Virginia Law

Owners and operators must obtain a permit and the required inspections in accordance with the provisions of the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (§ 36-97 et seq. of the Code of Virginia).

A permit from the building official must be obtained prior to repairing any UST system. No repaired UST system shall be placed into use unless and until the system is inspected in accordance with the provisions of the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (§ 36-97 et seq. of the Code of Virginia).

In the case of state-owned facilities the Department of General Services shall function as the building official in accordance with § 36-98.1 of the Code of Virginia.

In the case of federal facilities the building official must be contacted. Owners and operators must obtain a permit and the required inspections in accordance with the provisions of the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (§ 36-97 et seq. of the Code of Virginia).

Owners and operators of UST systems must ensure that repairs will prevent releases due to structural failure or corrosion as long as the UST system is used to store regulated substances. The repairs must meet the following requirements:

1. Repairs to UST systems must be properly conducted in accordance with a code of practice developed by a nationally recognized association or an independent testing laboratory.

NOTE: The following codes of practice may be used to comply with subdivision 1 of this section:

a. National Fire Protection Association Standard 30, Flammable and Combustible Liquids Code;

b. American Petroleum Institute Recommended Practice RP 2200, Repairing Crude Oil, Liquefied Petroleum Gas, and Product Pipelines;

c. American Petroleum Institute Recommended Practice RP 1631, Interior Lining and Periodic Inspection of Underground Storage Tanks;

d. National Fire Protection Association Standard 326, Standard for the Safeguarding of Tanks and Containers for Entry, Cleaning, or Repair;

e. National Leak Prevention Association Standard 631, Chapter A, Entry, Cleaning, Interior Inspection, Repair, and Lining of Underground Storage Tanks;

f. Steel Tank Institute Recommended Practice R972, Recommended Practice for the Addition of Supplemental Anodes to STI-P3^® Tanks;

g. NACE International Standard Practice SP 0285, External Control of Underground Storage Tank Systems by Cathodic Protection; or

h. Fiberglass Tank and Pipe Institute Recommended Practice T-95-02, Remanufacturing of Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic (FRP) Underground Storage Tanks.

2. Repairs to fiberglass-reinforced plastic tanks may be made by the manufacturer's authorized representatives or in accordance with a code of practice developed by a nationally recognized association or an independent testing laboratory.

3. Metal pipe sections and fittings that have released product as a result of corrosion or other damage must be replaced. Noncorrodible pipes and fittings may be repaired in accordance with the manufacturer's specifications.

4. Repairs to secondary containment areas of tanks and piping used for interstitial monitoring and to containment sumps used for interstitial monitoring of piping must have the secondary containment tested for tightness according to the manufacturer's instructions, a code of practice developed by a nationally recognized association or independent testing laboratory, or according to requirements established by the department within 30 days following the date of completion of the repair.

5. All other repairs to tanks and piping must be tightness tested in accordance with subdivision 3 of 9VAC25-580-160 and subdivision 2 of 9VAC25-580-170 within 30 days following the date of the completion of the repair except as provided below:

a. The repaired tank is internally inspected in accordance with a code of practice developed by a nationally recognized association or an independent testing laboratory;

b. The repaired portion of the UST system is monitored monthly for releases in accordance with a method specified in subdivisions 4 through 9 of 9VAC25-580-160; or

c. Another test method is used that is determined by the department to be no less protective of human health and the environment than those listed in subdivisions a and b of this subdivision 5.

NOTE: The following codes of practice may be used to comply with subdivisions 4 and 5 of this section:

(1) Steel Tank Institute Recommended Practice R012, Recommended Practice for Interstitial Tightness Testing of Existing Underground Double Wall Steel Tanks; or

(2) Fiberglass Tank and Pipe Institute Protocol, Field Test Protocol for Testing the Annular Space of Installed Underground Fiberglass Double and Triple-Wall Tanks With Dry Annular Space.

(3) Petroleum Equipment Institute Recommended Practice RP1200, Recommended Practices for the Testing and Verification of Spill, Overfill, Leak Detection and Secondary Containment Equipment at UST Facilities.

6. Within six months following the repair of any cathodically protected UST system, the cathodic protection system must be tested in accordance with subdivisions 2 and 3 of 9VAC25-580-90 to ensure that it is operating properly.

7. Within 30 days following any repair to spill or overflow prevention equipment, the repaired spill or overflow prevention equipment must be tested or inspected as appropriate, in accordance with 9VAC25-580-82 to ensure it is operating properly.

8. UST system owners and operators must maintain records in accordance with 9VAC25-580-120 of each repair until the UST system is permanently closed or undergoes a change-in-service pursuant to 9VAC25-580-320.