Code of practice for storage tank systems containing petroleum and allied products: chapter 6

Rationale for an environmental code of practice

Historically, the National Fire Code of Canada (NFCC) and Canadian Standards Association (CSA) requirements have been used in Canada for the installation and operation of underground storage tanks containing petroleum products. These codes were written from the viewpoint of fire prevention and primarily cover the elements of fire prevention and fire safety. In the late 1980s, the Canadian Council of the Ministers of the Environment (CCME) saw a need to provide recommended practices that went beyond the scope of these documents and provided an environmental perspective on the management of storage tanks containing petroleum and allied petroleum products.

As a result, CCME's "Environmental Code of Practice for Underground Storage Tank Systems Containing Petroleum Products and Allied Petroleum Products" was first published in 1988 and revised in 1993. This was followed in 1994 with the publication of the "Environmental Code of Practice for Aboveground Storage Tank Systems Containing Petroleum Products."

Federal, provincial, and territorial jurisdictions agreed that the existing underground and aboveground codes of practice should be updated to keep pace with changes in the NFCC, reflect new CSA requirements, and take advantage of advances in technology. It was also decided to combine the existing aboveground and underground CCME codes into one comprehensive document.