Regulations for petroleum product storage tank systems: frequently asked questions

Storage Tank Systems for Petroleum Products and Allied Petroleum Products Regulations

1. What is the purpose of these regulations?
2. What are the key elements of these regulations?
3. How do these regulations affect Canadian businesses?
4. What is the timeline for implementation?
5. Where can I get more information?

1. What is the purpose of these regulations?

The purpose of the Storage Tank Systems for Petroleum Products and Allied Petroleum Products Regulations (the regulations) is to protect Canada’s environment and the health of Canadians by reducing the risk of contaminating soil and groundwater from spills and leaks from storage tank systems for petroleum products and allied petroleum products.

The regulations were created to provide a comparable level of environmental protection for storage tank systems under federal jurisdiction as those under provincial jurisdiction.

2. What are the key elements of these regulations?

The regulations establish technical standards for the design, installation, maintenance and removal of storage tank systems.

The regulations apply to federal government operations, and to storage tank facilities on federal and Aboriginal lands. As such, the regulations apply to storage tank systems:

• operated by federal departments, boards or agencies or belonging to Her Majesty in right of Canada
• operated by Crown corporations or belonging to such corporations
• operated by or belonging to port authorities,^{Footnote 1} railways and airports^{Footnote 2} and
• located on federal lands and Aboriginal lands

In addition, they apply to persons who deliver petroleum and allied petroleum products to these storage tank systems.

3. How do these regulations affect Canadian businesses?

The regulations apply or may apply to various business sectors in Canada, including port authorities, airports, railways, and businesses such as gas stations on federal and Aboriginal lands.

Owners are required to identify their storage tank systems to Environment and Climate Change Canada and to develop an emergency plan. In addition, in the event of a release to the environment in contravention of the regulations, or the likelihood of a release, regulatees must notify, as soon as possible, the spill reporting line for the province or territory in which they are located.

4. What is the timeline for implementation?

The regulations, made under the authority of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999, came into force on June 12, 2008. Storage tank systems installed after this date must meet all relevant requirements of the regulations before being put into service. Owners of storage tank systems that were installed prior to the coming-into-force of the regulations had until June 12, 2010, to identify their storage tank systems, implement emergency plans and implement leak detection, where appropriate. Owners of these storage tank systems also had four years (to June 12, 2012) to install product transfer areas and to remove high-risk systems. All requirements of the regulations are now in force.

5. Where can I get more information?

More information on these regulations can be found on the storage tanks for petroleum and allied petroleum products web section.

Inquiries about the Storage Tank Program can be made by emailing ec.registrereservoir-tankregistry.ec@canada.ca or by phoning 1-844-672-8038.

For more information

• Federal regulatory management
• The Cabinet Directive on Regulatory Management
• The Canada-United States Regulatory Cooperation Council

To learn about upcoming or ongoing consultations on proposed federal regulations, visit the Canada Gazette and consulting with Canadians websites.