feet beyond the perimeter of the container.